It is more about comfort. Having a fever in itself is uncomfortable and can have a massive impact on your day. It is not just a fever but all the other symptoms associated such as feeling tired, having pains, bad appetite, etc. Reducing the fever will reduce the symptoms and make you feel better. You are right that the infection will last longer. But there will be much less symptoms, so it can be worth it. Do you want to spend two days in bed with a disabling fever or five days with a minor infection without symptoms?

It depends on the underlying cause (infection for eg). So if an infection is common or self-limiting or doesn’t cause much problems to us, treating the fever is better to just provide comfort to the patient while waiting out the end of infection.

But if it’s very high fever or of prolonged duration, it becomes a necessity to stop the fever and the underlying cause both because high fever creates an environment that damages other organs also along with the disease causing organism.

Fever is basically an inflammatory process, inflammation is our body’s way of fighting against injury of any and all kinds.

So for eg if you see a cockroach in your room,

—you can either leave the room (wait out the infection as you take fever medicine) or
— use a bug spray on the cockroach (use antibiotic) and leave the room so the spray can disperse (take fever medicine)
— or burn the house down (extremely high fever)

but why burn down the house if the other two options are available?

Hope this helps, feel free to ask questions!

You're right, you shouldn't try to lower a mild fever.

High fever can cause other damage throughout the body, but mild fever is a defense mechanism and aids in fighting the illness, so you should leave your mild fever as is.

Generally speaking there is no problem in taking ibuprofen to reduce a mild fever. Theoretically you are making yourself sick for a longer time, but thats so insignificant, that its barely measurable. You shouldn't take too much though and I'm only speaking about ibuprofen! Dont take antibiotics without talking to a physician first.

If you have a temp reach above 105 F go to the hospital immediately.

A fever can kill you that’s why we have over the counter medication for it. That and it’s uncomfortable, same as not being able to sleep or having a upset stomach or a headache.

A mild fever is doing it’s job of killing off the infection. If your body isn’t winning the battle it constricts your blood vessels more and causes your muscles to constrict (shivers) creating more heat.

The only time you should take fever reducing medication is if you are uncomfortable or your temp is above 102 F.

Your organs aren't fully elastic. Inflammation has lasting effects. The more it happens, the more damage that is caused.