Fever: Vital Force, Cleansing Fire
By Erin Piorier
As parents, we have the awesome responsibility of stewardship of our children’s health. When we feel our child burning up with fever and see the glassy eyed, lethargic look, it’s natural to want to treat the fever. However, traditional wisdom and contemporary research suggests that suppressing fever is not health promoting and in fact, may even be harmful.
Fever is a
response of a strong and healthy immune system.
Fever is a cleansing fire during times of illness and imbalance. Some
current research indicates that the more fevers a child has in the early years,
the lower the rates of chronic conditions later in life such as asthma,
allergies and eczema. Some holistic
theoreticians believe that when a child is not allowed to mount large
inflammations in the early years, toxins become entrenched-causing persistent low
level inflammations. Chronic
inflammatory disease is viewed as the attempt of the body to complete the
feverish cycle.
When it comes to health, children are not simply
miniature adults. Children have unique health issues. Early childhood, that special period from
birth to about age seven, is characterized by the development of immunity. When a baby leaves the sterile environment of
the womb, he or she lacks an immune system as we know it. The tiny baby borrows immunity from his
mother via breastmilk while she is still in the process of developing her own
immune system.
Babies and children build an immune system with the
help of the thymus gland, a large, flat gland that lies across the chest like a
shield. (As we age this gland atrophies
and becomes inactive). This gland sends out immune cells throughout the body, which
then take up residence in the tissues of the child and begin to create colonies
of immune cells throughout the body.
Immunity is so much more than protection from
disease. Immunity can be thought of as
the ability of the body to recognize itself; to distinguish the difference between
Self and Other (food, “germs”, dust, mold—anything that enters us via our
lungs, skin or g.i. tract). Immunity is
learned—it comes from experience. We
have to learn not to attack the Self, to let the harmless Others be, and to
seek and destroy that which is harmful to us.
Feverish and Eruptive
Illness in Childhood
Fevers are relatively uncommon in adults. The new human with so little immune experience
is prone to infection from organisms
that older children and adults have the immune capacity to handle. Anthroposophical medicine (based on the work
of Rudolf Steiner, founder of Waldorf Education) adds more to our perspective
on fever. Anthroposophical physicians
believe that the rapid development of the child’s body is a process not only of
growth but of the destruction of old tissues.
Old tissues that are broken down create the medium which microorganisms
feed upon. In this model, fevers play an
important cleansing role, ridding the body of wastes until illness disappears.
Many classic childhood illnesses are characterized by
not only fever but also eruption—another method of cleansing used by the immune
system. Take for instance the simple
case of teething. Wise mothers have noticed that the eruption of the tooth is
accompanied by other discharges and eruptions including drool, mucus, diaper
rash, rash on the cheeks and of course, fever.
Other childhood illnesses also feature eruption including Chicken Pox,
Measles, German measles, and Rubella.
Traditional cultures and systems of medicine around
the world, including Native American, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda,
and even Traditional Western Medicine have viewed fever as a sign of the
rallying of the body’s vital force. Traditional and holistic management of fever
involves respectfully and carefully watching of fever but does not involve
trying to lower the fever. Instead,
traditional treatment of fever attempts to help move the body swiftly through
the stages of the fever, actually promoting short-term heat so the body can
quickly get its job done.
When treating fever holistically, it’s helpful to
understand the normal course of fever. Fevers
typically begin with the chill phase as the fever is still rising, followed by a
period of high fever with a hot and dry feeling. Finally, when the fever “breaks”, the child
sweats, feels relief and the temperature begins to decline. A fever usually peaks in severity before it
breaks. Traditional management of fever
helps a child to reach that peak when the fever can break.
You can help your child through a feverish illness by
emphasizing three very basic practices:
Heat, Sweating and Diaphoretic Teas.
Even though it feels counter-intuitive the feverish child needs to be
kept warm. Remember that although the
thermometer may indicate a state of warmth, your child may actually be
experiencing chills or feelings of coldness.
Feeling chilled or cold means that deep in the recesses of the brain,
the hypothalamus (which controls temperature) is still trying to raise the body
temperature to a level which can accomplish the necessary cleansing work and the
killing of micro-organisms. The child
should be kept in warm clothing and warm blankets.
Sweating is used as fever therapy all over the world,
from the Native American sweat lodge to the Finnish Sauna and other global
practices using hot water and steam. Sweating helps the fever to “break.” We
can incorporate sweating into our healing practice through the use of hot
baths. Diaphoretic herbs added to the
bath, as described below, can enhance the process. Diaphoretic herbs that promote sweating are also
important in the treatment of fevers. Diaphoretics are herbs that can be used in teas or used in an herbal
bath to help open the pores, allow the heat out and promote sweating. Diaphoretics
also promote healthy discharge through the skin. There are countless herbal diaphoretics. I
have a few favorites that I consistently recommend to parents in my practice,
including Elder Blossoms, Linden Blossoms, Catnip, Yarrow, Peppermint and
Boneset. Feel free to experiment with
these safe and effective herbs in your family. Each of these herbs has a rich history and
special qualities that differentiate them from one another. Consult an herbalist or a good herbal book
fordetailed indications..
As a mother if I could only have one herb in my
cupboard I would choose Elder Blossoms. Elder Blossoms can be steeped and taken
as a tea or added to the bath. It makes
a mild tasting tea tolerated by most children. Steep one teaspoon of dried herb
in 8 oz of boiling water for 15 minutes covered with a saucer. Another great herbal fever treatment is the
classic Western herbal formula consisting of equal parts Elder Blossom,
Peppermint and Yarrow (put a handful of each in a quart jar, pour over them a
pint and a half of boiling water, steep for half and hour, strain, sweeten and drink
it in bed as hot as can be tolerated) Most children under 3 will naturally drink
about ¼ cup of medicinal tea, kids from 3 to 7 can take about ½ cup, and for older
folks use a 1 cup dose. Doses can be repeated several times daily.
Feverish kids do not need to eat. The body does not have the energy to work on
digestion while doing this important healing work. Simply keep your little one hydrated and the
appetite will return when balance is restored to his or her body. Juice, milk and soymilk are not health
promoting beverages during fever (breastmilk, of course, is always
appropriate). The cool damp energy of
these drinks is contraindicated.
Emphasize the traditional chicken soup or miso broth, hot teas and of
course, water. Warm liquids are more
easily absorbed by the body than ice cold beverages.
Many holistically minded mothers struggle over the
decision to take the feverish child to the medical doctor. In general it is best to stay calm and trust
the wisdom of your child’s body. A fever
of 101, 102 or even 103 degrees when not complicated by other symptoms is not
usually cause for alarm. Following the
principles outlined above of warmth, sweating and diaphoretic herbs, along with
attention to hydration and a simple diet will usually be sufficient. It is also
important to remember that a fever frequently peaks in severity just prior to great
improvement, and that it is not unusual for fevers to return in the evening
after normal daytime temperatures.
Call a trusted health care practitioner if you are uncertain about the severity of your child’s illness. Some signs that are cause for concern include changes in breathing (shallow, faster or labored); fever accompanied by excessive vomiting or fever with no improvement in approximately 3-4 days. Fevers accompanied by rashes should be examined by a qualified practitioner to accurately diagnose what may be infectious illness or may pose greater risks to the child. At any time that your mother’s intuition tells you something isn’t right, seek help—it’s not a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of wisdom!
Copyright Erin Piorier 2007
This article originally appeared in the publication My Healthy Begininngs.
