Fever

The variation in internal body temperature above or below the normal conditions (98.6°F) is termed as fever. It is also termed as pyrexia. Body’s temperature is controlled by hypothalamus gland located inside the brain and is characterized by its thermo regulatory set-point. It is seen that kids develop high body temperature after playing, but this is not fever because the set-point is normal. It is said that sometimes body expels harmful bacteria and virus from the body and as result the body’s temperature is increased.


Body Temperature during Fever measured Orally:
1. Temperature upto 100°Fahrenheit (37.8° C) indicates mild fever.
2. Temperature above 100°Fahrenheit (37.8° C) but below 103°F (39.4°C), indicates moderate fever.
3. Body temperature of 104°F (40°C) indicates high fever. It needs special attention.
4. Temperature above 105°F (43.3°C) is an indication of severe fever which is rare and needs immediate medical cure.


Types of fever:
1. Pel-Ebstein Fever: A specific kind of fever associated with Hodgkin's lymphoma, being high for one week and low for the next week and so on. However, there is some debate as to whether this pattern truly exists.
2. Intermittent Fever: It is a type of fever in which body’s temperature falls and rises periodically like in case of malaria, typhoid.
3. Relapsing Fever: This fever reoccurs a number of times and it takes few days before the body’s temperature is back to normal.
4. Continuous Fever: It is a type of common fever when the body’s temperature remains above normal for most of the time and does not fluctuate much.
5. Remittant Fever: In this the temperature remains above normal for most part of the day and show considerable fluctuations (more than 1°C).


Symptoms of Fever:
1. Rise in the body’s temperature.
2. Increase heart beat, muscle tone and shivering.
3. Lethargic feeling in the body followed by sickness behavior.
4. Feeling of sleepiness and inability to concentrate.
5. Bitter taste in mouth when anything is eaten.
6. Weakness in the body.


Causes of fever:
1. Infections due to some diseases like typhoid, malaria, dengue, cough, cancer, etc. can cause fever. Every disease generally starts with a fever.
2. Due to the side effects or reaction caused, after consumption of medicine of some other disease.
3. Some events such heart attack, sudden exposure to changed surroundings, heat strokes, can also add to the causes of fever.
4. Fear is the common cause due to which many people develop common fever inside the body.
5. Some other body disorders like improper functioning of auto-immune system or metabolic disorder are responsible for fever.
6. Constipation, Diabetes, arthritis, are also responsible for high body temperatures.


Precautions during Fever:
1. Do not take fever lightly because any other chronic disease starts with a fever. Therefore have a check-up for even a mild fever.
2. Liquid foods are preferred like you can have juices or you can also take light food like porridge so that the body do not have to work more to digest the food.
3. Drink plenty of water, as much as you can.
4. Keep your body clothed and do not expose it to very high or low temperature.
5. Take ample rest and do not play games which induce s stress on your mind.


Home Made Remedies for Fever:
1. In fever the patient may get irritated from excessive sweating. In this case take some bishop's weed (ajwain), roast it, and then grind it. After grinding it apply it on the body of the patient suffering from fever to relieve him.


2. Cut and lemon and on top of it add some powdered rock salt and black pepper. Warm the lemon slightly, sucking this lemon slowly also helps in the case of fever.


3. Take 5 gm bishop's weed (ajwain) in 50 gm water and boil it. After filtering if your drink 25 gm of this water in intervals of two hours your fever will be cured. Also it will reduce the irritation in your body caused by fever.


4. Take the juice of ginger 5 gm and mix it with honey 5 gm. Take this 3 times daily to get relief from fever.


5. Mixing the juice of Adulsa (Adhatoda Zeylanica), ginger, tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum) 5 gm each and adding 5 gm powdered liqourice to it and taking it helps in the cure of fever.


6.Take the leaves of Adulsa (Adhatoda Zeylanica, 10 gm), crystalline sugar (10 gm) in 100 gm water and boil it. Drinking this helps in curing your temperature and irritation caused by fever.


7. Take powdered Indian Gooseberry (Amla) 3 gm in quantity with water thrice a day to completely cure from fever.


8. Take some roasted cloves and then grind them. Take this with lukewarm water many times a day to get some relief in fever.


9. Take 20 gm fennel seeds in 300 gm water and boil. Take this water, filter it and 10 gms to 250 gm water and make a solution. Drink this to get completely cured from fever.