High Body Temperature

High body temperature, also referred to as fever, is the immune system's response to an infection or an underlying disease. When the body temperature is above normal (37.8 degree Celsius), the immune system is fighting with the existing infection. When a person has fever, the excess heat is transported to the skin's surface through the blood vessels that exist under the skin. This is why the upper most layer of the skin (epidermis) appears hot during fever.

Causes

High fever lasting for quite some time can be a symptom of serious illness such as meningitis. Some of the most common causes of fever are given below:

Infection
Getting diagnosed with an infection, be it of any type and the body temperature is bound to shoot up. The common cold virus or influenza, is often the main culprit behind fever, which also causes body ache. Even urinary tract infection, sinus problems or hepatitis, are responsible for causing high body temperature. Viral infections of the stomach, commonly known as stomach flu can also be responsible for increasing body temperature.

Overexposure to Heat
Although the body has its own mechanism of maintaining its temperature, but when exposed to sunlight , for prolonged periods of time, the body loses its ability to keep its temperature normal. Traveling in hot weather, without taking the necessary precautions can result in high fever.

Side Effects of Medications
Antibiotics or other medications can also cause a rise in body temperature, when not used as directed by the doctor. This often happens when the medicine is taken on a self prescription basis without consulting the doctor. Overuse or abuse of medicines is increasing and is a cause of worry. Even normal dosage of medicines may trigger a fever. In such circumstances, changing the medicine and looking for an alternative drug after consultation with a qualified doctor, may resolve the issue.

Hormonal Imbalance
Hormonal changes that are prominent during pregnancy can also trigger high body temperature. The doctor may recommend hormonal imbalance treatment to relieve fever and other problems associated with hormonal changes.

Injury to Hypothalamus
Hypothalamus is a small area in the brain that plays a very important role to regulate the body temperature. Malfunctioning of this part of the brain that may occur due to a number of factors, the most common being hormonal changes, can raise the body temperature at night and trigger excessive sweating.

High Intensity Exercises
Performing exercises at high intensity for long periods of time, can make a person exhausted and will definitely disturb the normal body temperature. Taking some amount of rest in between workouts, is a simple solution to reduce episodes of elevated body temperature.

Skin Problems
Skin infections such as boils can also contribute in elevating body temperature. Unlike chickenpox, boils affect specific part of the body such as the thighs and the chest. Also, in most cases, one or two boils are seen in the affected area. However, the infection is painful as it is not just restricted to the superficial skin but also infiltrates the hair follicles (small pouches below the superficial skin that store the hair root). As a result, the infection that starts as a small red lump, eventually turns large enough to make the nearby skin tissues inflamed. Formation of large boil is due to a bacterial skin infection and if antibiotic treatment is delayed or ignored, body temperature may increase substantially.

Insufficient Sleep
Failing to get a good night's sleep or sleeping only for a few hours in a quest to complete job deadlines can also raise the body temperature, temporarily. Insomniacs that often complain about difficulty in sleeping may suffer from high fever during the day.

Cancer
Persistent high body temperature that does not subside with conventional treatment and is followed by unexplained weight loss and fatigue may signal the presence of cancer. Fever is a commonly occurring phenomenon in cancer patients, especially when cancer has invaded the nearby tissues.

Gout
Gout that is typically marked by swollen joints occurs due to excess uric acid levels in the body. When there is too much uric acid in the bloodstream, it starts getting accumulated in the joints, which makes them red and inflamed. The big toe, heels and the wrists are the most common sites of gout inflammation. Aside from joint inflammation, the patient may also develop high-grade fever.

Autoimmune Diseases
This is a rare condition in which the virus fighting cells of the immune system invade the tissues of the body and cause considerable amount of damage. The best example of autoimmune disease is rheumatoid arthritis that often brings high fever.

The main aim of high fever treatment is to reduce the body temperature at the earliest. High fever (more than 103 degree Fahrenheit) should be brought under control, as early as possible, otherwise it may reach the brain and cause further complications. Drinking plenty of water and use of medications such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen may help to reduce the fever. High fever, wherein the thermometer shows a reading of 104 degree Fahrenheit and lasts for more than 2 days, is a cause of concern and visiting a doctor is essential to bring back the body temperature within normal range.