When they see an attacker, the cells responsible for defending our body secrete cytokines, substances which are used to communicate with each other and to launch the fight against the invader. These cytokines can also alert the subtle thermostat located at the bottom of the hypothalamus, so that it increases the body temperature.
Indeed, a number of infectious agents, such as flu virus, develop less well in heat. Fever therefore weakens the enemy, while the killer cells of our immune system attack and destroy them.
No worries below 39 °
It is not advisable to systematically lower fever. Especially since it is the fight against the microbe that tires you and not the fever.
However, in some cases, the fever should not exceed 39 °:
- At the children under 2 years oldbecause their temperature control system is not yet well regulated. You should go directly to the emergency room if the baby is less than 3 months old, has convulsed, spots appear on his skin, seems downcast or is crying non-stop
- In the elderly because, like children, they are at risk of very rapid dehydration.
- At the pregnant women finally, because fever increases the risk of miscarriage or premature birth.
When to worry
We consult if:
- a high fever does not go down after 48 hours
- she comes back periodically for no apparent reason
- it is accompanied by headaches, vomiting, diarrhea, disturbances of consciousness
- it is accompanied by red or purple spots on the skin (purpura)
- we come back from a trip to the tropics.
We forget the lukewarm bath
The lukewarm bath (2 ° C below body temperature) has long been recommended, in particular to avoid convulsions young children. We consider this parade too brutal today. Especially since, if it is not accompanied by an antipyretic treatment, it risks causing extremely uncomfortable fluctuations.
However, this yo-yo phenomenon would even be the most trying for the body, when the thermometer keeps rising and falling. To relieve a baby, it is now advisable to simply put a damp cloth on his forehead.
When does a fever become dangerous?
Above 40.5 ° C in adults, it threatens the heart. But our rheostat is not crazy and the threshold is only exceeded in exceptional cases (allergy to anesthetics, tumor, head trauma…) or after excessive physical effort (marathon runners …).
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Fever: which thermometer to favor?
