Well this weekend I went grocery shopping 7 am Sunday morning trying to avoid the crowds. My first stop was Fred Meyer. Much to my surprise there was a crowd. People are stocking up. One of the shelves that was empty was the Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory area (ibuprofen, acetaminophen, etc.). It made me wonder if the run on NSAIDs was for people in pain or for those that get the flu with fever.
Fever is our friend. Our body brings up our temperature when there is a pathogen invading our body. The purpose is to make our body inhospitable to the invader. When we take an NSAID we lower our fever to about 99 F. 99F is where we culture bacteria and viruses in the lab to help them grow. If you have a fever get under the covers and sweat
How to create an artificial fever.
For those hearty enough do the following (contraindicated for those with really low blood pressure or those with balance problems).
Get into the bathtub, start with warm water and slowly bring up the temp to 105 F. Sit in the bath for about 20 minutes. You will notice your face and head sweating. Bring your body temp over 100 F. I try to get to 102. It depends on your tolerance to heat.
Get out of the bath (be careful as the hot bath lowers your blood pressure) Put a hat on and a robe. Get under the covers and sweat for another 30 minutes.
By bringing the body temp above 100 you have created an inhospitable environment for the virus by creating a fever. Then sweat it out.
This is not for children as a quick rise in body temperature can possibly cause a seizure. Nor is it for the debilitated.
Also read my blog on recommendations to prevent the flu.
In health,
Dr. Bye