Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Fighting the Flu May Hurt Those Around You

Posted by Unknown on from the suffer-for-the-good-of-society dept.

sciencehabit writes "When you've got the flu, it can't hurt to take an aspirin or an ibuprofen to control the fever and make you feel better, right? Wrong, some scientists say. Lowering your body temperature may make the virus replicate faster and increase the risk that you transmit it to others. A new study claims that there are at least 700 extra influenza deaths in the United States every year because people suppress their fever."

5 of 351 comments (clear)

  1. human germs don't like higher body temp by alen · · Score: 5, Interesting

    read about it in the last few years after one of my kids had an almost 105 fever one week
    human pathogens like the 98.6 body temp and a fever is the body's natural way of fighting these pathogens
    the flu virus also likes low humidity which is why people buy humidifiers in the winter time

    unless my kid has some crazy high fever i try to avoid giving him tylenol or some other fever reducer as long as possible. usually until its almost time for bed

  2. That's a laughable risk... by Herder+Of+Code · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Considering the population of the USA the percentage of the population killed each year by this is 0.00022300095%. On the other hand deaths for the flu have been as low as 3000 yearly so that's 23.3% of deaths. Still, the number of deaths compared to the population makes it comparable to winning the lottery in any case.

  3. Re:I've always wondered that about antihistamines by SailorSpork · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Yes, but sometimes it's over responsive. In this case, allergies. The only true long-term healthy solution to allergies is to physically move somewhere else; even if that means another city/state/country.

    Or allergy tolerance shots. I get injected every week with a dose of what I am allergic to, in order to slowly build up my allergen tolerance and lower the amount of drugs I need to control my symptoms. It's to the point where I can now have pets!

  4. Re:Probably going out/to work by geogob · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This may surprise a lot of people here, but in Germany the general rule is, if you get sick on vacation days and have a medical attestation prooving it, your affected (infected?) vacation days go back in your unused vacation.

  5. Re:So... by clemdoc · · Score: 5, Interesting

    When you're sick enough to (feel you) need medication, stay at home.
    Don't spread germs all over the workplace / auditorium / public mass transport.