Facts about fevers
You wake up one morning, and your head feels like burning. Right away, you think, "Oh, no! I have a fever!" However, when you take your temperature, you see that it's only 37.2. Or, do you? From the standards in use for a long time, a fever starts at 38. Some doctors now don't agree with that, though. It's the same for normal body temperatures.
They argue that everyone's normal body temperature isn't 37℃. It's 36.6 to 38℃ for kids and 36.1 to 37.2℃ for adults. Besides, people's body temperatures don't stay the same all the time.
When your body temperature is around 38℃, you have a fever.Fevers show that the body is doing its job. It's fighting the bad viruses and bacteria in your body. The body attacks them by turning up the heat. That way, it's harder for the viruses and bacteria to make copies of themselves. When their numbers decrease, the fever does, too.
So, let them do their jobs and don't treat them. Instead, try to find the cause and treat that. If the fever reaches 39.4C or higher, call your doctor. Do the same if the fever lasts longer than three days. Fevers fight to protect us, so they're our friends, not our enemies.
A. It means you have a fever.
B. Mild fevers don't last long.
C. So, you don't have a fever.
D. Fever does great harm to your body.
E. Women also have a higher number than men.
F. Many people think it's a bad thing, but it's not.
G. They feel our ideas about fevers are wrong and too old.
