if he has a fever ? Is it advisable to cover person with thick blankets?

Answer 1

Remember getting a cut on your hand and it swelling up? That inflammation is a local response of the body to the injury. There are, however, systemic, or body-wide responses; one of the most important is fever, defined as an abnormally high body temperature >37° degrees Celsius (98.6° degrees Fahrenheit.) the most common cause of fever is infection from bacteria (we respond to their toxins) and/or viruses. Body temperature is controlled by a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is sometimes called the body’s thermostat and it is normally set at 98.6° degrees Fahrenheit. (Here it is going to get a little complicated, but I’ll try to keep it to a minimum.) When we are infected with, for example, a bacterium, our body’s phagocytes ingest the bacteria. This, as you might have guessed, is a good thing. Unfortunately, there is a chemical structure (the lipopolysaccharide component of the bacteria) that causes the phagocyte to release a chemical messenger called cytokine interleukin~1; think of this as an instant message (IM). When this interleukin~1 reaches the hypothalamus it tells the hypothalamus to release prostaglandins that reset the thermostat at a higher temperature, thus causing fever. So it’s bacteria being eaten by a phagocyte that releases a chemical that causes the fever. Let’s assume that we are infected with a pathogen that raises our temp to 102.2 degrees °F, a moderate grade fever. To adjust to the new thermostat setting the body responds with blood vessel constriction an increased rate of metabolism and shivering, all of which raise the body temperature. Even though we are getting hotter, however, the skin remains cold and we get a chill. I am reminded of the old medical adage that the surest sign you’re getting hot is when you’re feeling cold. When the temperature reaches the thermostat’s setting, the chill disappears. Our body will maintain a 102.2° F temp until that instant messenger is gone and no more unsupervised little bacteria are running around causing trouble. As the infection subsides, heat losing actions like vasodilation and sweating go into operation. The skin becomes warm and we being to sweat. People think they are getting hotter; they are actually returning to a normal temp. Medically speaking this is known as the crisis point of the fever. Fever is good up to a certain point. It draws more T cells to help and intensifies the effect of interferons which combat viruses. Expiration happens when a patient gets to hot; normally 110-114 °F. Hope this clears up some stuff for you. Thanks.

Answer 2

No.
Even if the perosn is claiming to be freezing cold, don't cover them with blankets. It can keep the temperature from coming down, or even RAISE their temperature even more. A light sheet is fine for covering them though. Also make sure that they are dressed in clothes that aren't heavy and that are loose fitting. If you put a cold washcloth on the persons forehead it usually makes them feel more comfortable. Also, make sure you push the fluids. It is very easy to become dehydrated when a person has a fever. A good idea too is to take ibuprofen (Advil). It works well in suppressing the fever, and also helps with the aches and pains that come with a fever. If the "patient" is feeling up to it, encourage a tepid bath, not too hot and not too cold. It can help to bring the fever down. Make sure they get plenty of rest so their body can try and fight off whatever is making them have a fever.

Most important is TLC for the person that isn't feeling well. Give them lots of love and maybe even a bowl of home-made chicken noodle soup...... :-)

Answer 3

No - they say now to strip them down so the body will actually cool off. I am going through that now with my 2 year old and it is really hard. One minute she is hot and then next she is shivering because she is so cold. When she appears to be cold but still have the fever, I do place a light blanket over her but make sure that it is light. Also, make sure that you are pushing the fluids. I also gave my child a bath last night but i tried to keep it at the normal temp and the fever broke for a very short period of time. Good luck. I hope that it is nothing serious

Answer 4

The reason for the fever is to raise the body temperature to help fight off the infection. I've just got over the flu, and spen most of the time in bed under a duvet to help keep my temperature up. But it might depend on how old he is.