Fever is a symptom rather than a disease, and indicates an attack on the immune system of microbes and germs until it triumphs and expels them outside the body, resulting in a high temperature, but not a fear, especially if the temperature is less than 38.5 ° C, but the first way to defend the body from diseases, or if the temperature is too high. (39-40 ° C), it is necessary to know the cause and treat it, and that is what we will address in our article.
Symptoms of fever
Some other symptoms may appear with fever such as:
- High temperature (39-40 ° C).
- Shivering.
- headache and pain in the body.
- fatigue, exhaustion and extreme lethargy.
- persistent or intermittent sweat.
- Skin and throat congestion.
- Increased sensitivity to pain.
- The desire to sleep.
- Inability to concentrate.
- anorexia.
What are the causes of repeated fever?
There are many causes of fever and hyperthermia, the most common of which are:
- Teething in infants.
- Compulsory vaccinations taken by infants from birth.
- influenza, measles, or pneumonia.
- Direct sunlight exposure for a long time.
- Ear pain.
- Food poisoning.
- Bronchitis.
- Urinary system infection.
- Sore throat.
Fever may be a symptom of serious diseases such as:
- Mononucleosis.
- Silicosis affects the lungs as a result of exposure to silica dust.
- rheumatoid arthritis (rheumatoid arthritis).
- Drug addiction such as amphetamine and cocaine.
- Disturbed hormones such as hyperthyroidism.
- Cancerous tumors.
- blood clots (blood clots).
- Withdrawal symptoms of alcohol.
If you complain about warming more than normal without other symptoms, don’t assume the worst, as body temperature changes with different activities throughout the day, and feelings you may experience such as high enthusiasm, pressure, and psychological stress.
In addition to wearing heavy clothing, eating some types of food, medication and even body temperature may increase due to the menstrual cycle in women or when exercising, but in fact children are naturally characterized by a slightly higher temperature than adults.
How to know that body temperature is high?
Measuring the mercury temperature of adults or digitals for children and infants is the best way to diagnose fever whether through the mouth, anus or underarm.
Digital thermometer is used by cleaning the front of the thermometer with cold soap water, then turning on the device, placing the front of the thermometer down the tongue with the mouth closed, or placing under the armpit and holding it well, wait until it gives you the final temperature result.
If the temperature is measured under the armpit, the temperature must be increased by 0.5 ° C, and the temperature reduces by half a degree if it is in the anus.
Diagnosis
After confirming the high temperature, the doctor asks the patient about his history and whether he complains of other symptoms, especially if he has a previous infection, pain or swelling. To confirm the diagnosis:
Blood analysis.
Paul’s analysis.
The doctor may request some tests and radiology to help him diagnose the cause of the fever and write the prescription with the required treatment depending on the condition of the disease.
How to deal with fever at home?
If the temperature rise is minimal below 38 ° C you don’t have to worry about and speed up the use of more than one treatment, all you need is to drink a lot of fluids, get enough sleep and rest.
While dealing with high temperatures varies, the majority use a hypothermic such as proven and paracetamol both for adults and children, and avoid using aspirin for children under 17 to prevent fatal Reye’s syndrome, and it would be better to take a cold bath until the temperature drops.
What is the best treatment for fever?
We previously agreed that heating is a symptom rather than a disease, so it is important to know why the temperature is high. If the cause is bacterial, you may need to use an antibiotic suitable for the type of bacteria.
If the cause is viral, the doctor may recommend the use of a hypothermic that belongs to a NSAID group such as Ibuprofen.
Antibiotics will not work with viruses, and paracetamol can also be used in the treatment of hyperthermia.
In addition to the use of Aspirin in the treatment of hepatitis for adults only without children or patients using blood thinners, if the patient complains of dehydration, it is necessary to drink a lot of fluids to prevent complications.
Coronavirus and fever relationship
The coronavirus patient does not need any treatment. However, the coronavirus may cause some serious complications, such as severe chest pain, difficulty breathing, and some patients may need to use the ventilator.
When to visit a doctor?
Hyperthermia becomes dangerous in the following cases that need a doctor’s visit:
- If the heat is accompanied by stiffness in the neck, mental dispersion or rash.
- If the hyperthermia (above 39.5 ° C) lasts for more than two hours after home treatment.
- If the fever lasts more than two days.
- When there are spasms, droughts or allergies to light.
Fever in infants
Fever in infants involves high temperature and inability to touch them from extreme temperature, congestion of cheeks, sweating, symptoms may increase severely and cause heat spasms, disperse my mind, and need to go to hospital.
When is high temperature dangerous in children?
Fever may cause a child to feel a little tired if it is below 38 ° C without preventing it from playing, eating and drinking, even dropping temperature within days.
But if the temperature is high, you should visit a doctor if:
- Fever lasted more than 5 days.
- The temperature was above 40 ° C.
- The temperature was not dropping by proven or paracetamol.
Hyperthermia may be accompanied by some serious symptoms such as:
- Swelling throat.
- Rash.
- Continuous vomiting.
- General body weakness.
- Cramps.
- Pain during urination.
- Difficulty breathing.
Some children under 5 years of age may suffer from heat convulsions (febrile seizures) which occur 2-5% as evidence of a rapidly warming body as a result of respiratory viral infection, inflammation of the bowel, or an ear problem, and cause rapid convulsive movements.
It may occur as a result of serious illnesses such as pneumonia, kidney infection or meningitis, and all you need is to put your child on his/her side without putting anything in his/her mouth until this episode is over, and you must go to hospital if convulsions last more than 5 minutes or if his/her lips turn blue.
There are two types of thermal convulsions:
Simple thermal convulsions
It occurs 80-85%, lasts for several seconds and up to 5 minutes, not repeated again in 24 hours, and causes body muscle stiffness, limb tremor, open consciousness and eye loss, and may also cause irregular breathing, vomiting, urination or poo.
Complex thermal convulsions
This type of convulsion may last for more than 15 minutes, occur more than once throughout the day, and the child may even experience epilepsy when he or she grows up due to these 30-40% micro-thermal convulsions.
When is high temperature dangerous for adults?
If the fever is above 40.5 ° C and is not affected by home therapy such as paracetamol, aspirin, and compresses. It is necessary to go to the hospital as fast as possible.
Prevention of hyperthermia
Preventing hyperthermia and reducing person-to-person transmission requires following the following steps:
- Wash hands with soap and water regularly.
- Use hand sanitiser containing 60% alcohol in case of lack of water and soap.
- Avoid touching the face with unclean hands.
- Cleaning and sanitizing surfaces.
- Use paper wipes during sneezing and coughing, throw them into garbage while washing hands with soap and water.
- Avoid friction with patients or using their cutlery.
In conclusion, there is no need to worry about fever, most often you do not need medical intervention, and you end up on their own, but what is really worth worrying is the reason behind the high temperature and the need for immediate treatment for it especially if the patient is complaining of other symptoms, weak immunity or high fever.