Why do people get fevers?

Question

because i have one, and i was wondering why we get them

Answer 1

Because your body is working extra hard to fight off an illness, so naturally your temperature goes up. It's almost like working out, except internally.

Answer 2

A fever is the body's protection from viruses and bacteria. The virus and bacteria cannot live in an environment of heat; however, with new strains and types of bacteria and viruses, the body usually needs help in fighting because if a fever gets too high then your organs will start to "cook" under the heat and that's not good. But in a nutshell a fever is a defense, and an alert mechanism.

Answer 3

The body creates the heat to kill off the viruses. Most of the time it works, but it can be uncomfortable. That's why it is often good to let a minor fever run its course rather than trying to eliminate it. The body knows what works.

Answer 4

Fever is common when an infection is present in the body. When you temperature rises to a certain level, it can kill off the infection. It's your body's way of healing itself.

This is also why meat needs to cooked to a certain temperature, because certain bacterias cannot survive at high temps.

Answer 5

A fever is usually caused from a virus or bacteria in the system or a form of poisoning like from a bad or infected tooth or body part, such as a bad appendix or stomach from bad food.

Answer 6

It is your body's way of fighting off an infection/illness. Fever's most often make you sweat, and the toxins in your body are released via sweat. Drink lots of fluids and try to eat, whatever you think you can handle. Hope you get to feeling better!

Answer 7

Its the natural bodys defense system to warm up the body and sweat the cold out of you, normally I cover up an leave the body some air room to breath so I dont overheat

Answer 8

Fever is a common symptom of many medical conditions:

infectious disease, e.g. influenza, common cold, HIV, malaria, infectious mononucleosis, gastroenteritis, etc..
Immunological diseases like lupus erythematosus, sarcoidosis, inflammatory bowel diseases, etc..
Tissue destruction, which can occur in hemolysis, surgery, infarction, crush syndrome, rhabdomyolysis, cerebral hemorrhage, etc..
Drug fever
directly caused by the drug (e.g. lamictal, progesterone, chemotherapeutics causing tumor necrosis)
as an adverse reaction to drugs (e.g. antibiotics, sulfa drugs, etc.)
after drug discontinuation, like with heroin withdrawal
Cancers such as Hodgkin disease (with Pel-Ebstein fever)
Metabolic disorders like gout, porphyria, etc..
Thrombo-embolic processes (i.e. pulmonary embolism, deep venous thrombosis)
Persistent fever which cannot be explained after repeated routine clinical inquiries, is called fever of unknown origin.

Answer 9

the body produces pyrogens in response to infection, that act in the control centers of the brain to increase circulation and metabolism, raising temp in order to change the environment for infectious agents and help the immune system eliminate them.

Answer 10

Your body is fighting off infection.