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The True Cause of Your Fever
What actually happens in your body with an elevated temperature?
Having a high temperature can be uncomfortable and alarming, especially in times like these. And while it’s likely that you’ve experienced a fever at some point in your life, you may be unaware of what exactly is going on inside your body.
Simply put, a fever is a higher body temperature than normal. Your body temperature can fluctuate throughout the day, with lower body temperatures occurring in the early morning, and higher temperatures in the afternoon. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), your body temperature is only considered a fever if it’s at least 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit.
While elevated body temperatures usually indicate you’re sick, they are actually a good sign. A fever means your body is fighting back and your body’s systems are prioritizing the health of vital organs, says Roshi Gulati, MD, a family medicine physician at Northwestern Medicine Huntley Hospital.
The hypothalamus is a region at the base of your brain that, among many other things, works as your body’s own thermostat. When it identifies…
