How Fevers Strategically Work to Eradicate Viruses in the Body

The incredibly insightful series Kurzgesagt used their animated platypus as a guinea pig to demonstrate the incredibly strategic, well orchestrated method of heating everything up so that mammalian immune systems can completely rid the body of invading viruses.

You’re invaded by bacteria and viruses at  the same time. The invasion is powerful and you need to slow it down as fast as possible. Fever is part of your first line of defense, triggered by a diverse group of chemicals called “pyrogens”, “The creators of heat”. They float away from  the battlefield and pass right into your brain, where specialized receptors pick them up and crank up your internal thermostat.

Having a fever is incredibly unpleasant by design. Pyrogens know that bacteria and viruses can’t thrive in extreme heat and slows them down enough to be easily eradicated. Unfortunately, the heat also affects the entire body.

First you begin to shiver. Your skeletal muscles  contract really quickly, which generates a lot of   heat in your core. At the same time usually the  blood vessels near your surfaces contract and   prevent heat from escaping through your skin.  Your skin cools down while your insides burn.Fever is a systemic, body wide response and  is a serious energy investment for your body…fever is also  a strong order to lay down and rest,  to save energy and give your immune system time to fight.

They also discuss whether or not medication should be used to fight a fever.

Strong indications that more people may survive serious infectious diseases better with a fever. And there is very little clinical  evidence that stopping fever leads to better health outcomes. But there are important exceptions, like neurological injuries and stroke. We definitely need a lot more research. So should you fight fever? Well, speak to  your doctor and don’t listen to internet.