Question on high fever

how high is too high for a fever?
(27 Sep 2007)

In common with most mammals, we humans are cold-blooded animals. What this means is that we have a biological system that helps to maintain a stable body temperature, irrespective of the surrounding temperature. In a healthy person, this temperature varies between 97°F (36.

1°C) and 100°F (37.8°C), with an average of 98.6°F (37°C).

In the course of a day, your body temperature will vary by a degree or so, with a lower temperature in the morning and a slightly higher one in the evening. However, sometimes the body temperature may rise above 100°F (37.8°C), which is then medically termed as hyperthermia (fever). It is important to note that a fever is not a medical condition, but a symptom of an underlying condition. A fever is actually your body’s reaction to an infection and is meant to help boost the immune system. When you contract an infection, certain agents called pyrogens are released, which then prompt a part of your brain called the hypothalamus to raise your body temperature. This sets off a whole range of changes in your body, including shivering (generates heat through muscle contraction), modified flow of blood (cooling the skin surface and warming the body’s core), and increased metabolic rate. Once the body heals itself by beating the infection, it will automatically revert back to a stable body temperature.

If you have a serious infection, your body temperature can rise above 104°F (40.0°C). This is dangerous and can cause damage to your vital organs, including the brain. Please get immediate medical aid. In the meantime, you can try and cool the body by taking a cold water bath and applying cold, wet towels to the forehead. For fevers that are less intense, you have several treatment options right at home. Perhaps the most commonly used medications for a fever are over-the-counter antipyretics such as aspirin or paracetemol. These act by inhibiting the pyrogens, thus causing the hypothalamus to revert your body temperature back to normal. However, it may be in your best interest to let a low-level fever run its course, since it is helping you fight some infection. You can get some relief from lukewarm sponge baths and cool compresses. A popular belief is that you need to ‘sweat out the fever’; however, this will only further raise your body temperature. Wear comfortable clothing and use light bed covers. It is also very important to keep your body well supplied with water. Soups and juices can be especially helpful in providing both water and nutrition, since many patients report a reduced appetite for solid foods.

answered by G M on 8 Apr 2010, 9:13:37

Information on high fever

Fever itself is not a disease, but a symptom of disease. Fever is therefore not necessarily something to be worried about in itself, except when it goes too high. In fact, a fever is considered to be beneficial to the body in fighting disease. For example, some ways in which a fever helps recovery are by creating a hostile environment for pathogens that need lower temperatures for survival and by enhancing the mobility of white blood cells. It is therefore important not to unnecessarily bring down a fever, as this may aggravate or delay the cure of the underlying cause.

However, a fever that goes too high or is accompanied by other symptoms such as delirium or hallucinations should receive medical attention. Home remedies such as a cool pack can be used, but finding the right balance is essential, and is therefore best left to a doctor. If the patient's temperature goes over 39°C or 102.2°F, you should track temperature more carefully, in case it goes up further. A fever of over 40°C or 104°F requires treatment, and if the fever goes over 41°C or 106°F, it is usually considered a medical emergency. The condition is called hyperpyrexia and can often cause death.

answered by G M on 19 Feb 2008, 12:06:40

Question on high fever

how high is too high for a fever? (27 Sep 2007)

how high is too high for a fever?
(27 Sep 2007)