Top 10 Causes of Fever!
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Main Causes of Fever : Fever occurs when an area in your brain called the hypothalamus senses an invasion of microorganisms, reacts by shifting normal body temperature. Normal body temperature varies throughout the day – it is lowest in the morning and highest in the late afternoon and early evening.
Most people consider 37°C to be a normal temperature, but it can vary a little less, being between 36.6° and 37.8°C. Factors such as menstrual cycle or heavy exercise can affect body temperature. The Top 10 Causes of Fever are:
- Virus
- Bacterial infection
- Insolation
- Sunburn
- Certain inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis
- Malignant tumor
- Some medications and drugs, such as antibiotics used to treat high blood pressure or a seizure
- Adverse reaction to some vaccines
- Dehydration.
Sometimes the cause of a fever cannot be identified. If the patient is an adult and has a body temperature of 38.3°C or higher for three weeks and the doctor is unable to find the cause after extensive evaluation, the diagnosis may be Fever of unknown origin.
Symptoms of Fever: Fever is not just an increase in body temperature, it is usually accompanied by other signs and symptoms. The most common are increased heart and respiratory rate. The heart increases its rate, on average, by 5 beats per minute for every 1°C rise in body temperature.
Chills, as already explained, are common and are part of the process of raising body temperature . In the same way, sweating also usually appears, usually at the moment when the fever begins to subside.
Fever also often causes other symptoms such as malaise, loss of appetite, prostration, headache and body aches . In some cases, especially in the elderly, very high fever can cause delirium. In young children there may be a seizure
Some individuals, especially the elderly, newborns, chronic renal failure and patients using corticosteroids, may not develop fever . These patients, when infected, present a more discreet condition, sometimes only with prostration and loss of appetite.
Treatment for Fever: As fever is just a symptom, the choice of treatment is directly associated with the underlying disease . Bacterial infections, for example, may require the prescription of antibiotics, a type of medication that is absolutely ineffective when the agent of infection is a virus.
As we have already said, in most cases, fever is caused by germs that cause short-term infections ( flu , colds , some intestinal infections, tonsillitis, pneumonia, etc.), which the body’s own defense system can eliminate.
Recent research suggests that temperature elevation is a beneficial host strategy to react to internal and external aggressions. Therefore, in most cases, there is no need for special medications to treat fever . Hydration, rest and medication to relieve symptoms are sufficient measures for patient comfort.
Antipyretics, or antipyretics, should be used with care and when absolutely necessary. It is always good to point out that very high doses of paracetamol can harm the kidneys and liver and that acetylsalicylic acid is contraindicated in cases of dengue and certain viral infections in children.
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Recommendations Against Fever: Fever can be the warning sign of an illness that needs to be treated quickly. Therefore, seek medical assistance in the following cases:
- Temperature above 37.5º C and below 35.5% in babies under three months and above 39º C in babies over three months, or if the high or low fever is accompanied by persistent crying and extreme irritability;
- Fever lasting more than one day, accompanied by headache , irritability, drowsiness, difficulty speaking, apathy (symptoms suggestive of meningitis) in children up to 2 years of age;
- Fever in people of any age accompanied by the following symptoms ; severe and persistent headache, excessive sensitivity to light; sore throat that prevents swallowing; redness of the skin ; neck stiff and painful when bending the head; mental confusion; repetitive vomiting; difficulty breathing or chest pain ; irritability or apathy or drowsiness ; abdominal pain; pain when urinating or frequent small amounts of urination.