High Fever Overview
by adminVarious 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. In addition, the fever helps activate the body’s immune system defences and accelerates the production of white blood cells, antibodies, and other infection-fighting agents and systems.
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