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September 2011
Fever is an unusually high body temperature, a thermometer is used to measure the body temperature, temperatures varies when taken in different part of the body, if it is taken in the rectum/anus the temperature is generally one degree higher than if the temperature is taken under the arm, on a degree lower. Pyrogen is a substance that induces fever or rise in the body temperature. Fever is not a disease but symptoms of another sickness. During a fever, the body requires extra energy, which it generates by muscular activity in the form of shivering and by metabolizing (chemically breaking down) proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals at a faster rate than normal.
Body Temperature if there is fever:
100°Fahrenheit (37.8° C), taken orally, indicates a mild fever.
100° to 103°F (37.8° to 39.4°C) taken orally, indicates a moderate fever.
104°F (40°C) taken orally, indicates a high fever.
110°F. (43.3°C), this is the uppermost limit of the human body, this kind of fever is extremely rare.
Types of Fever
- Continued Fever - the temperature remains above normal for long period of time.
- Intermittent Fever - type of fever wherein body temperature periodically rises and falls.
- Relapsing Fever - type that recurs sometimes a number of times, several days after the temperature has returned to normal.
Stages of Fever:
- In the first stage of fever also known as the invasion period the patient will experience chill, loss of appetite, and headache. Chill occurs, occurs because of the tightening of blood vessels near the skin.
- In the next stage, the body is hot and flushed, the skin dry, and the pulse and respiration are rapid. The patient will experience thirst and he/she will feel restless. In high fever, delirium and convulsions may occur.
- In the final stage before returning to normal, the temperature falls, breathing and pulse slow down, and the skin becomes moist. The patient often sweats.
Multiple types of infections, inflammatory disorders, and conditions can lead to a fever. More common infections include flu (influenza), pneumonia, appendicitis, and urinary tract infections. Rheumatoid arthritis and other connective tissue inflammatory conditions can also be present with a fever. Your baby may even have a fever when teething.
Possible causes of fever
Fever is a sign of many different types of infections:
Appendicitis
Bronchitis
Cellulitis (bacterial skin infection)
Common cold (viral respiratory infection)
Diverticulitis (inflammation of an abnormal pocket in the colon)
Ear infection
Gastroenteritis (“stomach flu”)
Urinary tract infection
Other causes of fever
Fever can also be caused by inflammatory conditions including:
Arthritis
Inflammatory bowel disease (includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis)
Rheumatoid arthritis (chronic autoimmune disease characterized by joint inflammation)
Systemic lupus erythematosus (disorder in which the body attacks its own healthy cells and tissues)
Life-threatening causes of fever
In some cases, fever may be a symptom of a serious or life-threatening condition that should be immediately evaluated in an emergency setting. These conditions include:
Brain abscess
Epiglottitis (life-threatening inflammation and swelling of the epiglottis, a tissue flap between the tongue and windpipe)
Influenza, particularly in the very old or young
Meningitis (infection or inflammation of the sac around the brain and spinal cord)
Pneumonia
Septic shock
Tuberculosis (serious infection affecting the lungs and other organs)
What are the risk factors for dengue fever?
A number of factors increase your chances of contracting dengue fever and the serious complications of dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome. Risk factors include:
Living or traveling to warm subtropical and tropical areas of the world, including Central and South America, Africa, Southeast Asia, China, India, the Middle East, Australia, the Caribbean, and the South and Central Pacific
Being a child in a warm subtropical area with a previous history of dengue fever.
What other symptoms might occur with fever?
Fever may be accompanied by other symptoms, depending on the underlying disease, disorder or condition. Fever is usually a sign of infection, which often leads to a variety of symptoms. This section describes relatively common as well as more serious symptoms that may accompany a fever.
Symptoms may occur along with fever
Fever may occur with other common symptoms including:
- Aches and pains
- Chills
- Cough
- Diarrhea
- Earache
- Flushed face
- General ill feeling
- Hot, dry skin
- Lethargy
- Nausea
- Rash
- Sweating
- Vomiting
