Why does human body have a temperature?
Body temperature is a result of metabolism, a chemical process.
What are the normal ranges for body temperature?
An average body temperature is approximately 98.6F(37C). The ranges can be anywhere between 97F(36.1C) to 99F(37.2) based on age, sex and on activity.
How is temperature measured?
One of the most widely employed instruments to assess temperature is a thermometer. Different kinds of thermometers are present to measure human body temperature, such as oral, rectal (generally utilized for infants), tympanic (ear), and temporal artery (forehead). To acquire an accurate reading, it is typically necessary to clean the tip of the thermometer and hold it in place for around one minute.
What causes body temperature to rise?
A variety of factors and circumstances can contribute to an increase in body temperature. These include stress, physical activity, certain medicines, and wearing heavy clothes. Moreover, a marked temperature rise may sometimes be the consequence of a fever, which can be caused by a cold, influenza, ailments of the ear, throat, lung, kidney, skin, bladder and other organs, autoimmune diseases, hormone imbalances, or even blood clotting issues.
What are the symptoms of a fever?
Fever is usually a sign of infection or an illness. Most commonly noticed signs include but not restricted to;
- Shivering
- Sweating above normal
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Being irritable
- Loss of appetite
- Dehydration
- Muscle & Joint aches
When to see a doctor?
If the temperature of an adult is more than 102F, for infants a temperature of 100.4 is considered above normal, for other age ranges a temperature above 102F. A persistent body temperature above normal levels even after the use of antipyretic (Fever reducers) require immediate doctor attention.
What are the different types of fever?
Intermittent Fever: This form of fever is caused by parasitic or bacterial infections like malaria, septicaemia, etc. the nature of the fever will remain normal in the daytime, but starts to show a significant rise in body temperature by the night.
- Sudden high fever: One of the most common reasons behind sudden fevers is dengue. As the name itself explained, this form of fever creates a sudden rise in human body temperature. This is also accompanied by other things like tiredness, fatigue, body ache, and headache.
- Remittent or continuous fever: Both forms of fever are caused by bacterial infections, however in the case of remittent it is brucellosis and in the case of continuous fever, it is pneumonia, urinary tract infection (UTI), and typhoid fever.
Its key nature does not create much havoc, however, it does keep the body temperature 1 degree higher throughout the day and night.
- Rheumatic fever: commonly caused by streptococcal bacteria, this form of fever does not limit itself to high body temperature only. It also developed other forms of symptoms like throat infection, white spots on the tonsils and tongue, inflammation with headache, etc.
What causes a fever?
There are numerous factors that result in the body experiencing fever. The most common ones are;
— Infection of the ears, lungs, bladder, kidney, skin, throat, liver etc.
— Food Poisoning
— Sunburns or heat exhaustion
— Blood clots
— Tumours
— Antibiotics
— Hormonal Disorders
— Other medical conditions
Does fever increase during the night?
The short answer is, Yes. Fevers do tend to increase during evening & night hours. The main reason fevers tend to spike during the night is due the fact that the human immune system, like the sleep cycle, also has a schedule.
A hormone called Cortisol is linked to the functioning of the immune system. During the day the levels of Cortisol are high and suppress the immune system to a certain degree. During the night the Cortisol level decrease, which gives the immune system a chance to fight off infections & illnesses. The body temperature levels also tend to fluctuate throughout the day. Usually peaking during evening hours.
How to determine whether it is a viral or a bacterial fever?
An individual cannot determine the cause of the fever simply from the external symptoms as both viral & bacterial fevers show the same set of symptoms. A more detailed test of fluids like saliva, urine or blood would be able conclusively determine the nature of the fever.
How is fever diagnosed and treated?
The most common cases for a fever are due the underlying medical conditions. The first step is to measure the body temperature and further detailed analysis, which include lab tests, has to be performed by a physician in order to determine the exact nature of the fever.
Fevers that occur due to common cold and flu usually subside within 3-4 days. But fevers which consistently cross the body temperature of 102-103F need a more thorough examination from an experienced medical professional.
What diet needs to be followed during fever?
Try to avoid foods that aggravate the fever such as caffeinated drinks, oily & sugary foods, shellfish, hard to digest grains, red meat. Food like chicken soup, honey, tea, ginger, garlic, coconut water tend to alleviate the conditions.