What type of drug reduces or relieves fever?

The term that describes a drug specifically designed to reduce or relieve fever is antipyretic. These medications work by acting on the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates body temperature. When the body’s temperature rises due to infection or inflammation, antipyretics help lower it back to normal levels, providing relief from fever.

The distinction from other categories of drugs is clear: analgesics are primarily designed to relieve pain but do not necessarily lower fever; antibiotics are aimed at treating bacterial infections rather than managing symptoms like fever; and antiseptics are used to prevent infection in wounds and are not effective for treating fever. Therefore, antipyretics are the appropriate choice when the goal is to target fever reduction specifically.