HIGH FEVER

High Fever Overview

Various diseases have plagued the human race for millennia, and at best they inspire fear and apprehension, and at worst, fear and blind panic.  Until the early-mid 20th century, fever was a word that struck fear into people all over the world, and death from high fever was common.

However, because of developments in medicine, antibiotics, and vaccines, most of the diseases that caused these high fevers are now either treatable or preventable.

Recent research has actually discovered that fever is not our enemy.  Indeed, it has been found that fever is an important part of the body's defence against whatever infectious agent is invading the body.  The fever is an indicator that a battle is going on. 

In fact, the fever is fighting for the sufferer, not against.  The temperature 98.6°F (37°C) is considered “normal core body temperature”, but this temperature can vary by 1-2 degrees depending on the person, the time of day, the amount of physical activity, emotion, eating, drinking, clothing, and the ambient temperature and humidity in the surrounding environment.

Most bacteria and viruses that cause infections in humans thrive at normal body temperature (98.6°F, 37°C).  During a fever, the bodies temperature has been raised by a few degrees and this can give the body an advantage over the infectious agent by making conditions less conducive to its survival and reproduction.

One of the first things you can do When your children aren't feeling well is check for a fever.A  fever is usually a sign that something's going on in your body.

In adults, a fever may be uncomfortable, but it usually isn't dangerous unless it goes over 103 F. However, for very young children and infants temperatures which are even slightly elevated may indicate a serious infection. In newborns, a lower temperature may be a sign of serious illness.

Signs and symptoms can often help identify the cause of a fever. If you don't know why your child has a fever, it's best not to try to lower the temperature. This may only mask the symptoms and make it harder to determine the cause. Indeed, some experts think that to aggressively treat all fevers could actually interfere with the body's immune response. This is due to the fact that the viruses that cause colds and other respiratory infections thrive at cool temperatures. By producing a slight fever, your body is actually helping eliminate the virus. Furthermore, most fevers go away usually within a few days.

Full information on High Fever is available in the Free eBook which includes symptoms, complications, transmission, diagnosis, treatment and prevention in detail.

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