Fever

What is Fever?

When the body's temperature soars above the normal range of 36-37 degree centigrade, it is called having a fever. Fever is a common medical sign. Fever, in other words, is known as pyrexia and controlled hypothermia.

An infected person may experience cold, as the body temperature rises above the normal level and continue to feel so until the levels stop growing.

Fevers are regular signs emerging from various illnesses and can be unpleasant. Human's regular body temperature varies and is influenced by multiple factors like sleeping, eating, exercising, and also what time of the day it is. Human's body temperature is generally high at 6:00 pm and is at its lowest at around 3:00 am.

A considerably high body temperature, a.k.a. Fever is our body's way of our immune system to fight off an infection. However, fever may rise drastically high, in which case, the condition can be severe and lead to other health complications.

Symptoms:

When a human body has fever, signs and symptoms show sickness behaviour and comprises of:

• shivering
• feeling cold
• dehydration — this is preventable if the affected person consumes plenty of liquids
• loss of appetite
• heightened sensitivity to pain
• depression
• difficulty in focusing
• laziness
• drowsiness
• sweating
• extreme irritability, during the times of high temperature.
• seizures.
• intermittent or excessive sweating
• heavy breathing
• skin flushing
• weakness, dizziness, or fainting

Body temperature measurements fluctuate, so health care practitioners may see for additional indications of illness that can supplement fever. These include:

• lack of appetite
• lethargy
• sleepiness

Diagnosis:

Diagnosing a fever is a pretty straightforward and uncomplicated process - the patient's temperature is measured. In case the reading is high, the person is diagnosed with fever. It is essential to measure the individual's temperature when they are resting as physical activity may raise the temperature.

A person is said to have a fever if:

• The oral temperature is above 37.7° Celcius.
• The rectum temperature is above 37.5–38.3° Celcius.
• The underarm temperature or inside the ear temperature is over 37.2 Celcius.

Please note that fever is a sign and not a disease. Post confirming the elevated body temperature by the health care practitioner, other diagnostic tests may be prescribed.

Treatment:

Toddlers and infants with a fever should necessarily visit a medical health practitioner. However, older children and adults are not required to attend every single time if the temperature isn't severe. It is adviced for the patients to rest and stay hydrated. Acetaminophen, aspirin, or ibuprofen medicines can be administered to reduce the temperature. Children should stay away from any unprescribed medication.

An individual with high temperature is at risk of dehydration and loss of water through sweat, so they are advised to drink an excess of liquids.

These practices can aid in feeling better:

• discard unrequired clothes
• keep the room cool by turning on a fan
• place a cold, damp cloth on the infected person's forehead
• it is advised to take a refreshing bath

The cost of treatment of fever in India is cheap and easily affordable. However, severe conditions of fever that require hospitalization can cost up to Rs. 50,000/-

Health Insurance in India

With the advancement in the medical and health care sector, the treatments of various diseases and ailments have become available, but the prices have drastically gone high. As the cost of private hospitalization has soared up tremendously, buying a suitable health insurance policy for covering yourself and your family has become crucial.

During times of diseases and sickness, hospitalization can burn a hole in your pockets and change your finances for worse. Moreover, when an earning person of the home falls sick, the condition becomes all the worse. Well, all of this can be quickly taken care of by purchasing a health insurance policy by paying a small amount of annual premium.

An excellent and comprehensive health insurance policy shall cover payments made towards consultation fees of the doctor, expenditures towards expensive medical tests, ambulance charges, pre and post hospitalization recovery costs to an extent.

Other Diseases in India

Unsuited work-life balance, fast-paced life, and disorganized diet are some of the few reasons behind the vast spread of diseases in India. The ever-working and mismanaged life in India have made India a host to various diseases.

Some of those diseases are:

• Respiratory problems
• Digestive issues
• Mental stress
• Gastro-intestinal disorders
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Tumour