The subfebrile state, moderate and high fever are present in many diseases
Fever, although it is a natural defense reaction of the body, can be dangerous, especially when it is very high, because it exhausts the body. After all, prostaglandins, which raise the temperature and cause a fever, also cause a feeling of weakness and fatigue. It can also lead to heart failure. With high fever, chills, profuse sweating, and even children under 3 years of age even convulsions with loss of consciousness. When the temperature is very high and well above 40 degrees Celsius, it threatens irreversible changes and death.
The high temperature must be reduced rationally
Man can withstand a temperature elevated to 42-43 degrees Celsius.
Above this limit, denaturation occurs, i.e. protein shear in cells. High fever combined with dehydration is a particular threat. High dehydration inhibits the secretion of sweat, which together causes a so-called heat stroke, which ends in death in a state of shock, at the internal temperature of degrees Celsius. Such a high overheating of the body (hyperthermia) can also develop despite the secretion of sweat and leads then to apathy, fatigue, mental and vegetative disorders, and in extreme cases to death as a result of cardiovascular collapse.
Prolonged elevated body temperature destroys the body and can lead to cardiovascular failure.
Rapid accumulation and decreases of fever are particularly dangerous. During a sharp fall, the patient sweats heavily, feels tired and weak. In this state, the greatest risk occurs on the part of the circulatory system, because it can lead to its acute failure, the first symptoms are: pallor, cold sweat, sharpened facial features, drop in blood pressure.
When does heal fever?
The observed beneficial effect of fever on the survival of laboratory animals during bacterial and viral infections, gave rise to the assumption that this condition is in some cases and to a certain extent an intensification of one of the body's defensive reactions. However, this view is sometimes questioned, because only some bacteria (eg gonokoki) die at about 41 oC, while the majority of bacteria and viruses at high temperature can even increase their activity under these conditions.
Evidence of the healing effect of fever
Despite the incompatibility of the therapeutic role of fever, there is evidence that it reduces iron and zinc concentrations in the plasma, thus inhibiting the growth of pathogenic bacteria. If the temperature increase under the influence of the disease is insignificant, it may mean that the fever helps the body. It is assumed that a slightly elevated temperature stimulates a more active human immune mechanism. The fever also increases the blood supply to the tissues, thanks to which it allows faster penetration of defense cells and medicines to the place of infection. Therefore, it is generally believed that raising the body temperature to a subfebrile state - within 37.1 ° C - 38 ° C (or even higher) - is a natural defensive reaction of the body, which helps to fight pathogenic microorganisms that have invaded the body. But of course, provided that the subfebrile state (or even moderate fever) is closely related to the course of a specific disease and after curing it completely disappears.
