Elevated temperature despite antibiotics – What to do?
If the temperature remains elevated despite taking antibiotics, the treating physician should be consulted again. In some cases, the antibiotic administered may not be fully effective against the suspected or specific pathogens, as they have either a natural or acquired resistance to the given active ingredient. The attending physician then decides whether to administer another antibiotic or a possible combination of different active ingredients in a second attempt to improve the fight against the pathogens.
Increased temperature through sport
An increase in body temperature during and even shortly after exercise is a normal reaction of the body to the extra load. With an increase in energy conversion and oxygen consumption during sport, a proportional increase in body temperature can be observed. This is caused by the heat production in the muscles, so that the average temperature can rise to 37-39°C at normal ambient temperatures.
In a compensatory way, the body begins to sweat, breathe more and release heat through radiation through the skin in order to avoid overheating. During peak sporting performances, such as running a marathon, the temperature can rise to as high as 39/40°C. The temperature can remain elevated for some time after exercise, as the energy metabolism and heat production remain elevated for a certain period of time beyond the direct sporting activity.
Increased temperature before the period
During the menstrual cycle, the female body is subject to a regulated hormonal fluctuation, which also affects the body core temperature, the so-called basal body temperature. About two days after ovulation, which occurs in the middle of the menstrual cycle, there is an increase in the corpus luteum hormone progesterone, which – among many other effects – also leads to a minimal increase in basal body temperature of 0.4-0.6 °C. There is therefore no real increase in temperature.
The increased basal body temperature continues until the onset of menstruation. Some women use regular measurement of the basal body temperature to determine the fertile days. However, if the body temperature rises noticeably before menstruation, i.e. if there is a fever, another cause can be assumed. The rise in temperature can always be a sign of a parallel infection, regardless of the period or menstrual cycle, but it is also possible that flu-like symptoms occur in the context of a premenstrual syndrome.
