Everyone has experienced the signs of fever when the normal body temperature elevates above the normal range due to a particular infection or illness. Pyrexia is one of the main ways in which the immune system protects the body, once it feels threatened by attackers like bacteria and viruses.
In general, fever manifests with mild symptoms that cause discomforts in individuals, such as shivering, headaches, aching muscles, painful eyes, and fatigue. In the rare cases of experiencing abnormally high body temperature, patients are encouraged to seek immediate care to prevent complications.
Here is everything you need to know about the causes, symptoms, and treatment of pyrexia.
Causes
The body temperature of the human organism is controlled by the hypothalamus, a brain area in charge of this function. Once the body is threatened by an infection or a certain illness, the hypothalamus immediately elevates the normal temperature. In the case of pyrexia, the body is fighting against a foreign invader in the form of pneumonia, the flu, a bacterial infection, chickenpox, and other types of viruses. Click here to learn more about the function, hormones, and potential disorders of the hypothalamus.
Moreover, people are also likely to experience fever when overexposing their skin to sunlight, hence experiencing either sunburn or heatstroke. Additionally, pyrexia may also result from taking certain medications, food poisoning, or dehydration. In the case of infants, elevated body temperature is most commonly triggered by teething.
In addition, fever may be caused by a particular inflammatory disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or synovium. Keep in mind that elevated body temperature is also common after certain immunizations like tetanus and diphtheria. Anyhow, it’s unsurprising for pyrexia to be of unknown origin in patients, in cases where doctors fail to identify the origin after weeks of a thorough evaluation.
Symptoms
Pyrexia is known to cause discomfort in patients, usually resulting in mild symptoms. Since fever is a symptom of a particular health condition, it’s most commonly accompanied by a myriad of other symptoms that vary in accordance with the infection. The most common sign of pyrexia is elevated body temperature, which exceeds 100.4 F (38 °C).
Consequently, patients are prone to experiencing chills, headaches, body aches, excessive sweating, sore eyes, and exhaustion. Also, some individuals might feel lightheaded, have no appetite, and experience rapid heart rate.
In the event of an extremely high fever of 104 F (40 °C), patients may undergo severe complications like convulsions, have hallucinations, or feel overall confusion. Upon experiencing serious symptoms and complications, patients are advised to visit an urgent care clinic, such as https://perfecthealth247.com/urgent-care/evans-ga/, providing prompt treatment to moderate illnesses and mild injuries. Such treatment is particularly vital for children who are more susceptible to having febrile seizures and other fever-induced complications.
Treatment
In order to determine the right treatment for fever, doctors tend to conduct a series of tests to locate the exact cause, which is either a bacterial or a viral infection. In the case of bacterial infection, health professionals usually prescribe antibiotics to reduce the elevated body temperature, which aren’t useful for treating viral infections.
In contrast, when pyrexia is triggered by a certain virus, anti-inflammatory drugs are the right solution for decreasing fever and reducing pain in patients. Anyhow, in the event of a sunburn, neither antibiotics nor anti-inflammatory drugs can alleviate pyrexia.
Moreover, acetaminophen and ibuprofen are believed to be the most effective fever reducers. Even though aspirin is also considered as a beneficial treatment, it shouldn’t be administered to children and adolescents.
Besides using medications, individuals with pyrexia are also expected to use some home remedies for reducing their elevated body temperature. For instance, patients are advised to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water but avoiding alcohol and caffeine.
Regular lukewarm baths are considered to be soothing as well, not the ones with ice-cold water. Resting, comfortable room temperature and air circulation are known to induce comfort in patients. It’s paramount not to overdress when having pyrexia, as the temperature might only get higher.
Bottom line
Make sure you ask for medical help in the event of high fever.
Listen to the doctor, use home remedies, and rest!
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