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Fever
is an elevation in body temperature beyond 98 or 99 degrees F, and
is not a disorder in itself, but a symptom with many possible causes.
Under normal circumstances, there is little cause for concern unless
body temperature rises above 102 degrees in adults or 103 degrees in
children.
In most cases, a
fever is actually the body's way of destroying harmful microbes and
assisting in recovery from illness. When harmful microbes invade the
body, the immune cells release proteins, that signal a part of the
brain called the hypothalamus, to raise the body temperature.
In some situations,
however, a fever can cause problems. For example, a moderately high
fever may pose a risk for people with cardiac problems, as fever makes
the heart beat faster and work harder. Very high fever is also dangerous
during the first trimester of pregnancy, and can cause dehydration
and brain injury in otherwise healty individuals.
Fevers have various
causes, and their clinical manifestations are also complicated. In
general, they may be divided into two types: those due to external
pathogens (related to ills such as influenza and epidemic disease)
and those which arise as a result of injuries.
Fever due to internal
injury may be related to the stagnation of qi, which then transforms
into fire. Likewise, if blood statis is present, qi will transform
into heat. Sometimes yin or yang deficiencies will cause this type
of symptom as well. Fever which accompanies tuberculosis, tumors and
chronic infectious diseases in western medicine belongs to the TCM
classification of fever due to internal injury.
In both of these
cases the goal of treatment is to cool the fire and remove the heat
through the use of herbal preparations.
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