Fever is a condition in which the temperature of the body is more than its normal 98.6° F. The term is also used as part of the name of certain diseases, such as typhoid fever and scarlet fever, in which a prominent symptom is a high temperature. Fever is not a disease, but a symptom of many different disorders, especially diseases caused by infections. Although people have survived temperatures of more than 110° F., a fever of 106° F. may have serious effects, particularly in babies or elderly people.
The course of fever varies in different diseases. The first signs of fever are often chilly sensations, frequently associated with flushed or warm feelings. The temperature may rise slowly or rapidly, and it may stay up or may fluctuate. As it rises, it may be associ¬ated with shaking chills. If it falls quickly, profuse sweating may occur.
Causes of Fever
As its cells burn foodstuffs for energy, the body constantly produces heat. At the same time the body constantly loses heat to its surroundings through the skin, through breathing, and in other ways. The temperature of the body is a measure of the balance between heat produced and heat lost.
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