一发烧就吃退烧药？你可能在“帮倒忙”

英语流利说
一发烧，很多人的第一反应就是赶紧吃药把体温降下来，仿佛发烧就代表身体出了问题。但事实上，科学对发烧的认识正在发生变化。从古希腊医学思想到当代实验研究，科学家逐渐发现，体温升高也许并非“多余的折磨”，而是身体对抗病毒的一种方式。发烧究竟是在帮忙，还是只是免疫反应的副作用？我们真的每次都需要着急退烧吗？让我们跟随 Natasha 一起走进今天的文章。

讲解人 · Natasha

5年线下线上英语教学经验 流利说®️发音明星老师，课程设计师

原文


        

        



** Fever helps the body fight off viruses, but how does it work? **

In ancient Greece,  the physician Hippocrates thought that fever had useful qualities and could cook an illness out of a patient.


These days,  researchers understand that fever is part of the immune system’s response to a pathogen.


And while there’s accumulating evidence that fevers can help kick an infection,  precisely how they can help remains mysterious.


There are two main ideas,  says Sam Wilson,  a microbiologist.


The heat of a fever itself could be harming the virus,  akin to Hippocrates’ hypotheses.


Alternatively,  the heat is a means to an end,  either stoking our immune system to work better or simply a regrettable,  but unavoidable byproduct of fighting off an infection.


“The fact that there weren’t definitive answers to these questions piqued my interest, “ says Wilson.


That interest led to a study,  published in Science,  that suggests — at least in mice — that elevated temperature alone is enough to fight off some viruses.


“This study reinforces the idea that temperature alone is an important and effective part of the body’s attempt to respond to infection, “ says Daniel Barreda,  a microbiologist at the University of Alberta.


But he says the study doesn’t rule out that fever also helps the immune system work better.


Joe Alcock,  an emergency physician and researcher,  also praises the study.


But he points out that we shouldn’t assume fevers work the same way in humans as they do in mice.


Still,  Alcock says the study adds to the growing body of evidence that fever evolved for a reason.


“We treat fevers as almost like a knee-jerk reaction,  giving medicines like acetaminophen or Tylenol, “ he says.


As a physician trained by a health care system that’s often quick to treat fevers,  that study gives him pause.





带着问题听讲解
    

  • 如何理解文中的 knee-jerk reaction 这一表达？
    • 

  • 文章中提到的两种关于发烧作用的主要观点是什么？
    • 

  • 为什么研究者认为我们不应简单地把发烧当成“必须立刻消除”的症状？
    • 





讲解

        

            

        

        

** 一发烧就吃退烧药？你可能在“帮倒忙” **


In ancient Greece, the physician Hippocrates thought that fever had useful qualities and could cook an illness out of a patient. 
在古希腊时期，医生希波克拉底就曾提出，发烧具有积极作用，能够像“烹煮”一样将疾病从患者体内驱除。
These days, researchers understand that fever is part of the immune system's response to a pathogen. And while there's accumulating evidence that fevers can help kick an infection, precisely how they can help remains mysterious.
如今，研究者已经认识到发烧是免疫系统对病原体反应的一部分。但尽管越来越多证据表明发烧有助于击退感染，其具体作用机制仍不明确。
There are two main ideas, says Sam Wilson, a microbiologist. The heat of a fever itself could be harming the virus, akin to Hippocrates' hypotheses. Alternatively, the heat is a means to an end, either stoking our immune system to work better or simply a regrettable, but unavoidable byproduct of fighting off an infection.
微生物学家萨姆·威尔逊介绍了两种主流观点：其一，发烧产生的高温本身就能对病毒造成损伤，这与希波克拉底的假说相似；其二，发热只是一种实现目的的手段——它或许能够增强免疫系统，抑或仅仅是身体抵抗感染时一个烦人却无法避免的副产品。
"The fact that there weren't definitive answers to these questions piqued my interest," says Wilson. That interest led to a study, published in Science, that suggests — at least in mice — that elevated temperature alone is enough to fight off some viruses.
“正是因为这些问题尚无确切答案，这才激起了我的研究兴趣，”威尔逊说。这一兴趣促使他开展了一项研究，其成果发表于《科学》杂志。研究显示，至少在小鼠实验中，仅靠体温升高就足以抵御某些病毒。
"This study reinforces the idea that temperature alone is an important and effective part of the body's attempt to respond to infection," says Daniel Barreda, a microbiologist at the University of Alberta. But he says the study doesn't rule out that fever also helps the immune system work better.
阿尔伯塔大学的微生物学家丹尼尔·巴雷达评价道：“这项研究进一步证实，体温本身就是机体应对感染过程中一个重要且有效的组成部分。”但他也指出，该研究并未排除发烧同时有助于提升免疫系统功能的可能。
Joe Alcock, an emergency physician and researcher, also praises the study. But he points out that we shouldn't assume fevers work the same way in humans as they do in mice.
急诊科医生兼研究员乔·阿尔科克也对这项研究表示赞赏，但他提醒，不应简单推定人类发烧的机制与小鼠相同。
Still, Alcock says the study adds to the growing body of evidence that fever evolved for a reason. "We treat fevers as almost like a knee-jerk reaction, giving medicines like acetaminophen or Tylenol," he says. 
阿尔科克进一步指出，该研究为“发烧的出现是进化使然”这一观点增添了新证据。“我们对待发烧几乎像是一种条件反射，总急于使用对乙酰氨基酚或泰诺等药物来降温，”他说。
As a physician trained by a health care system that's often quick to treat fevers, that study gives him pause.
作为一名在习惯于快速退烧的医疗体系中受训的医生，这项研究促使阿尔科克重新审视当前的临床实践。



重点词汇
 fight off 
摆脱；抵抗；击退


    

  • 例句：He was stabbed as he tried to fight the robbers off.
    例句：Vitamin A helps your body fight off infection. 
    • 



 pathogen 




/ˈpæθ.ə.dʒən/




n. 病原体


    

  • 词根词缀：pathos（疾病，苦难）；gen（生产）
    • 派生词：sympathy（n. 同情）
    例句：Bacteria and viruses are common pathogens that can cause diseases. 
    近义词：germ（细菌，病菌）
    • 



 accumulate 




/əˈkjuː.mjə.leɪt/




v. 积累；逐渐升高


    

  • 词根词缀：cumulus（n. 积云）
    例句：The money in your savings account accumulates interest. 
    例句：Evidence of his guilt is accumulating.
    近义词：amass
    • 搭配短语：amass a great fortune
    搭配短语：sth. accumulates
    • 近义词：sth. builds up
    • 



 akin to 
与某物类似的


    

  • 相关词汇：of kin
    • 相关词汇：kin（n. 家人，家属）
    • 搭配短语：next of kin
    • 例句：Your next of kin will be notified.
    • 相关词汇：kinship（n. 亲属关系，亲切感）
    • 例句：She felt a sense of kinship with the woman. 
    • 相关词汇：kindred（adj. 同源的，同类的）
    • 搭配短语：a kindred spirit
    例句：Listening to his life story is akin to reading a good adventure novel. 
    近义词：similar to
    • 



 hypothesis 




/haɪˈpɑː.θə.sɪs/




n. 假设，假说


    

  • 搭配短语：formulate and confirm a hypothesis
    例句：A detective might have a hypothesis about a crime.
    近义词：speculation
    • 搭配短语：a wild and idle speculation
    • 



 a means to an end 
达到目的的手段


    

  • 例句：Some people don't enjoy networking events, but see them as a means to an end. 
    相关词汇：means（n. 手段，方法）
    • 例句：The end justifies the means. 
    相关词汇：an end in itself
    • 例句：Art should be an end in itself.
    • 



 stoke 




/stoʊk/




v. 煽动，激起；添加燃料


    

  • 英文释义：to increase the amount or strength of something
    搭配短语：stoke up
    例句：His speech stoked public anger.
    例句：The article aims to stoke division.
    近义词：stimulate
    • 



 byproduct 




/ˈbɑɪˌprɑd·ʌkt/




n. 意外收获，附带结果；副产品


    

  • 例句：When burnt, plastic produces dangerous byproducts. 
    例句：Job losses are an unfortunate byproduct of the recession.
    近义词：side effect
    • 例句：Side effects may include nausea, tiredness, and dizziness. 
    • 例句：The policy could have beneficial side effects for the whole economy. 
    近义词：spin-off
    • 例句：Better Call Saul is a spin-off of the television series Breaking Bad.
    • 



 definitive 




/dɪˈfɪn.ɪ.tɪv/




adj. 最终的，决定性的；不可更改的


    

  • 英文释义：final and not able to be changed
    例句：A definitive decision by a court of law will not be changed. 
    词义辨析：definitive，definite
    • definite 表示确定的，肯定的，强调一种主观态度，而 definitive 则表示最终拍板的结果。"You may have a definite opinion, but the report will provide the definitive interpretation." 你或许有明确的看法，但权威解读还是要看这份报告。
    • 



 pique 




/piːk/




v. 使生气，激怒


    

  • 英文释义：to prick or to irritate
    例句：His rude remark piqued her. 
    词性拓展：pique（n. 不悦，生气）
    • 搭配短语：in a fit of pique
    搭配短语：pique sb's interest/curiosity
    • 例句：The first chapter is designed to pique the reader's curiosity. 
    • 



 reinforce 




/ˌriː.ɪnˈfɔːrs/




v. 加强，加深；加固；增援


    

  • 搭配短语：reinforce the concrete
    搭配短语：reinforce an army
    例句：Every time he succeeded, it reinforced his belief.
    近义词：buttress
    • 



 rule out 
排除；不予考虑


    

  • 例句：We need to do more tests to rule out the possibility of other diseases. 
    • 



 a body of 
大量


    

  • 相关词汇：body（n. 主体，大量，整体）
    搭配短语：a body of knowledge/evidence/opinion 
    • 



 knee-jerk reaction 
条件反射，本能反应


    

  • 例句：His angry tweet was just a knee-jerk reaction to the criticism. 
    近义词：gut reaction
    文化补充：knee-jerk reaction 源自医学上的“膝跳反射”。当你用小锤子敲击膝盖时，小腿会不受控制地弹起。
    • 



拓展阅读
生病后突然变瘦？这可能是身体在“自保”
生病掉体重，不只是吃得少
不少人发现，生一场病后体重明显下降，常被认为是食欲不佳、营养不足所致。但近年的研究提出了新的解释：体重下降，尤其是肌肉减少，可能是身体在感染期间主动启动的一种免疫“保护机制”。
为何会瘦？身体在集中火力抗感染
研究发现，当身体遭遇感染时，会主动消耗大量能量，包括脂肪和肌肉，以支持急性期的免疫反应。
实验显示，脂肪减少对抗感染的帮助有限，而肌肉的消耗反而更关键——肌肉在分解过程中可与特定免疫细胞协同作用，增强防御能力。
不过，这种消耗是短期、可控的；若长期持续，反而可能加重病情。类似机制不仅出现在病毒感染中，在肿瘤和慢性感染等疾病中也可能发生。
为什么生病时要补蛋白质？
正因为肌肉在疾病中被大量消耗，恢复期补充蛋白质尤为重要。
  • 感冒、发烧时：新陈代谢加快，蛋白质分解增加，适量摄入易消化的优质蛋白，有助于恢复体力和免疫功能。
  • 外伤或伤口恢复期：蛋白质不足会延缓愈合，并增加感染风险。
  • 手术或感染后：身体修复肌肉、重建组织，都离不开充足的蛋白质和必需氨基酸。
烹调方式宜清淡，如煮、炖为主；吞咽困难者可将食物打碎或制成糊状。生病期间不宜盲目忌口，如有疑问应咨询专业人士。
不同人群，如何“养回”肌肉？
肌肉不仅关乎体力，也影响抗病能力。恢复阶段应根据自身情况选择方式：
  • 体质较好的中青年：可进行中等至中高强度力量训练，每周规律锻炼。
  • 体弱的中老年人：以低强度、自重或轻阻力训练为主，重在维持日常活动能力。
  • 病情较重者：以保证营养为核心，适量活动即可，哪怕简单走动或家务，也有助恢复。
生病时体重下降，并不完全是坏事，它可能反映身体正在集中资源对抗疾病。但恢复期更重要的是“补回来”——合理饮食、循序活动，才能让免疫力和体力真正回到正轨。
以上内容原载于网络，由流利说®阅读团队修改编辑。


英语流利说Natasha
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