Abstract
Some of the views provided by the experts on the causes of a fever are discussed. Fever, an elevated body temperature, is usually related to stimulation of the immune system of the body. It is found the fever can support the immune system's attempt to gain advantage over infectious agents, and it makes the body less favorable as a host for replicating viruses and bacteria which are temperature sensitive. It is suggested that cooling blankets and other methods can help if a fever outpaces the body's own temperature-reduction mechanisms. Provoking digestion during physiological stress overstimulates the parasympathetic nervous system when the sympathetic nervous system is already active.
Original language | English (US) |
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Number of pages | 1 |
Journal | Scientific American |
Volume | 294 |
Issue number | 2 |
State | Published - Feb 1 2006 |
Externally published | Yes |