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.
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