What does an increase in body temperature mean? How to measure body temperature and what it should be. How is low-grade fever treated?

We are accustomed to the fact that elevated temperature is one of the first signs of ill health, that the immune system has entered the fight against some kind of disease. But sometimes it increases for no apparent reason. A slightly elevated body temperature does not decrease and sometimes even lasts for several days. Should I be worried about this? Treatment may be needed. But, first of all, it is necessary to find out the reasons for its appearance, that is, undergo a medical examination.

Since childhood, we have known that the normal body temperature is considered to be 36.6 degrees Celsius. But each organism is individual, and small deviations from this indicator occur quite often.

Fever without symptoms is common in women and girls. During the period of ovulation - the maturation of the egg - it usually increases slightly, and with the onset of menstruation it returns to normal. This is a common condition for women of reproductive age.

Sometimes body temperature can simply change within one day. In the morning, after the body awakens, the temperature will be at its minimum, but during the day it may increase by a not very significant amount.

What causes elevated body temperature? The reasons are quite simple. This is stress, eating, physical activity or lack thereof, drinking hot and alcoholic drinks and much more.

It should also be noted that there are people for whom a constant elevated body temperature is the norm. But here it is important to know that the temperature is slightly increased, approximately 37 - 37.3 C. Most often, young people with asthenic

Often, elevated body temperature, the causes of which are difficult to determine, also occurs in children ten to fifteen years of age. This usually manifests itself in isolation, slowness, apathy, anxiety and irritability. Sometimes similar conditions occur in adults.

Such seemingly small changes in the body are very often not noticed. But if you notice that the mercury column of the thermometer is creeping past the coveted red line of normal, there is reason to think about it and consult a doctor.

Elevated body temperature, the causes of which may indicate an inflammatory process, warns us of a disease that has arisen in our body. This is something like an alarm that raises the alarm in case of some threat. The causes may be infection, post-viral stress, but the worst thing is when serious illnesses become the causes of the rise in temperature. These may be metabolic disorders, tuberculosis, thyrotoxicosis, iron deficiency anemia, chronic infectious and autoimmune diseases. in this case, it is the correct reaction of the body, and only a doctor can determine its real cause. It is not recommended to knock down 38, since by increasing it the body actively resists the disease.

There is also a false elevated body temperature, the reasons for which can be explained quite simply: you are measuring the temperature incorrectly.

If you measure under the arm, the thermometer readings may not be entirely correct due to the abundance of sweating. It’s also not worth measuring if you drank or ate something hot an hour ago. The basal temperature is usually 1 C higher than under the armpit. A thermometer will not show the true picture if you decide to measure it after playing sports or physical activity. The most accurate method is a procedure in which it is measured in the ear canal. But here you need precision in following the rules and a special ear thermometer.

Now you know why a thermometer can show high numbers and make you think about your health once again, and this is never in vain.

“I have a temperature,” we say when the thermometer rises above +37°C... And we say it wrong, because our body always has an indicator of the thermal state. And the mentioned common phrase is pronounced when this indicator exceeds the norm.

By the way, a person’s body temperature in a healthy state can change during the day - from +35.5°C to +37.4°C. In addition, we get a normal indicator of +36.5°C only when measuring body temperature in the armpit, but if you measure the temperature in the mouth, then you will see +37°C on the scale, and if the measurement is carried out in the ear or rectally, then all +37.5°C. So a temperature of +37.2°C without signs of a cold, and even more so a temperature of +37°C without signs of a cold, as a rule, does not cause much concern.

However, any increase in body temperature, including temperature without signs of a cold, is a protective response of the human body to an infection, which can lead to a particular disease. Therefore, doctors say that an increase in temperature to +38°C indicates that the body has entered into a battle with the infection and has begun to produce protective antibodies, immune system cells, phagocytes and interferon.

If a high temperature without signs of a cold lasts long enough, then the person feels unwell: the load on the heart and lungs increases significantly, as energy consumption and the need of tissues for oxygen and nutrition increase. And in this case, only a doctor will help.

Causes of fever without signs of a cold

An increase in temperature or fever is observed in almost all acute infectious diseases, as well as during exacerbation of certain chronic diseases. And in the absence of catarrhal symptoms, doctors can determine the cause of the patient’s high body temperature by isolating the pathogen either directly from the local source of infection or from the blood.

It is much more difficult to determine the cause of a temperature without signs of a cold if the disease arose as a result of exposure to opportunistic microbes (bacteria, fungi, mycoplasma) on the body - against the background of a decrease in general or local immunity. Then it is necessary to conduct a detailed laboratory study of not only blood, but also urine, bile, sputum and mucus.

In clinical practice, cases of persistent - for three or more weeks - increase in temperature without signs of a cold or any other symptoms (with values ​​above +38 ° C) are called fever of unknown origin.

The causes of fever without signs of a cold may be associated with diseases such as:

An increase in temperature indicators may be caused by changes in the hormonal sphere. For example, during a normal menstrual cycle, women often have a temperature of +37-37.2°C without signs of a cold. In addition, women with early menopause complain of unexpected sharp increases in temperature.

Fever without signs of a cold, the so-called low-grade fever, is often accompanied by anemia - a low level of hemoglobin in the blood. Emotional stress, that is, the release of an increased amount of adrenaline into the blood, can also raise body temperature and cause adrenaline hyperthermia.

As experts note, a sudden sudden increase in temperature can be caused by taking medications, including antibiotics, sulfonamides, barbiturates, anesthetics, psychostimulants, antidepressants, salicylates, as well as some diuretics.

Temperature without signs of a cold: fever or hyperthermia?

Regulation of human body temperature (thermoregulation of the body) occurs at the reflex level, and the hypothalamus, which belongs to the parts of the diencephalon, is responsible for it. The functions of the hypothalamus also include control of the functioning of our entire endocrine and autonomic nervous system, and it is there that the centers regulating body temperature, feelings of hunger and thirst, the sleep-wake cycle and many other important physiological and psychosomatic processes are located.

Special protein substances - pyrogens - are involved in increasing body temperature. They are primary (exogenous, that is, external - in the form of toxins of bacteria and microbes) and secondary (endogenous, that is, internal, produced by the body itself). When a focus of the disease occurs, primary pyrogens force the cells of our body to produce secondary pyrogens, which transmit impulses to the thermoreceptors of the hypothalamus. And he, in turn, begins to adjust the body’s temperature homeostasis to mobilize its protective functions. And until the hypothalamus regulates the disturbed balance between heat production (which increases) and heat transfer (which decreases), the person suffers from fever.

Temperature without signs of a cold also occurs with hyperthermia, when the hypothalamus does not take part in its increase: it simply did not receive a signal to begin protecting the body from infection. This increase in temperature occurs due to a disruption in the heat transfer process, for example, during significant physical exertion or due to general overheating of a person in hot weather (which we call heat stroke).

In general, as you yourself understand, the treatment of arthritis requires certain drugs, while the treatment of thyrotoxicosis or, say, syphilis requires completely different ones. When the temperature rises without signs of a cold - when this single symptom combines diseases so different in etiology - only a qualified doctor can determine which medications should be taken in each specific case. So, for detoxification, that is, to reduce the level of toxins in the blood, they resort to intravenous drip administration of special solutions, but only in a clinical setting.

Therefore, curing a fever without signs of a cold is not just about taking antipyretic tablets such as paracetomol or aspirin. Any doctor will tell you that if the diagnosis has not yet been established, the use of antipyretic drugs can not only prevent the cause of the disease from being identified, but also aggravate its course. So a temperature without signs of a cold is really a serious cause for concern.

Heat– a typical symptom in many diseases. It is by focusing on temperature that we often determine whether a person is sick or not. But this is not entirely correct, because temperature is only a manifestation of the disease, and not the disease itself. Therefore, bringing down the temperature does not mean recovery. It is necessary not only to fight high fever, but to determine what disease caused it and treat it. And for this you need to see a doctor.

Signs of a high fever

The following signs (symptoms) may indicate that the temperature is rising:

• , sudden fatigue, general painful condition;
• chills (mild chills at slightly elevated temperatures and severe chills at high temperatures);
• dry skin and lips;
• , body aches;
• loss of appetite;
• sweating (“breaks into a sweat”);

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it would be a good idea to take a thermometer.

What is considered a high temperature?

Normal temperature is generally considered to be 36.6°C. But in fact, temperatures within a fairly wide range are normal.

During the day, body temperature fluctuates quite a bit. The lowest temperature is observed in the morning, immediately after waking up; maximum - in the evening, at the end of the day. The difference can be somewhere around 0.5°C. Physical activity, stress, ordinary meals, drinking alcohol, staying in a bathhouse or on the beach can raise the temperature. In women, temperature fluctuations are also associated with ovulation. A few days before ovulation, the temperature decreases, and when ovulation occurs, it increases.

On average, a normal temperature is considered to be between 35° and 37°C. In children under 3 years of age, a temperature of up to 37.5°C is also considered normal. Where you take your temperature matters. You can focus on 36.6°C if you place a thermometer under your arm. If the thermometer is held in the mouth ( oral temperature), then the normal temperature will be 0.5°C higher (36.8-37.3°C). In order to obtain normal values ​​when measuring temperature in the rectum ( rectal temperature), you will need to add another half a degree (the norm is 37.3-37.7°C). Based on the measurement of the temperature under the arm, an elevated temperature is a temperature in the range of 37-38°C, a high temperature is above 38°C.

A temperature that rises above 38°C or a temperature of up to 38°C that persists for a long time is cause for concern ( low-grade fever).

When is an increase in temperature dangerous?

High body temperature is an undoubted sign that some pathological process, usually of an inflammatory nature, is developing in the body. The higher the temperature, the faster it rises or the longer it lasts, the more serious the problem that caused it may be. This is why high temperatures are scary.

Meanwhile, in itself, an increase in temperature in most cases is a protective reaction to the penetration of infection. At high temperatures, the activity of pathogenic microorganisms decreases, and the body’s defenses, on the contrary, intensify: metabolism and blood circulation accelerate, and antibodies are released faster. But this increases the load on many organs and systems: cardiovascular, respiratory. High temperature depresses the nervous system and leads to dehydration. Possible circulatory disorders in internal organs (due to increased viscosity and blood clotting). Therefore, a high temperature that lasts for a long time can pose a danger in itself. Extremely high temperatures (above 41°C) are also dangerous.

Should I lower the temperature or not?

There is no need to rush to lower the temperature. First of all, the patient must be examined by a doctor. You should follow the doctor’s recommendations: if he advises you to lower your temperature, then you should lower it. The doctor makes decisions based on the general picture of the disease and assessment of the patient’s condition, that is, recommendations are always individual.

However, if the patient has a severe fever and the temperature is high (39°C or higher), then he can be given an antipyretic drug, strictly following the instructions on the package. At the same time, you need to understand that you are fighting a symptom, not a disease.

The correct course of treatment involves identifying the cause of the high temperature and carrying out a set of measures aimed at treating the disease that caused its increase.

Causes of high temperature

Any inflammatory process can cause an increase in temperature. The nature of inflammation can be different - bacterial, viral, fungal. In most cases, the temperature is a concomitant symptom: for example, with otitis media, the ear hurts (“twitches”) and the temperature is elevated...

Temperature attracts special attention when no other symptoms are observed. Temperature against the background of standard signs of ARVI is ordinary, but only one high temperature is frightening.

Diseases that may cause a high fever without other symptoms:

chronic diseases of the urinary system (chronic,), in women -. Along with low-grade fever, abdominal pain and urination problems may occur;

chronic myocarditis and endocarditis. In this case, the usual symptom is pain in the heart area;

autoimmune diseases (rheumatism, systemic lupus erythematosus, etc.).

This, of course, is not a complete list of diseases that can cause fever

High temperature in a child

The child will not say that he has a high temperature. Even relatively older children, including students in elementary school, as a rule, cannot correctly assess their well-being. Therefore, parents need to closely monitor the child’s condition. You can suspect an increase in temperature based on the following signs:

• the child becomes unexpectedly lethargic or, conversely, restless and capricious;
• he is tormented by thirst (he asks for a drink all the time);
• mucous membranes become dry (dry lips, tongue);
• bright blush or, conversely, unusual pallor;
• eyes become red or shiny;
• the child is sweating;
• pulse and breathing increase. The normal heart rate is 100-130 beats per minute while sleeping and 140-160 while awake. By two years, the frequency decreases to 100-140 beats per minute. The normal breathing rate also depends on age; for a two-month-old child it is 35-48 breaths per minute, for an age from one to three 28-35 breaths.

You can measure body temperature in the armpit or groin cavity with a mercury thermometer (it most accurately shows the temperature), rectally - only with an electronic one. It is possible to measure the temperature rectally only in a small child (up to 4-5 months); older children resist the procedure, as it is unpleasant. To measure the temperature rectally, the tip of the thermometer is lubricated with baby cream, the child’s legs rise, as if washing. The tip of the thermometer is inserted into the rectum to a depth of 2 cm.

We should not forget that in children under one year of age, a normal temperature is considered to be a temperature of up to 37.5°C, and even up to 3 years of age, such a temperature does not always mean that the child is sick. You cannot measure the temperature when the child is very worried, crying, or is tightly wrapped up - the temperature in these cases will be expected to be higher. A hot bath or too high a room temperature can also raise your body temperature.

In young children, the temperature can rise up to 38.3°C for reasons unrelated to illness, such as.

High body temperature is an unpleasant and incomprehensible phenomenon, since in the absence of symptoms it is quite difficult to determine its cause.

The optimal body temperature is considered to be 36.6 degrees, however, this figure can vary in one direction or another even in quite healthy person. This happens under the influence of stress, changing climatic conditions and other circumstances.

In addition to external reasons, there are also internal factors provoking an increase temperature without signs of a cold. In some cases, other symptoms of a particular disease appear, which makes diagnosis easier, but this may not happen. To confirm the diagnosis, it is necessary to undergo a laboratory test, which consists of taking tests of urine, bile, blood, mucus and sputum.

Main reasons asymptomatic fever are the following:

2. Tumors. The use of antipyretics in this case does not give any effect, since the fever is associated with pathological changes in the tissues of the diseased organ.

3. Injuries. These can be inflamed wounds, fractures, bruises.

4. Porphyria.

5. Some pathologies of the endocrine system.

6. Blood diseases and hemolysis.

7. Heart attacks.

8. Chronic pyelonephritis. The temperature rises to 37.5-37.9 degrees and this may be the only sign of the disease. Since low-grade fever indicates the body’s fight against inflammatory processes, it should not be brought down. If the fever does not go away for more than two weeks, you should go to the clinic and undergo examination.

9. Allergies, including to medications. The temperature increase is insignificant and occurs spasmodically.

10. Inflammation and systemic diseases, including autoimmune diseases - lupus, scleroderma, periarthritis nodosa, rheumatoid arthritis, allergic vasculitis, polyarthritis, Crohn's disease, polymyalgia rheumatica.

11. Meningococcal infection. The temperature rises to 40 degrees and it is possible to bring it down only for a very short period of time. Characteristic signs do not appear immediately. In this situation, it is very important to consult a doctor as soon as possible.

12. Infective endocarditis. Develops against the background of a previous sore throat or flu. The temperature rises to 37.5-40 degrees. To the patient hospitalization required.

13. Disorders of the functions of the hypothalamus (the center of the diencephalon that controls body temperature). The prerequisites for the occurrence, as well as methods of treating this pathology, are still unknown. To alleviate the patient’s condition, the doctor prescribes sedatives.

14. Mental disorders. For example, febrile schizophrenia, accompanied by fever.

15. Malaria. Elevated temperature is accompanied by headaches, coldness of the extremities, severe trembling, general agitation, and delirium. In this case, the high temperature periodically changes to normal, with a cycle of several days. Anyone who has visited African countries or been in contact with an infected person can get malaria. In addition, the causative agent of the disease can enter the body through the needle of a drug addict.

16. Endocarditis. This disease develops against the background of damage to the inner lining of the heart by pathogenic bacteria. Characteristic signs of the pathology are pain in the heart, sweating with a foul odor,. Fever is constant or hectic type.

17. Blood diseases: lymphomas, leukemia. In addition to elevated body temperature, symptoms such as skin rash, weight loss, intoxication.

Harmless increase in temperature indicators

There are other cases of asymptomatic fever in which the condition is not dangerous. These may be the following circumstances:

• If the temperature rises regularly, this may be a symptom of VSD (vegetative-vascular dystonia);
• too much sun exposure;
• period of puberty in teenage boys.

Temperature 37 degrees without signs of a cold

Fever without signs of a cold can occur in women with early menopause, pregnancy, breastfeeding. Body temperature is also affected by changes in hormonal levels. For example, in women during a normal menstrual cycle there is a slight increase in temperature to 37-37.2 degrees.

A temperature of 37 degrees cannot be called subfebrile, however, this condition often causes, in addition to a headache, a lot of inconvenience. If such a fever goes away quickly on its own, it does not pose a danger.

There are several reasons for this phenomenon:

• Chronic fatigue.
• Decreased hemoglobin levels in the blood or anemia.
• Stress, which is accompanied by the release of adrenaline into the blood.
• Depletion of human energy reserves.
• Weakening of the immune system.
• Post-stress or depression.
• Presence of indolent infection.
• General fatigue and loss of strength.
• Sexually transmitted diseases (AIDS, syphilis, etc.).

Typically, an increase in temperature to 37 degrees in an adult indicates the presence of a cause that provoked this condition and the inability of the body to cope with the problem on its own.

Asymptomatic fever up to 38 degrees: causes

Temperature rises to 38 degrees without signs of a cold occurs quite often. There are many explanations for this. For example, such a fever may be a symptom of incipient follicular or lacunar tonsillitis (with catarrhal tonsillitis, only a slight increase in temperature is observed). If this temperature persists for more than three days, the development of the following pathologies can be assumed:

• Inflammation of the kidneys (characterized by unbearable stabbing pain in the lumbar region);
• pneumonia;
• heart attack;
• vegetative-vascular dystonia, which is accompanied by surges in blood pressure (blood pressure);
• rheumatism.

The persistence of a feverish state for several weeks and sometimes months may be a sign of the following diseases:

• Leukemia;
• development of tumor tumors in the body;
• diffuse changes in the lungs and liver;
• severe disruption of the endocrine system.

What all these cases have in common is that the immune system The body is fighting, which causes the increase in temperature.

High temperature of 39 degrees without signs of a cold: reasons

If the temperature rises to 39 degrees not for the first time, this may indicate the development of chronic inflammation or a pathological decrease in immunity. The process may be accompanied by febrile convulsions, difficulty breathing, chills, loss of consciousness and a further increase in temperature. An increase in temperature to 39-39.5 degrees may be a sign of the following pathologies:

• Chronic pyelonephritis;
• ARVI;
• allergy;
• viral endocarditis;
• meningococcal infection.

High temperature without signs of a cold: hyperthermia or fever?

Thermoregulation of the body(regulation of body temperature) occurs at the level of reflexes and the hypothalamus, which belongs to the diencephalon, is responsible for this process. The hypothalamus also controls the work of the entire endocrine and autonomic nervous system, because it is in it that the centers that regulate the feeling of thirst and hunger, body temperature, the cycle of sleep and wakefulness, as well as other psychosomatic and physiological processes occurring in the body are located.

Pyrogens (special protein substances) take part in increasing body temperature. They are divided into the following:

• Primary, that is, external, presented in the form of toxins of microbes and bacteria;
• secondary, that is, internal, which are produced by the body itself.

When an inflammatory focus occurs, primary pyrogens begin to affect the cells of the body, forcing them to begin producing secondary pyrogens, which, in turn, send impulses to the hypothalamus. And it already corrects the body’s temperature homeostasis in order to mobilize its protective properties.

Fever and chills will continue until the imbalance between increased heat production and decreased heat transfer is corrected.

With hyperthermia, there is also a fever without signs of a cold. But in this case, the hypothalamus does not receive a signal to protect the body from infection, and therefore does not take part in the increase in temperature.

Hyperthermia occurs against the background of changes in the heat transfer process, for example, as a result of general overheating of the body (heat stroke) or disruption of the heat transfer process.

What to do if you have a high temperature without signs of a cold?

In case of fever and headache, it is strictly forbidden to carry out physiotherapy, mud therapy, warming, massage, as well as water procedures.

Before you begin treatment for fever accompanied by headache, it is necessary to find out the true cause of the problem. Only a qualified specialist can do this, based on laboratory data.

If it turns out that the disease is infectious and inflammatory in nature, a course of antibiotics is prescribed. For example, for fungal infections, the doctor prescribes medications from the triazole group, polyene antibiotics and a number of other medications. Simply put, the type of medicine is determined by the etiology of the disease.

Some drugs are used to treat thyrotoxicosis or, for example, syphilis, and others are used to treat arthritis. Therefore, it is quite difficult to independently determine which drug you need, since elevated temperature is a symptom of many pathologies that are so different in nature.

You should not get carried away with antipyretic drugs such as aspirin or paracetamol, as this can not only interfere with identifying the cause of the disease, but also aggravate its course. If the temperature is very high, an emergency team should be called to provide first aid and decide whether to hospitalize the patient.

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