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Fever |
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Fever, also known as pyrexia, or a febrile response, is a medical symptom which describes an increase in internal body temperature to levels which are above normal (37 degrees Celsius, 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit). Fever should not be confused with Hyperthermia, which is an increase in body temperature over the body’s thermoregulatory set-point (approximately 37 degrees Celsius).
A fever is most accurately characterized as a temporary elevation in the body’s thermoregulatory set-point, which is usually by about 1-2 degrees Celsius. This elevation in thermoregulatory set-point means that the previous “normal body temperature” would be considered hypothermic. Effector mechanisms, such as increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, activation of brown adipose tissue and muscular shivering attempt to counteract the perceived hypothermia, thereby reaching the new thermoregulatory set-point.
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