High temperature

As the name suggests, body temperature is the temperature of a human or animal body. Normally this should be between 35.8 ° C and 37.2 ° C for humans. But what if the body temperature is higher? What causes can this have and how is it high temperature to treat? These questions are answered below.

What is elevated temperature?

First of all, it must be defined when a person suffers from high temperature and when it begins to degenerate into a fever. One speaks of an increased temperature when the body temperature has not yet exceeded 38.0 ° C.

If the temperature is higher, one speaks of fever, high fever or very high fever. If the body temperature is 42 ° C, there is a risk of circulatory failure and only 0.6 ° C more lead to death in the human body (from 42 ° C irreversible protein coagulation).

causes

An elevated temperature is not a disease in itself, it is simply a symptom of an illness. In most cases, infection is the cause of the elevated temperature. It does not matter whether it is an infection caused by bacteria or viruses.

However, there are also cases in which infection is not the cause of the increased body temperature. If you suffer from sunstroke or heat stroke, your body temperature also rises.

A lack of fluids or increased metabolic activity can also be a cause. After an operation, the body temperature can also rise, as the body has to adjust, for example, to the changes inside the body that have been brought about by the operation.

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Diseases with this symptom

• cold
• flu
• Hantavirus infection
• diphtheria
• tuberculosis
• Meningitis

• heatstroke
• Sunstroke
• lung infection
• Middle ear inflammation
• typhus
• Inner ear inflammation

• gonorrhea
• RS virus infection
• syphilis
• Yellow fever
• Inflammation of the pancreas
• Liver failure

Diagnosis & course

The typical and well-known "hand on the forehead" in no way says anything about whether an elevated temperature is actually present.

In order to get an exact diagnosis, the exact body temperature must be measured using a clinical thermometer. This can best be done under the armpits, in the mouth or rectally. It is important to ensure that the body temperature is different depending on the measuring point.

The rectal measurement is the most accurate and the armpit measurement is the least accurate, but this is the most popular method. It should also be mentioned that the body temperature is subject to a natural fluctuation between one and two degrees Celsius during the day. Body temperature in humans is lowest at night and highest in the afternoon.

However, it is often the case that sick people have a higher body temperature, especially in the evening. For example, a symptom of the rise in body temperature is freezing or chills. As soon as the increased temperature drops, the person begins to sweat, so that the body can cool down (perspiration).

In order to find the cause of the increased body temperature, however, a doctor's visit is required.

Complications

An elevated temperature can lead to a further rise in body temperature in children and adults, which can result in mild to massive complications.

With every degree of feverish temperature, the heartbeat increases by about 10 beats per minute. If a high fever occurs in the further course, palpitations can set in very quickly. As a result, the breathing rate also increases. Chills, caused by extreme muscle contraction, are also a complication of a very high fever. Cold hands and feet caused by a shift in the body's own temperature regulation can often be observed. In the same context, this also applies to a reduced capillary refill. This can be recognized by the fact that whitish imprints do not recede directly through pressure on the skin.

Dehydration (lack of fluids) can also result from dehydration due to excessive sweating all over the body and insufficient drinking.

Very high fever can lead to febrile seizures with loss of consciousness and sudden muscle cramps, especially in children. If the fever rises above 41 degrees in adults, this can lead to denaturation of the cell proteins. If such a high fever is not lowered, there is a risk of fatal circulatory failure. If high fever occurs at intervals, circulatory lability combined with dizziness when standing up and possibly a risk of collapse can occur when the fever falls. This also applies in the event that the fever drops quickly.

The central nervous complications include impaired perception, physical restlessness and states of confusion. The latter symptoms can develop into hallucinations. Then there is talk of a feverish delirium, also called fever delirium.

When should you go to the doctor?

Elevated temperature and no fever yet: is that a reason to see a doctor? Does every temperature deviation upward have to be dealt with immediately?

Basically, it can be said that people who are healthy in themselves, i.e. people without a chronic illness, do not have to see a doctor immediately because of an elevated temperature. An increased body temperature even has a medical meaning: at an increased temperature, the pathogens of infections are eliminated more effectively. If the elevated temperature is suppressed, however, infectious diseases have a longer course. If you go to the doctor anyway, you run the risk of your doctor still prescribing a temperature-lowering drug. Other doctors only lower the elevated temperature if the patient has other symptoms such as headaches.

Patients with organ damage or other chronic diseases are better off going to the doctor at a higher temperature. For them, the increase in temperature means physical strain that should be avoided as far as possible.

Anyone who has an elevated temperature over a long period of time, i.e. more than two days, or at whom it has been recurring for a long time, should definitely see their doctor. This is especially true if other symptoms such as headache, diarrhea or a purulent cough occur. Here, a more serious illness that requires treatment can be concealed behind the increased temperature.

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Treatment & Therapy

In most cases, once you have seen a doctor, it is easy to find the cause of the high temperature and treat it.

In addition to the increased body temperature, those affected are often accompanied by other symptoms such as body aches or headaches. The doctor can usually diagnose and treat a common cold or flu.

However, if this is not the case, the patient's blood will be examined to find an infection. This is then usually fought with antibiotics. It is important that the patient makes sure to drink enough so as not to suffer from dehydration.

In order to lower the increased temperature, we recommend antipyretic agents, which are also available over the counter in any pharmacy.

Outlook & forecast

An elevated temperature usually occurs whenever there is a cold, flu, or general poisoning. In addition to the increased temperature, unfortunately the patient in this case also suffered from body aches, headaches and a general feeling of illness. Anyone who has a high temperature should therefore rather stay at home and recover.

As a rule, the fever goes away on its own without the patient having to see a doctor. If the temperature is relatively high, medication can also be used to lower the fever. These are also generally effective against a cold or poisoning.

In most cases, the elevated temperature will go down within hours or a few days. However, if the body has a high temperature for several days that does not fall, a doctor must be consulted.

An ordinary clinical thermometer is suitable for measuring the temperature. This can be purchased in the pharmacy. Only in rare cases is the increased temperature associated with a serious infection in which the patient has to be admitted to a hospital.

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prevention

To prevent the increased temperature, it is advisable to strengthen the immune system. As a result, you are less susceptible to diseases that cause an elevated temperature. This is best done through a balanced diet and adequate exercise. In addition, an adult should drink at least two liters of water a day so that the body always has enough fluids.

You can do that yourself

An increased body temperature usually occurs when the body has to defend itself against viruses and other intruders and therefore the body temperature increases. This symptom is almost always associated with and is triggered by a cold, flu, or infection.

If you want to lower your fever, you should offer your body plenty of rest and relaxation. In most cases, the body can fight the fever without help or medication and it will go away on its own. However, it is okay to use medication to help the body. Ibuprofen is most often taken to lower the fever. This active ingredient lowers the body's temperature and at the same time relieves the patient of the pain that can also occur with the common cold. If the fever is extremely high (over 39 degrees Celsius) or lasts for several days and does not drop with the help of medication, a doctor should definitely be consulted.

Often times, the fever also occurs when there is food poisoning. Here only gentle and simple food should be consumed in order to protect the stomach. Anyone who has a fever should also drink a lot and thus support the body.