How is a fever triggered?

Fever is a symptom that pathogens are introduced into the human body. A rise in temperature above 38° means that the body is reacting to an illness. One of the most common cases of fever has occurred in an individual due to many factors. How is the fever triggered?

Understanding fever?

In principle, fever, or pyrexia as it is often called by doctors, is a symptom that alerts you to the fact that you are reacting to an illness. Therefore, fever is not actually an illness. In general, normal body temperature varies between 37°C and 37.5°C during the course of a day. A rise in temperature can occur without an individual becoming seriously ill. However, for a temperature of over 38°C, a fever is triggered by pathogens introduced into the body, whether a virus or bacteria or other pathogens. When an individual has a fever and the immune system is activated to fight against the malicious elements introduced into the body, a chain reaction is triggered in the body. In general, the hypothalamus, which is located at the heart of a small area in the brain, is involved in regulating the body's temperature. It is therefore the responsible gland that orchestrates the mobilization of the immune system and the cells involved.

How does the onset of fever work?

In most cases, the onset of fever is due to an infection that occurs. When intruding agents such as parasites, bacteria and viruses enter the human body, the body's defence system also produces substances called pyrogens. It is the secretion of the pyrogens that causes the temperature to rise and thus the onset of a fever. In turn, the body's immune systems go into action to cope and produce cytokines. These are substances that transmit the message to the brain so that the hypothalamus in turn produces more than normal heat to help the body's defences against attackers.

What should we do about the fever?

Yes, the fever is a warning signal for the human body. A rise in body temperature is not also a sign of serious illness. In the majority of cases, the onset of a fever or a rise in temperature is normal in an individual as long as it is transient. In this case, antipyretic medication is not recommended to avoid misdiagnosis in case a serious illness has actually occurred. However, if the fever persists in an individual, a doctor should be consulted to find its source and treat it appropriately.