Synonyms
med. : hyperthermia , english: fever
Introduction
One speaks of fever if the body temperature exceeds the standard value of 37 degrees Celsius. In principle, different forms of fever are distinguished. A temperature below 38.5 degrees Celsius would be called a preliminary stage of fever and thus subfebrile.
A temperature of 38.5 degrees Celsius or higher is called real fever (febrile). The most precise temperature can be measured in the ear or rectally. Fever is always to be understood as an expression of an inflammatory reaction of the body! And can have thus different causes, which are explained in the following.
Overview for the causes of fever
In order to find out the cause of your fever better, this setting serves as a simplified (!) overview: Classification according to temperature rise: Classification according to temperature course: What accompanying symptoms do you have? Chills, shortness of breath, coughing, pain when urinating?
If you only have a fever without other accompanying symptoms, then you are in the right place: Fever without other symptoms
- Fever below 38.5: viral diseases, cold
- Fever above 38 degrees with temperature fluctuations: blood poisoning
- Fever over 38.5: Bacterial diseases, flu
- Continuous fever: rather bacterial
- Bicephalic course, especially in the morning and evening strong temperature increase: rather viral
- Wave-shaped rises and falls: This could be due to brucellosis or Hodgkin’s disease. Hodgkin’s disease
- Fever with no fever: You have been in the tropics before? In Africa? Behind your fever could be a life-threatening malaria.
Flu or cold as a cause of fever
High fever is a typical accompanying symptom of influenza. Infection with influenza viruses causes not only fever but also chills, a pronounced feeling of weakness and exhaustion. Typically, the fever occurs very suddenly and is at values above 39° Celsius.
The fever usually lasts for several days, but after a week patients are usually free of fever again. Could a flu be behind your fever?a cold can cause fever. The immune system tries to fight the infection through a defensive reaction and releases substances that increase the body’s target temperature.
The consequences are fever and chills. However, a cold only causes a slight increase in body temperature up to a maximum of 38.5° Celsius. A higher fever above 39°C is more likely to indicate a flu.
