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Related Concept Videos

Patterns of Fever

Patterns of Fever

Before understanding the types and patterns of fever, it is essential to know its phases.

Increased Body Temperature

Increased Body Temperature

A body temperature above 38°C (100.4 °F) is known as fever or pyrexia, and a person with fever is termed 'febrile.' Typically, the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that acts as the body's thermostat, regulates body temperature through a thermoregulatory setpoint. It receives signals from cold and warm thermal receptors throughout the body and adjusts the body's temperature accordingly. Fever occurs when this hypothalamic setpoint is altered, usually in...

Types of Fever

Types of Fever

Fever can be triggered by several factors, including infections, nervous system disorders, certain cancers, blood diseases like leukemia, embolism, thrombosis, heatstroke, dehydration, surgical trauma, crushing injuries, and allergic reactions.
Here are the different types of fever:

Classification of Illness

Classification of Illness

The meaning of illness is individualized to each person who experiences an alteration in health. In contrast, disease is a medical term indicating a pathological change in the structure and function of the body or mind. It is a condition that has specific symptoms and boundaries.
An illness is a response to a disease in which the person's level of functioning is changed compared with a previous level. The general classification of illness includes acute and chronic.
Acute illness is severe...

Methods of reducing fever

Methods of reducing fever

The signs and symptoms of fever include hot and dry skin, flushed face, thirst, muscle aches, anorexia, headache, tachycardia, tachypnea, and fatigue. Elevated body temperature is reduced using two methods: pharmacological and nonpharmacological. Proper identification and treatment of the root cause of a fever is of utmost importance.
Pharmacological Methods of Reducing Fever:

Homeostatic Imbalances in Body Temperature

Homeostatic Imbalances in Body Temperature

Hyperthermia occurs when the body's temperature becomes unusually high, often due to heat exposure, intense physical activity, or certain illnesses. This condition can create a dangerous cycle where elevated body temperature increases the metabolic rate, generating more heat and potentially leading to organ failure and brain damage. A severe form of hyperthermia, called heat stroke, can raise body temperature to life-threatening levels. Fever, on the other hand, is a controlled form of...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 6, 2026

Behavioral Phenotyping of Murine Disease Models with the Integrated Behavioral Station INBEST

Behavioral Phenotyping of Murine Disease Models with the Integrated Behavioral Station INBEST

Published on: April 23, 2015

Fever and sickness behavior: Friend or foe?

L M Harden¹, S Kent², Q J Pittman³

¹Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Brain, Behavior, and Immunity

|July 19, 2015

Summary

Fever and sickness behaviors are complex brain-controlled responses to illness. Understanding if these symptoms are beneficial or harmful is crucial for guiding treatment decisions, especially regarding fever-reducing medications.

Keywords:

Anorexia Antipyretics Critical illness Cytokines Hyperalgesia Immune-to-brain communication Infancy Inflammation Influenza Lethargy Lipopolysaccharide Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs Pregnancy Prostaglandins

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Last Updated: Apr 6, 2026

Behavioral Phenotyping of Murine Disease Models with the Integrated Behavioral Station INBEST

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Immunology
Pathophysiology

Background:

Fever, historically viewed as dangerous, is now understood as a key defense mechanism.
The central nervous system's role in fever and associated symptoms has been increasingly elucidated.
Sickness behaviors, including fatigue and cognitive changes, are integral brain-controlled responses to illness.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the dual role of fever and sickness behaviors as potentially beneficial or detrimental.
To analyze these responses in various clinical contexts: critical illness, common infections, pregnancy, and newborns.
To inform clinical approaches to antipyretic use based on the functional significance of fever.

Main Methods:

Literature review and synthesis of current research on fever and sickness behavior.
Analysis of the neurobiological underpinnings of febrile responses.
Evaluation of clinical implications across different patient populations and disease states.

Main Results:

Fever and sickness behaviors are orchestrated by the central nervous system as adaptive responses.
The benefit-risk assessment of fever and associated behaviors varies significantly with the clinical context.
Understanding these nuances is critical for appropriate therapeutic interventions.

Conclusions:

Fever and sickness behaviors represent a complex biological response with both protective and potentially deleterious aspects.
Clinical management, particularly the use of antipyretics, should be tailored to the specific illness and patient context.
Further research is needed to fully delineate the 'friend or foe' nature of these responses in diverse conditions.