What is a fever?

Question

cuz i have one. and it goes away with Advil......how does that happen?
Why do i get a fever? what is it doing inside my body? why do i feel freazing if I'm burning hot? please use normal words. not science words.
thanks.

Answer 1

Question #1: A fever is a body temperature outside the range of what is considered normal and can be either above or below normal.

Question #2: Advil is an antipyretic. That's a medicine that reduces body temperature and thus fever. I can't explain the mechanism without getting scientific and you specifically asked not to do that.

Questions #3 & 4: You get a fever when there is infection of some kind and they're caused by a chemical called pyrogens. Pyrogens are produced by white blood cells when they come into contact with bacteria or viruses. Pyrogens are released into the blood and travel to that part of the brain (hypothalamus) that controls and regulates body temperature like the thermostat for a heater. It's thought that fever is one of the body's defenses. Most bacteria and viruses are sensitive to temperature changes and can survive in a rather narrow range of temperture. Fever may a way to make the environment (your body) uninhabitable for them.

Question #5: You get chills because with fever your temperature rises rapidly and your body tries to conserve heat loss by constricting surface blood vessels. Your body tries to generate heat with shivering. Your skin can feel cool although inside you feel hot.

Answer 2

Bacteria and viruses can't live at high temperatures and a fever is your body's way of killing off infections. The best thing to do is take Advil and get plenty of fluids so you don't dehydrate and sleep. If it doesn't go away by tomorrow then see a doctor. If it is a virus then all you can do is wait it out, but if it is a bacteria then you will need an antibiotic and you'll need a prescription for that.

Answer 3

Inside your body, you have a therostat (like the one that controls the temperature in your house). This thermostat in your body tries to keep your body temperature at 98.6 degrees.

When you get an infection, your body tries to fight it off and your temperature rises as a result of the fight. The infection puts poisons into your system and your body fights against them and your temperature goes up.

Drugs like Advil and Tylenol help lower your temperature so you feel better. In general, the body must fight off the infection before the temperature goes down by itself.

Good luck and I hope you feel better soon.

Answer 4

the bodies natural temp should be about 37c, over 40c is dangerous and you should call a doc, however the heating up is the bodies natural way of killing off the bug. ibroprofen is the best to keep it down. you just have to ride it out, theres alot of nasty flu bugs about at the moment, if it continues more than 3 days and you are no better then see a doc.

Answer 5

an inflammation or infection causes your body to try to correct it by releasing substances that work in your central nervous system to increase circulation and temperature, to try and make it hard for the invader to live/reproduce. Advil and such counteract these substances to reduce temp. :Chills" are
eusually a sign that the temp is falling.

Answer 6

I did the day previous because of the fact it became interior the 70's and as we communicate it has rained approximately 4 inches and that they are calling for sort of 6-8 inches of snow. I want it would get heat and stay that way.