Increased body temperature is commonly referred to as "fever". What is this state for the body? Does it harm or help? What causes it? How to measure and cure her? We will try to answer these questions.
Fever - a signal of illness!
We should know that raising the body temperature is a reaction to the action of some harmful factor. It is important, therefore, to diagnose fevers early and assess its height. The higher a fever - the more rapidly a disease develops, and the more important sign of a health risk is the elevated temperature.
The visible (or felt) symptom of a fever may be:
- headache combined with erythema on the cheeks (so-called baking, blush)
- fast breathing (more than 40 breaths per minute);
- accelerated heart rate (over 120 per minute);
- lack of appetite, increased thirst;
- chills, profuse sweating
Degrees of fever - measured under the armpit - are usually defined as:
- normal temperature is: 36 -37 degrees Celsius,
- subfebrile: 37.1-38 degrees Celsius,
- fever - moderate: 38.1-39 degrees Celsius,
- fever - high: above 39 degrees Celsius.
Measurement of fever
Temperature measured in the mouth - is higher by 0.3 degrees Celsius, and in the rectum - by 0.5 degrees Celsius than measured at the same time under the armpit. The body temperature can also be measured with special digital cameras, e.g. in the ear.
In infants, we usually measure the temperature in the rectum, because this measurement is fast, convenient and accurate.
Therefore, we talk about fever in infants and young children when the temperature measured in the rectum is:
- fever - moderate: above 38.5 degrees Celsius,
- fever - high above 39.5 degrees Celsius,
CAUSES OF FEVER
The most common external cause of fever, especially in young children - are cold infections and their complications. In the case of a cold disease, fever is accompanied by cough and a runny nose. For influenza: cough, runny nose, headache and muscle ache. In otitis media - ear pain. Fever is the harbinger of many other diseases, or accompanies their specific symptoms. The diseases that are usually accompanied by a fever include: gastrointestinal infections (diarrhea and vomiting); cystitis (urge to the bladder, burning during urination), some rheumatoid diseases. Fever should never be downplayed, as in some cases it may be a symptom of a serious systemic disease that other symptoms have failed to observe.
Clinical medicine experiences the following typology of causes of high fever:
- viral, bacterial, pathogenic fungi or parasites,
- collagenosis (lupus erythematodes),
- neoplastic diseases (clear cell renal cell carcinoma),
- diseases of the nervous system (brain tumor),
- cardiovascular disease (myocardial infarction),
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (inflammatory bowel disease),
- hematological diseases (leukemia),
- endocrine diseases (hyperthyroidism),
- diseases caused by physical factors (heat stroke),
- diseases caused by the action of chemical agents (drug-induced reaction),
- disturbances of the internal environment (dehydration, acidosis),
- for unknown reasons.
(Clinical classification of febrile states with representative examples (according to Chatton):
FEVER IN CHILDREN
Diseases of infancy and childhood often cause high fever and other symptoms.It takes more than eight years for a child to fully shape the child's immune system, which means that children up to this time are particularly susceptible to various types of ailments that pose a minor threat to adults.
Diseases causing fever in children
- measles (symptoms: fever, red eyes, tearing, photophobia runny nose, sore throat, dry cough and tiring);
- Mumps (symptoms: painful swelling below the ears, swelling of the submandibular and sublingual salivary glands, neck clearly thicker, fever);
- Rubella (symptoms: pink rash, initially behind the ears to the neck, and then throughout the body, swollen and painful lymph nodes in the back of the head, the neck, mild fever);
- meningitis (symptoms: poor general condition, fever, headache, vomiting, stiff neck)
- chickenpox (symptoms: red spots filling with serous fluid, and then breaking at the slightest injury, the pustules formed in this place are covered with scabs that fall off after 1-3 weeks, fever up to 40 ° C).
- other - painful teething, otitis media, three-day fever, other inflammation.
In addition, the reason for the elevated temperature may be:
bronchitis and bronchiolitis, pneumonia, reaction to protective vaccinations, sunburn, allergic reactions, diseases of the immune system, and other inflammations. e.t.c.
Treatment of influenza and colds
Three-day fever
Painful teething
Measles
Chickenpox
Rubella
Piggy
Meningitis
Inflammation of the middle ear
Bronchitis
Pneumonia
Fever often threatens health
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. Therefore, it must be reduced rationally.
Pirogens - the direct cause of fever
Pirogens are special protein substances that cause fever. The so-called. External pyrogens are found in bacteria, metabolism products, and virus growth, and can also form in some immune processes. They usually appear in the bloodstream as a result of infectious viral, bacterial infection, etc.
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.
Sometimes a fever heals!
A beneficial effect of fever on the survival of laboratory animals during bacterial and viral infections was also observed. This led to the supposition that this condition is in some cases and to a certain degree of severity - one of the body's defensive reactions.
It turns out that pyrogens stimulate immune cells to destroy germs
In response to these pyrogens, germs destroying phagocytes of leukocytes and monocytes are activated. These types of immune cells produce so-called endogenous pyrogens. The latter increase the production of specific inflammation mediators in the hypothalamus (esp.prostaglandins). Mediators deregulate the temperature center in the brain, resulting in an increase in body temperature.
Other evidence of the healing effect of fever
Despite the lack of full compliance, as to the healing 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.
PRINCIPLES OF STOROUS HEALTH CONTROL
The basic principles of fever self-control:
1. During the development of the disease, measure the fever every four hours and record the measurement.
2. We also measure when there are chills, facial creams, shiny eyes, pulse and breathing accelerations or disturbances in consciousness.
3. During the convalescence period, it is enough to measure the temperature 2 times a day (morning and evening).
If the fever measured under the armpit does not exceed 37.5 ° C - 38 ° C.
At such temperatures, we can lower the temperature without the help of drugs - by administering an increased amount of fluids, drinking herbal teas with a diaphoretic and bactericidal effect of lime, elderberry or raspberry. You can also apply cool wraps to the neck, forehead and groin.
The fever should be treated pharmacologically when it reaches above 38 ° C
The principle of treatment is to reset the body's thermostat to restore the temperature to about 37 ° C. A high fever can be broken using cool, often refreshed wraps. If the fever is accompanied by sweating, it usually means that the fever subsides. This process can be accelerated by giving the patient large amounts of warm fluids.
Lowering fever
For children who are under the age of 12, we generally lower the fever with paracetamol or ibuprofen. In adults, we also use acetylsalicylic acid, naproxen, and other non-steroidal therapeutic agents.
Warning against salicylates used in children
Children under 12 are recommended paracetamol, or ibuiprofen, rather than acetylsalicylic acid. We avoid acetylsalicylic acid because it can contribute to the occurrence of so-called Reye's team. This disease, although rare, poses a threat to the child's life. It usually occurs several days after influenza or chickenpox, when the child is given acetylsalicylic acid to relieve symptoms and reduce fever.
In small children, high temperatures can cause drastic symptoms
In children, fever convulsions may occur with high fever. The child suddenly stiffens, his arms and legs tremble, sometimes his whole body. Such a convulsive attack usually does not last longer than five minutes and is generally not dangerous. However, you must inform your doctor about this fact. In young children with high fever, there is a risk of dehydration if they consume insufficient fluids.
When in a fever it is essential to seek medical advice:
- the temperature is above 40 ° C,
- high temperature lasts over 48 hours,
- you have difficulty breathing, stomach ache, difficulty urinating with a fever
- there is a sudden increase in fever, which is accompanied by other symptoms, such as neck numbness, vomiting, photophobia
- fever appears in a child who is less than six months old,
- one of the symptoms persists, worsens or new ones appear
What can a doctor recommend?
Will carry out thorough research to find the cause of the fever. You may need to take a throat swab or perform a blood and urine test. Typically, the doctor prescribes painkillers and fever suppressants. If you have a bacterial infection, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics.
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