Tylenol, ibuprofen safe for children

Q: My dad was a pharmacist, yet as a kid I don’t recall taking a lot of medicines, like cough syrup.

I’ve seen debates on giving ibuprofen or Tylenol to reduce fever. Sometimes doctors leave comments on your website advising people to let a fever run its course. Does that hold for everyone or just for adults?

A: A fever is often the body’s response to infection. That’s why many physicians now believe that a mild fever does not require medication. Parents should measure a child’s temperature and check in with a pediatrician if it goes over 102 F.

A recent study in JAMA Network Open (Oct. 30, 2020) analyzed trials of acetaminophen compared with ibuprofen to treat fever in kids under 2. The authors concluded that both drugs are relatively safe.

Q: I grow hot peppers, ferment them and make hot sauce. I also eat a couple of Thai chiles a day. They have completely cured my heartburn.

A: It comes as a huge shock to both patients and physicians to learn that spicy food might not be the enemy of heartburn. Although many individuals cannot tolerate the burn from hot peppers, others, like you, seem to benefit. One study from Thailand suggested that regular consumption of hot peppers might help control symptoms of reflux (Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility, April 2010)

More recently, a paper presented at the 2020 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association reviewed research on the cardiovascular effects of hot peppers. Over 500,000 participants were involved in the four studies. The authors report that pepperheads like you had less cardiovascular disease and were 23% less likely to die of cancer.