Thursday, in "Without appointment", doctor Jimmy Mohamed recalled the main things to know about fever, in particular its causes, but also its risks and benefits, as well as the way to treat it.
Chills, headaches, fatigue, fever is often accompanied by uncomfortable symptoms.
But it is also proof that the body is battling an infection.
Thursday, in Without appointment, doctor Jimmy Mohamed recalled the main things to know about this rise in body temperature, and recommended paracetamol to make it less uncomfortable.
How to explain the fever?
The temperature is finely regulated in the body and involves many systems.
In the brain, we have a gland, the hypothalamus, which serves as a thermostat, and will tell the body to stay at a normal temperature of 37 °.
And when an infection does arise, the thermostat is out of control, and chemical messages linked to bacteria tell the body to be at 38.39.40 degrees.
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The body temperature will then rise, and we will start to shiver.
At what temperature do you have a fever?
We have a fever from 38 degrees of temperature, in the absence of intense physical activity, in a room not overheated, and without being too covered.
For more precision, it is better to take the temperature with a thermometer in the buttocks, especially in children.
How high can the temperature rise?
The temperature rarely exceeds 40.5 °.
Exceptionally, it can go up to around 40.9, but above that it can really be toxic to the brain.
This is called hyperthermia which will be malignant.
But it remains rare.
Should we treat it?
Yes, but it's mostly for comfort.
We are not trying to fight the number written on the thermometer, but rather headaches, aches, etc.
In some infections, some severe bacteria, meningitis, temperature can be beneficial.
Other studies show that temperature can decrease viral replication.
The best is to take paracetamol.