Background information on fevers and how to treat the symptoms.

Fever

FEVER
* A fever is a raised body temperature above the normal average of 37 deg C (98.4 deg F.)

* Fevers are often accompanied by symptoms such as sweating, shivering, headache, widespread aches and pains, feeling flushed and thirst.

* High fevers in children can produce convulsions or fits, known as 'febrile convulsions', which can be very frightening for an anxious parent to witness, as which look very similar to epileptic attacks, but are totally unrelated to the condition of epilepsy.

* Fevers can be serious and should not be taken lightly. They can produce total confusion and delirium in children and the elderly.

* Fevers are usually caused by infections such as throat infections, chest and urine infections and influenza type illnesses. When an infection attacks the body, the germs responsible are invaded by the white cells in the bloodstream. These white cells then release proteins called pyrogens, which act upon that part of the brain which governs the body's temperature. This results in an increase in body temperature, as a means of defence, because the rising temperature often kills off the invading `germs'.

* Fevers can also occur in patients who become dehydrated, even if no infection is present. Such dehydrated states can occur quickly in young babies and the elderly during hot weather or as a result of diarrhoea and/or vomiting.

* A fever may also occur as a result of an heart attack and also in patients who have an overactive thyroid gland.

* Anyone with a fever must be COOLED DOWN! Too many people treat a fever wrongly, by keeping the windows closed, putting more covers on the bed and keeping the bedroom well heated! This can be very dangerous as it may cause the brain to overheat, producing fits or convulsions !

For the FIVE Cs of FEVER CONTROL, please see this article : FIVE Cs of FEVER CONTROL. Although written especially for controlling fever in children, it equally applies to adults.
IMPORTANT NOTICE : This content is from the Dr Chris Steele personal archive and is provided for convenience only. Information contained here may no longer agree with the most up to date medical advice. Please check with a medical professional before taking any action.

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