What is a Fever?
Filed Under Naturopathy |
A fever is defined as a body temperature elevated to at least 1?F above 98.6?F. However, there are natural variations amongst people?s set body temperatures. Orally, a child?s normal temperature can range, on average, anywhere between 96.8?F and 99.4?F. Although fever is often a sign that there is an infection in the body, in children (especially under the age of eight) the height of the fever does not always correlate with the severity of the illness. For example, a child may have a slight runny nose and cough and exhibit a raging fever, whereas another child may have a more serious cold but exhibit no fever at all. Thus, drawing conclusions about a child?s health or sickness based exclusively on the symptom of a fever is not representative of the whole picture. It is important to evaluate a child?s behavior in areas such as appetite, mood and temperament, level of activity, degree of lethargy, responsiveness and ability to be consoled in order to determine how sick they are. Fever may often be the first sign of an illness, even when no other symptoms are present; however, it is essential to always investigate for the cause of the fever. Some common causes of childhood fevers may include chicken pox, ear infections, and influenza, to name a few. Other common causes of elevated temperatures that are non-illness related include over-excitement, overdressing, exercise, dehydration, mosquito bites and bee stings, or an allergic reaction.
