Talk:Fever

Rectal/Oral Temperature

I've read elsewhere (WebMD primarily) that rectal and oral temperatures can differ by up to a degree F. This makes the listed categorizations of low grade/moderate/high grade somewhat ambiguous, especially to someone perusing Wikipedia to get high-quality information. Could someone with deeper knowledge of the subject please clarify this?

Measurement question

In the measurement section, the article lists three measurements for fever, however it is not mentioned if these are ands or ors. I.e., do all of these conditions need to be met for it to technically be considered a fever, or will only one measurement do?

About measuring the temperature

When it comes about measuring temperature there should be complete knowledge about body temperature. there are two types of temperature---- 1. Shell temperature 2. Core temperature Shell temperature is the temperature of the surface of the body which can be measured from the axilla or oral. It is always a degree F less than the core temperature. Core temperature is the temperature inside the body. It is the actual temperature of our body. It is the temperature which is measured in the rectum. When we see the oral temperature we must add one degree F with that so that we can have the actuall temperature of our body

What about WHY fevers happen?

Some pretty good information here, but all it does is list "conditions that can cause fevers", and explains the mechanical action your body uses to increase temperature...but WHY does your body increase its temperature? The only, very brief, mention made is that a fever is "a useful defense mechanism". It is my understanding that a fever is an defensive action taken by your body to increase temperature, because that helps to fight off the disease, either by making it too hot for the bacteria to survive in, by interrupting the virus cell-invasion cycle, or by increasing the rate of chemical reactions for the immune system. I recall learning something about it in school; I couldn't recall exactly how it worked, so I came here, expecting to find this information. And I find that it doesn't say a single thing about the REASON we get fevers. It appears to suggest that we just get hot for some mysterious reason related to certain illnesses, or that certain diseases just happen to raise our body temp. I'm pretty sure our body raises its OWN temp in response to the infection, and that seems extremely relevant to the topic. I would think that that would be the very first sentence, the main part of the introduction:

  "A fever is an auto-defense mechanism in which the body raises its own core temperature to help fight off infections". 

I mean, this article starts out by saying that "A fever is defined as...having a temperature and also causing the body to overheat". What is "a temperature"? I should hope that I have "a temperature", because if I didn't, I wouldn't be alive. "Running a temperature" is not scientific terminology, it's informal folk usage (not to mention that the grammar isn't consistent..."and causing the body to overheat"? What?)

The article on fevers from Scientific American begins:

  "Fever is an elevated temperature of the human body that is substantially beyond the normal range. Normal body temperature fluctuates daily from about one degree below 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit to one degree above that number."

Sounds pretty nice and concise to me. It then goes on to later mention that:

  "The presence of a fever is usually related to stimulation of the body's immune response. Fever can support the immune system's attempt to gain advantage over infectious agents, such as viruses and bacteria, and it makes the body less favorable as a host for replicating viruses and bacteria, which are temperature sensitive."

Something which appears to be completely missing from this article, unless I just missed it somehow. It wouldn't be the first time; some of these articles are so confused and full of technical jargon that unless you read the whole thing very closely and concentrate, you'll miss the two sentences halfway down in the body of the text where it actually makes a plain summary of the topic. .45Colt 20:46, 30 September 2015 (UTC)

The forwhys for reckoning in sweat and sweating sickness

An medical student or somesuch whilst researching historical references on fevers may well find it interesting to know that the word 'fever' was once went by the words 'sweat' and 'sweating sickness' and therefore keyword these names whilst looking up historical references.

I'm almost wishing someone out there trys to take a stand against my words and thinking such is the strength and worthiness of their watertightness. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2.223.127.247 (talk) 09:56, 27 October 2015 (UTC)

Treating fever

This is based on a 2000 review "Treatment, however, may increase comfort and help a person rest though the evidence for this is inconclusive.[1]"

The ref that supported benefit is the CDC which states "Bringing down a fever will make the person feel better and help patients rest." [2] which we have summarized as "may" to indicate it is not that definitive.

We also already say "Treatment to reduce fever is not required"

Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 08:28, 8 December 2015 (UTC)

Looking at the evidence further agree the CDC was a poor source. Have adjusted based on a 2015 review. Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 08:37, 8 December 2015 (UTC)

I am happy that we have a up to date source. Unfortunately I can't access it as I am quite interested, but thanks for adjusting the source, everything I could find was rather counter-intuitive.Chickpecking (talk) 03:17, 9 December 2015 (UTC)

Opposite of fever

Is it possible for the body's temperature set-point to go lower than normal? (I'm not talking about mere hypothermia here, but rather a situation when both the temperature and the temperature set-point are lowered). FiredanceThroughTheNight (talk) 18:47, 21 May 2016 (UTC)

unsourced content added today

parked here per VERIFY

Fever is an elevation of body temperature above the normal. Body temperature is usually measured by a clinical thermometer held for a minute or two under the tongue. Normally the reading will be about 98.6F. (37C.). Under conditions of health it is maintained at a surprisingly constant level by the reflex regulation of both heat production and heat elimination. It should be noted that for some individuals "normal" body temperature is somewhat below 98.6. The body responds to infections and inflammations, as well as to tissue destruction, by an increase in body temperature (fever). When the increase takes place rapidly, the patient may experience chills while the heat regulating mechanism is accommodating to its new, higher level. Sweating is common when fever is receding. Fever occurs in heatstroke. Here there is a high external temperature coupled with a failure of the body's heat-dissipating mechanism. Also the use of certain drugs causes an elevation of body temperature. Strenuous physical exercise will cause the body temperature to rise temporarily. In infants the temperature the temperature rises in response to dehydration (insufficient fluid within the tissues).

-- Jytdog (talk) 04:33, 8 June 2016 (UTC)

Pathophysiology and consequences of fever

Crit Care doi:10.1186/s13054-016-1375-5 JFW | T@lk 15:58, 21 July 2016 (UTC)