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This
is your Premier Health Tip for the week compliments of Dr. Shapero at
Premier Health Care.
Our goal is to help as many people as possible obtain and maintain optimum
health, naturally.
Many
parents incorrectly think that a temperature of 104° to 105° F
will cause brain damage to occur, or that if a fever is untreated it will
rise higher. As a result, inappropriate treatment is frequently employed,
such as: medications, herbal remedies, tepid and alcohol baths to reduce
the fever. It has been determined that brain damage can occur in a fever
of 107 degrees or higher. Close watch of a child's temperature and the
rate at which it rises is advisable in high fevers. Parent's may opt for
a professional evaluation/ diagnosis to determine the course of care for
their child at any stage.
How does a fever work? Fever has a direct effect on
the immune system. When one has a fever, the Central Nervous System increases
the body's metabolism while decreasing its ability to disperse heat. A
fever reduces the amount of iron in the blood stream that is needed by
invading bacteria, thus starving the invader of needed nutrients. A fever
also increases the activity of white blood cells that kill bacteria in
your body. When the virus or bacterial imbalance has returned to normal
the fever breaks and body temperature returns to normal.
In the subluxated, (misaligned) child there can be interference
in the body's fever mechanism. The subluxation complex may not allow the
body to either create a fever, or not allow the temperature to return
to normal once the fever has produced its desired effect. If the body
has a difficult time restoring a normal temperature, then the most logical
thing to do is to look and see if there is a subluxation creating interference
in the nervous system. This would cause a condition, which would not allow
the wisdom in the body to maintain a normal body temperature. Once the
proper chiropractic adjustment is given the body usually responds in short
order. This is not to say that a fever will break, as in some cases the
fever will actually rise allowing the body to better fight off invading
bacteria before returning to normal at a later period of time.
When a child has a fever it is important for him or
her to take in plenty of fluids, as in this time of elevated body temperature,
it is easy to become dehydrated. Soup broth, liquid electrolytes and fruit
juices are great choices because they replace electrolytes that are used
up in the fever process. Rest during times of fever to allow the body
to use its energy to fight off infection. Remember to eat, but not too
much. Keep an even diet when you have a fever, you don't want to stress
your system by stuffing or starving yourself. Also, there should be monitoring
of the subluxation in the first few hours and subsequent days as needed
to ensure the subluxation is corrected, and stays corrected.
References
Schmitt BD. Fever
phobia: Misconceptions of parents about fevers. Am J Dis Child. 1980;
134(2): 176-81.
Fallon JM. The role of subluxation in fever and febrile seizures. Today's
Chiropractic Mar/Apr 1996; 25 (2): 64-66
Fysh PN. Kids Need Chiropractic Too: Evaluating the Child with Fever.
Dynamic Chiropractic 1993; 11(10): 24
Yours for better Health.
Dr. Bradley C. Shapero,
D.C.
Dr.Bradley Shapero
Premier Health Care - A rapidly expanding state of the art health care
facility helping
to create a drug free saner world through the delivery of the most advanced
health care system on the planet - CHIROPRACTIC
EXPECT MIRACLES - WE DO
www.premierhealthcaresc.com
drshapero@premierhealthcaresc.com
Located: 105 Ave. De La Estrella, Ste. 1A
San Clemente, California
949/492-7488
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