3 ms·
Most organisms function within a given temperature range. For example, try dropping the temperature to 0C or raising it to 60C and see how you like it. Fever,
by MrVandemar 3y ago
Most organisms function within a given temperature range. For example, try dropping the temperature to 0C or raising it to 60C and see how you like it.
Fever, I suspect, is the body trying to exceed the operating temperature range of the pathogen to either kill or impede it.
I don't know if there has been any research on this that either confirms my genius theory or disproves my rambling uninformed delusion.
- tharkun__ 3y agoYour parent knows that and says as much but says he believes all the pathogens this actually helps against are "long gone". It's the conventional wisdom on fever, not your genius theory or suspicion. The body also does not go into fever mode for every kind of infection so I personally think that it's quite adapted to only "fevering" for the right kinds of pathogens, as in: yes it does still help/do something but there can of course be "imposters" that make you go into fever mode without it helping much. Some people get fever that goes way too high and kills the host if we didn't have Ibuprofen and the like (or herbal remedies to the same effect). If none of those were available, the genes affecting this would naturally die out/become less prevalent. Which is along the lines of the article that "letting diseases run their course" might be beneficial in that sense.