Fever At a Glance

 

CDC considers an individual to possess a fever when he or she features a measured temperature of 100.4° F (38° C) or greater, or feels warm to the touch, or gives a history of feeling feverish.

 The increase in set point triggers increased muscle contractions and causes a feeling of cold or chills.This results in greater heat production and efforts to conserve heat.

“FEVER IS A SYMPTOM NOT AN ILLNESS”

Symptoms of Fever

You have a fever when your temperature rises above its normal range. What’s normal for you may be a little higher or lower than the average normal temperature of 98.6 F (37 C).

Depending on what’s causing your fever, additional fever signs and symptoms may include:

Sweating Muscle aches Dehydration

Chills and shivering Loss of appetite General weakness

Headache Irritability

 

   Causes

Fever happens when a region in your mind called the nerve center (greetings poe-THAL-uh-muhs) — otherwise called your body's "thermal regulator" — shifts the set place of your typical internal heat level up. At the point when this occurs, you might feel chilled and add layers of dress or envelop with a cover, or you might shudder to create more body heat, in the long run bringing about a raised internal heat level. 

Typical internal heat level fluctuates for the duration of the day — it's lower toward the beginning of the day and higher in the late evening and evening. Albeit the vast majority think about 98.6 F (37 C) typical, your internal heat level can change by a degree or more — from around 97 F (36.1 C) to 99 F (37.2 C) — and still be viewed as ordinary.Fever or elevated body temperature might be caused by:

• A virus

• A bacterial infection

• Heat exhaustion

• Certain inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis — inflammation of the lining of your joints (synovium)

• A malignant tumor

• Some medications, such as antibiotics and drugs used to treat high blood pressure or seizures

• Some immunizations, such as the diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP) or pneumococcal vaccine.

Prevention is always better than Cure

One must try to escape from infections in order to stay away from fever. Here are a few hints that can help: 

Wash your hands frequently and encourage your kids to do likewise, particularly prior to eating, subsequent to utilizing the latrine, in the wake of investing energy in a group or around somebody who’s wiped out, in the wake of petting creatures, and during movement on open transportation. 

Tell your kids the best way to wash their hands altogether, covering both the front and back of each hand with cleanser and flushing totally under running water. 

Convey hand sanitizer with you for times when you don’t approach cleanser and water. 

Attempt to try not to contact your nose, mouth or eyes, as these are the primary ways that infections and microbes can enter your body and cause contamination. 

Cover your mouth when you hack and your nose when you sniffle, and encourage your kids to do in like manner. At whatever point conceivable, get some distance from others when hacking or sniffling to keep away from giving germs to them. 

Try not to share cups, water containers and utensils with your kid or youngsters.

Treatment

A gentle fever is important for the resistant  reaction to microbes, infections, and different microorganisms. It helps the body to dispose off disease.

Prolonged high grade fever is a cause of worry and it is advisable to visit a doctor. To reduce fever doctor may suggest lab tests to diagnose the root cause of fever. In case of bacterial fever doctors prescribe antibiotics.

If root cause is virus then it is usually tried to treat the symptoms using NSAIDS( nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).