Fever: Types, Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment

A fever is a psychological problem if your body temperature is above the normal range. An increased body temperature usually accompanies an underlying condition. The body temperature gets increased to help fight infection or signal a problem within the body. It is determined if your body temperature rises above the normal range i.e., from 98 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. A rise in temperature makes you feel chill. Your immune system is trying to remove the cause of your illness. Normally, it will resolve on its own within a week. You can check the fever range by using a forehead thermometer right at your home.

Fever: signs and symptoms

A fever is not an illness but a symptom or sign of an illness or infection in your body. However, it is commonly accompanied by other symptoms that include:

• Sweats or chills:

You may experience sweats or chills. You feel cold while shivering. These symptoms might be a sign.

• Headache:

If you feel any type of pain in your head, it means you have a headache. A headache often accompanies a fever.

If you have a fever, you might find your appetite to be lacking. A variety of infections can get accompanied by a lack of appetite.

• Rash:

Sometimes it develop rashes. A rash is characterized by a breakout of red bumps on your skin.

• Weakness:

It makes you feel weak and fatigue which means decrease in your muscles. If it is severe or too long you may also feel irritable, confused, delirious, or seizures.

There are many different causes, they can be difficult to type, and the categories aren’t always very helpful. They are usually measured based on how long they last and how high your temperature gets. Doctors have classified five main types that include:

• Intermittent fever:

It has a fluctuating baseline between normal temperatures and high levels over the course of the day.

• Remittent fever:

It may come and go, and temperature fluctuates, but though it falls, it never falls all the way back to normal.

• Hectic fever:

Either an intermittent or a remittent fever is considered hectic if the temperature range swings widely throughout the day, with a difference of at least 1.4 degrees Celsius between the highest and lowest temperatures.

• Continuous fever:

It is also called a “sustained” fever, this is a prolonged issue with little or no change in temperature over the course of a day.

• Relapsing:

This is a type of intermittent fever that spikes up again after days or weeks of normal temperatures. It is common with animal bites and diseases like malaria.

Causes:

There are many causes. Some of the most common causes are:

• Environmental factors:

Heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and extreme sunburn can all raise your body temperature in the form of a fever. You should drink plenty of fluids and apply cold washcloths to help alleviate the heat.

• Inflammatory conditions:

Inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can be causes of fever. Your body is trying to fight the inflammation within.

• Hormone disorders:

These disorders include hyperthyroidism that can elevate your body temperature.

• Drugs:

Use of some medications and illegal substances can cause fever. Drugs like antibiotics or those used to treat seizures or high blood pressure play a role.

• Cancer:

Some types of cancer will include a fever depending on the medication you are taking or symptoms you experience.