What is a fever?
A fever is a temporary increase in body temperature, often due to an illness, infection or some other cause. When you have a fever, it’s a sign that something out of the ordinary is going on inside your body.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, having a fever is actually a good thing – it’s a sign that your body is healthy enough to fight an infection or illness. Many illness-causing microbes function best at the body's normal temperature. Therefore, a fever raises the temperature to prevent certain microbes from reproducing. A fever also kicks your immune system into high gear, spurring the rapid production of bug-clobbering white blood cells.
A fever is not something to be afraid of. It is our bodies natural way of treating itself. The recommendation is not to treat a fever unless it is greater than 102.0 degrees.
A fever is a temporary increase in body temperature, often due to an illness, infection or some other cause. When you have a fever, it’s a sign that something out of the ordinary is going on inside your body.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, having a fever is actually a good thing – it’s a sign that your body is healthy enough to fight an infection or illness. Many illness-causing microbes function best at the body's normal temperature. Therefore, a fever raises the temperature to prevent certain microbes from reproducing. A fever also kicks your immune system into high gear, spurring the rapid production of bug-clobbering white blood cells.
A fever is not something to be afraid of. It is our bodies natural way of treating itself. The recommendation is not to treat a fever unless it is greater than 102.0 degrees.