Fever is often a good sign of a robust immune system. A low fever can actually benefit a sick child, and researchers have attributed parental tendencies to over-treat by “fever phobia”–a fear that fever is harmful–which they say originated after the introduction of anti-fever drugs.
A fever stimulates your immune system into producing more white blood cells, antibodies, and a protein called interferon, all of which work to protect your body against harmful microorganisms. By raising your body’s temperature a few degrees, a fever makes it harder for invading bacteria and viruses to survive and flourish.