eli5: If fever is our body’s response to kill an infection, then why do we take medicines like paracetamol that control the fever?

Question

Also, I get that the fever can get really high at some point, which causes other effects, but why is our body not able to control its response to the infection so as to not do more harm with the fever?

In: 59

Answer 1

A high enough fever can kill you. Plus many people feel miserable with an uncontrolled fever. (Aches and pains everywhere, etc.) Taking an analgesic reduces the fever, and also the related symptoms, making people safer and more comfortable while the white blood cells do their thing.