Fever

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Fever, also known as pyrexia, rise in the body’s temperature, as measured in the mouth, above 37° C (98.6° F). Fever is a symptom of many disorders, such as infection by a virus or a bacterium, and it is not itself a disease. The term fever is also used to name certain diseases, such as relapsing fever, rheumatic fever, scarlet fever, undulant fever, and yellow fever, in which high fever is a major symptom. The first signs of fever may be chilly sensations, with associated periods of flushed or warm feelings. The temperature may rise slowly or rapidly and may fluctuate. A rise in temperature may be accompanied by shaking chills. A falling temperature may bring on heavy sweating.

Although fever is basically a protective mechanism, it often produces weakness and fatigue. During a fever the body loses large amounts of salts and water through sweating, and the patient’s desire for food or water is greatly reduced. Prolonged fever may result in the destruction of body protein and fat, which can lead to serious weight loss.

Fever is generally treated by lowering the body’s temperature with aspirin, and by applying cool compresses or alcohol sponges. To replace the fluids lost from the body by sweating, patients are usually given large quantities of liquids to drink. In the case of very high fever, cold baths and ice packs on the body can be effective.

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