Advances in understanding fever
Men have learned more and more about fever since the time of Hippocrates. A discovery was made in 1714, when Fahrenheit invented the first thermometer. About a hundred years ago, it was discovered that fever was directly related to an increase in the body's thermostat. Even today, fever is such a sensitive and reliable indicator of the presence of disease that thermometry is probably the most common clinical procedure.
Only in the last 30 years have men fully understood how fever develops. The small brain gland called the hypothalamus, located just behind and above the bridge of the nose, was known to regulate body temperature. But how?
White blood cells have been shown to produce pyrogens, literally "fire producers", when they fight infection. This substance acts on the cells in front of the hypothalamus and causes its "thermostat" to increase. This is why fever is said to be a high temperature which is the result of a disturbance of the central temperature control mechanism in the brain. One result of this "thermostat" change is that the body appears to be really cold, and therefore the individual has chills and chills, even if their body temperature is above normal.
New research has also shown that the resistance of body temperature is related to the balance between sodium and calcium in the hypothalamus. Calcium seems to act as a kind of brake that prevents sodium ions from raising your body temperature too much. Pyrogen in white blood cells or leukocytes appears to suppress the calcium brake.
Normal relative temperature
It is really interesting that although the environment can vary by up to two hundred degrees, 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit is generally considered a "normal" temperature. Things like race, diet, weather and sex have little effect on temperature. There are other factors that cause variations. For example, the temperature varies throughout the day. At least between three and six in the morning and at most between four and five in the afternoon. Here, too, the temperature varies in different parts of the body. The rectal temperature is one degree higher than in the mouth; The hands and feet have the lowest temperature and the tip of the nose and ears have the lowest temperature.
Things like exercise or emotional disturbances raise your body temperature. However, such a condition can not be a real fever, because at the end of exercise the body returns to its normal temperature and no pyrogens affected the hypothalamus.
As a result, any temperature between 97 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit can be normal, and up to 101 degrees for infants can simply be due to movement or emotional disturbances. In children, high fever usually ranges from 103 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit, and all of the above are generally considered dangerous. The highest fever a person can recover without brain damage is 114.8 degrees Fahrenheit.
What makes the hypothalamic mustache turn on, so to speak? The most common cause is without a doubt infection. However, there are other causes of fever. This includes drugs, poisons, serious accidents, especially those in the central nervous system and various brain diseases. Again, simple overheating of the body can cause fever to an extreme degree, for example during heat stroke or heat stroke, where the body's central cooling mechanism suddenly seems to fail. That person stops sweating despite the temperature rise.
What to do with a fever
There was a time when almost every fever was considered an unquestionable ailment and had to be eliminated immediately with aspirin, cold water, ice cubes or cold towels. This may still be recommended in some cases, but there is a growing consensus that a fever will occur unless it is very high or has complications such as vomiting, diarrhea or shortness of breath. In this sense, some fevers look like a fire alarm. The important thing is not to turn off the alarm, but to put out the fire. And it is usually unnecessary to take steps to bring down the fever without finding and treating the cause.
However, it is reasonable to try to put a feverish person at ease. Sometimes it can mean that the temperature drops a bit; To do this, some drugs suggest aspirin, others add an ice pack to the head or give enemas. Because a fever quickly loses its calorie stores, long-term illnesses characterized by fever may require special dietary attention. In the case of a short-lived fever, the patient usually has no appetite for food and is generally better at limiting the intake of solids. Although opinions differ as to whether to eat or starve, it is known that patients with fever need lots of fluids. With each degree of fever, metabolic activity increases by about 7%, and an adult would lose a liter of water through evaporation. The extra fluids don't just make you feel good, they are also the most important. Some recommend that these liquids include fruit juices and vegetable broths. Of course, any extremely high or persistent fever should logically attract the attention of a doctor.
Mothers of young children or infants can suffer the most from fever. Temperature changes can be sudden and accompanied by alarming symptoms, making it easier for mothers to feel anxious and anxious if the pediatrician does not intervene. But authorities are increasingly asking mothers to calm down. As I said, “I often see the thermometer as a source of excessive anxiety for parents. Doctors are often asked to "cure" fever, but this pressure to do something must be alleviated by the realization that fever in most cases is only the body's defense against disease. self-limitation. (This actually claims that fever is beneficial!) In a similar context, another reputable pediatrician insists on "treating the child, not the thermometer." And this is also good advice for adults!
