Fever causes higher body temperature

 What is fever?

A fever is when your body temperature is higher than your normal average temp. Most providers say a fever is either 100.0 F (37.8 C) or 100.4 F (38 C). When you have a fever, it’s your body’s normal response to fighting an infection or illness. Fevers usually aren’t a serious concern.

Long term fever cause for some diseases such as Pneumonia, typhoid, para-typhoid etc.

Symptoms:-

Depending on what's causing a fever, other fever signs and symptoms may include:

• Sweating
• Chills and shivering
• Headache
• Muscle aches
• Loss of appetite
• Irritability
• Dehydration
• General weakness

Infants and toddlers:-

A fever is a particular cause for concern in infants and toddlers. Call your baby's health care provider if your child is:

• Younger than 3 months old and has a rectal temperature of 100.4 F (38 C) or higher.
• Between 3 and 6 months old and has a rectal temperature higher than 102 F (38.9 C) or has a lower temperature but seems unusually irritable, sluggish or uncomfortable.
• Between 7 and 24 months old and has a rectal temperature higher than 102 F (38.9 C) that lasts longer than one day but shows no other symptoms. If your child also has other signs and symptoms, such as a runny nose, cough or diarrhea, you can call sooner.

Children:

There's probably no cause for alarm if your child has a fever but is responsive. This means your child makes eye contact with you and responds to your facial expressions and to your voice. Your child may also be drinking fluids and playing.

Call your child's health care provider if your child:

• Is listless, confused or has poor eye contact with you.
• Is irritable, vomits repeatedly, has a severe headache, sore throat, stomachache or other symptoms causing a lot of discomfort.
• Has a fever after being left in a hot car. Seek medical care immediately.
• Has a fever that lasts longer than three days.
• Has a seizure associated with the fever. Call 911 if the seizure lasts more than five minutes or your child doesn't recover quickly.

Ask your child's health care provider for guidance in special circumstances, such as a child with immune system problems or with a preexisting illness.

Adults:-

Call your health care provider if your temperature is 103 F (39.4 C) or higher. Seek immediate medical attention if any of these signs or symptoms accompanies a fever:

• Severe headache
• Rash
• Unusual sensitivity to bright light
• Stiff neck and pain when you bend your head forward
• Mental confusion, strange behavior or altered speech
• Persistent vomiting
• Difficulty breathing or chest pain
• Abdominal pain
• Pain when urinating
• Convulsions or seizures

What causes a fever?

Fever is a part of your immune system response. If you have a fever, it is a sign that your body is working hard to get well.

A fever is usually caused by a viral infection such as:

• colds and flu
• COVID-19
• gastroenteritis

However, fever can also be caused by bacterial infections, such as:

• ear infections
• throat infections
• pneumonia
• urinary tract infections
• meningitis

Complication of Fever:

Fevers are usually not dangerous and help the body fight harmful pathogens. However, a sustained fever can lead to serious complications, including: 

• ·         Organ damage and failure: Fevers above 105.8°F (41°C) can cause organs to malfunction and fail. 
• ·         Neurologic damage: Hyperthermia can cause acute neurologic and cognitive function, and about half of heatstroke survivors experience chronic neurologic damage. 
• ·         Heart and lung issues: Fevers can increase breathing and heart rate, which can be dangerous for people with heart or lung disorders. 
• ·         Mental health issues: Fevers can worsen the mental state of people with dementia. 
• ·         Febrile seizures: Children under 5 are at risk of febrile seizures, which are convulsions that can cause loss of consciousness, limb shaking, and body stiffness. 
• ·         Peritonitis: A complication of typhoid fever that can lead to sepsis and multiple organ failure. 

Other complications of fever include: Brain edema, Severe brain damage, Death, and Epilepsy.

Categories: Fever, Typhoid fever