COMMUNITY INFORMATION SERVICES>BASIC NEEDS>HEALTH>COMMON DISEASES
FEVER
Fever (also known as pyrexia, from the Greek pyretos meaning fire, or a febrile
response, from the Latin word febris, meaning fever, and archaically known as ague)
is a frequent medical sign that describes an increase in internal body temperature to
levels above normal. Fever is most accurately characterized as a temporary elevation
in the body's thermoregulatory set-point, usually by about 1–2 °C (1.8-3.6 °F).
 Causes
Fever is a common symptom of many medical conditions:

Infectious disease, e.g. influenza, HIV, malaria, infectious mononucleosis, or
gastroenteritis

Various skin inflammations, e.g. boils, pimples, acne, or abscess

Immunological diseases, e.g. lupus erythematosus, sarcoidosis, inflammatory
bowel diseases.

Tissue destruction, which can occur in hemolysis, surgery, infarction, crush
syndrome, rhabdomyolysis, cerebral hemorrhage, etc.

Drug fever
o
Directly caused by the drug, e.g. lamictal,
chemotherapeutics causing tumor necrosis
progesterone,
o
As an adverse reaction to drugs, e.g. antibiotics or sulfa drugs.
o
After drug discontinuation, e.g. heroin or fentanyl withdrawal

Reaction to incompatible blood products

Cancers, most commonly renal cancer and leukemia and lymphomas

Metabolic disorders, e.g. gout or porphyria

Thrombo-embolic
thrombosis.
processes,
e.g.
pulmonary
 Common fever symptoms:
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Body temperatures more than 37.5 oC or 100 F
Headache
Body chills
Joint pains
Loss of appetite
Constipation
Loss of appetite and tiredness
 Simple tips to follow
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The patient is to be kept in a well aerated room
Plenty of liquids is to be given
Source: indg.com
embolism
or
deep
or
venous
COMMUNITY INFORMATION SERVICES>BASIC NEEDS>HEALTH>COMMON DISEASES
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Clean and soft clothes are advisable to wear
Adequate rest is essential
A doctor is to be consulted when the temperature is above 39.5oC or 103.0 F
or if the fever is continuous for more than 48 hours.
 Type of food to be taken during fever
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Plenty of clean and boiled water
To support the body with sufficient calories, its advisable to take glucose,
health drinks, fruit juices etc
Easily digestible food such as Rice gruel, sago gruel, barley water etc are
preferable
Milk, roti and bread
Mutton egg, butter, curds and food prepared with oil should be avoided
Source: indg.com