What is a Fever?
When the body temperature starts rising or high temperature is called fever.
Doctors say that fever is not a disease, rather it is a sign or symptom of the disease. As a result, fever can be said to be a warning of a disease inside the body.
Sometimes it can be due to a simple infection like a cold, and sometimes it can be a symptom of an underlying serious illness.
Why does fever occur?
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine Department. Tawfiq Ahmed tells BBC Bangla that fever can occur for many reasons. The most common is a fever with a cold or a fever due to a cold.
Apart from this, if there is an attack of bacteria or viruses inside the body, i.e. infection, fever can occur. Protozoan or fungal infections can also cause fever.
Any type of malignancy or cancer can also cause fever.
Fever can also occur after vaccinations, boils or tumors, rheumatoid arthritis, urinary tract infections, periods, sudden fright, or trauma.
Fever is also the primary symptom of diseases like coronavirus, dengue, typhoid, or malaria.
Ellora Akhtar used to have a fever only at night, but during the day the temperature would return to normal. For the first few days, she tried to control the fever by taking paracetamol on her own.
“When I saw the same condition after three days, I went to the doctor. He says I have a small infection in my lungs. By the grace of God, after taking medicine for a few days, I got well,” She says.
Different types of fever
In the language of medical science, fever is generally divided into 3 categories.
Continued: When a person has a fever when the body temperature fluctuates by 1 degree Celsius or 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit in 24 hours, but the fever does not completely return to normal, it is called continued fever.
Remittent: When the fever varies between 2 degrees Celsius or 3 degrees Fahrenheit in 24 hours, it is called remittent fever.
Intermittent: When the fever stays in the body for several hours a day, comes and goes, it is called intermittent fever.
When to go to the doctor?
”Dr. Tawfiq Ahmed says, “Often the patient can understand the cause of fever by himself. For example, if a fever occurs due to getting wet in the rain, if there is a fever with a cold during the change of season, it gets better after a few days. In this type of fever there is a stuffy nose, cough or cold, there is a general fever. A fever like this is nothing to get worried about.”
“But some fevers have different symptoms. Maybe the patient is urinating frequently or there is a burning sensation while urinating, pain in the lower back, then we can assume that his kidney or urinary tract may have an infection. Now it is the dengue season, if someone has a high fever, direct pain in the back, red eyes – then there may be a danger of dengue. Fever has to be treated with many such symptoms,” he says.
“But if someone has a fever for no apparent reason, it should be taken seriously. Because it can be a symptom of a serious disease. If it is seen that there is a continuous fever for a long time or the body temperature is getting too high, then without any delay, a doctor should be consulted immediately. The doctor will then check the other symptoms and determine the cause of the fever and take action accordingly,” he says.
Some advice for fighting off fever
Dr. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University assistant professor of internal medicine department has given some advice to keep yourself safe until you seek the help of a doctor. Tawfiq Ahmed.
Try to rest or sleep
When a fever occurs, the body’s immune system starts fighting against the germs inside the body. During this time the body should be given complete rest
Drink plenty of liquids
Dehydration can be prevented by drinking plenty of liquid water or fruit juice. Especially lemon water and warm water can be drunk.
Eat nutritious food
Fruits or nutritious food should be eaten even if there is a feeling of distaste during fever. Then the body gets a supply of energy to fight the disease.
Stay warm
Stay in a dry and warm environment during fever. Clean and warm clothes should be worn during this time. Must stay in a clean and warm room, especially after delivery or surgery.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/bengali/news-62941750