Here’s
to your health
Feel
the heat?
You’re not feeling well and it finally dawns on you
that you’ve got a fever, too. That sensation that tells
you that all is not well with your body. Although fevers
make you feel bad, they aren’t necessarily a bad thing.
For one thing, that heat can help you fight off bacteria
and viruses. Also fever activates your body’s immune
system whose job it is to protect you against infection.
Although
98.6 degrees Fahrenheit is called our normal body temperature,
actually a person’s “normal temperature” may
vary from individual to individual – a little below
or a little above that.
Also,
each of our body temperatures fluctuate throughout the
day. There is a tendency for it to rise during the afternoon
and early evening and lower in the middle of the night. In
other words, a slight rise in your body’s temperature,
by itself, doesn’t necessarily mean you have a fever.
In
fact, doctors don’t generally consider it a fever
in adults unless the temperature is 100.4 degrees. Fever
in adults isn’t usually considered dangerous, but that’s
not the case for infants younger than 3 months old. Infants
should be checked out by a doctor for any fever reaching
100.4.
Feverish
children from 6 months to 5 years may sometimes experience
fever-induced seizures known as febrile seizures.
They may lose consciousness and shake all over. These seizures
usually last only a minute or two – although it feels
like a lot longer to an anxious adult witnessing it. Scary
though they may be, they are usually harmless.
If you have a mild fever with no additional major symptoms,
just drink plenty of fluids and get as much rest as you can.
If a child has a mild fever but is drinking liquids and sleeping
well, no treatment is needed.
You
can try over-the-counter medicines like ibuprofen or acetaminophen
to help alleviate your discomfort. Adults can
usually take aspirin, but children and teens should NOT take
aspirin for a fever because that increases their risk of
Reye’s Syndrome, a rare and sometimes deadly disease.
When
giving children medication, carefully follow the doctor’s
instructions. Also be sure to check the label to be sure
you’re giving the right dosage for your child’s
weight.
Here’s
when the National Institute of Health says adults should
contact a doctor. If your body temperature
is higher than 103 degrees Fahrenheit or if your temperature
is 100.4 degrees or higher for more than 3 days.
Also, call your doctor if any of these symptoms accompany
your fever: severe headache, unusual skin rash, neck stiffness
or pain, confusion, persistent vomiting, difficulty breathing
or chest pain, abdominal pain or pain when urinating, or
blood in your stool.
[Source:
National Institute of Health]
For more information on what the Mayo Clinic has to say
about fevers, including symptoms, causes, complications,
treatments and prevention, go to Links.
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