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Fever Fever, also known as pyrexia and febrile response, is defined as having a temperature above the normal range due to an increase in the body's temperature set-point.There is not a single agreed-upon upper limit for normal temperature with sources using values between 37.5 and 38.3 °C (99.5 and 100.9 °F).The increase in set-point triggers increased muscle contractions and causes a feeling of cold.This results in greater heat production and efforts to conserve heat. When the set-point temperature returns to normal, a person feels hot, becomes flushed, and may begin to sweat. Rarely a fever may trigger a febrile seizure. This is more common in young children.Fevers do not typically go higher than 41 to 42 °C (105.8 to 107.6 °F). A fever can be caused by many medical conditions ranging from not serious to potentially serious. This includes viral, bacterial and parasitic infections such as the common cold, urinary tract infections, meningitis, malaria and appendicitis among...

Fever: Causes, symptoms, and treatments Fever (also known as pyrexia or controlled hyperthermia) is when a human's body temperature goes above the normal range of 36-37 Centigrade (98-100 Fahrenheit) - it is a common medical sign. As the individual's body temperature goes up, there may be a sensation of cold until the temperature levels off and stops rising. People's normal body temperatures may vary and are affected by factors such as eating, exercise, sleeping, and what time of the day it is. Our body temperature is usually at its highest at around 6 pm and at its lowest at about 3 am. An elevated body temperature (fever) is one of the ways our immune system attempts to combat an infection. Usually, the rise in body temperature helps the individual resolve an infection. However, sometimes it may rise too high, in which case, the fever can be serious and lead to complications. Doctors say that as long as the fever is mild, there is no need to bring it down - if...

Fever Fever facts Although a fever could be considered any body temperature above the normal 98.6 F (37 C), medically, a person is not considered to have a significant fever until the temperature is above 100.4 F (38.0 C). Most fever is beneficial, causes no problems, and helps the body fight off infections. The main reason to treat a fever is to increase comfort. Fever is the result of an immune response by your body to a foreign invader. Foreign invaders include viruses, bacteria, fungi, drugs, or other toxins. Children under 3 months of age with a temperature of 100.4 F (38.0 C) or greater should be seen by a health-care professional. They may be quite ill and not show any signs or symptoms besides a fever. Infants younger than 6 weeks of age should be seen immediately by their doctor. Acetaminophen (Tylenol and others) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) can be used to treat a fever. Aspirin should not be used in children or adolescents to control fever. The prognos...

Jaundice Jaundice, also known as icterus, is a yellowish or greenish pigmentation of the skin and whites of the eyes due to high bilirubin levels. It is commonly associated with itchiness. The feces may be pale and the urine dark. Jaundice in babies occurs in over half in the first week following birth and in most is not a problem. If bilirubin levels in babies are very high for too long, a type of brain damage, known as kernicterus, may occur. Causes of jaundice vary from non-serious to potentially fatal. Levels of bilirubin in blood are normally below 1.0 mg/dL (17 µmol/L) and levels over 2–3 mg/dL (34-51 µmol/L) typically results in jaundice. High bilirubin is divided into two types: unconjugated (indirect) and conjugated (direct). Conjugated bilirubin can be confirmed by finding bilirubin in the urine. Other conditions that can cause yellowish skin but are not jaundice include carotenemia from eating large amounts of certain foods and medications like rifampin. High unc...