When you catch a fever, do you ever wonder why your body shivers even when your temperature is warm? Or how come you’re sweating too much even when you’re feeling cold? A fever is a common health condition that affects people of all ages.
Most people have probably experienced getting a fever at some point in their lives. The shivering and sweating happen because it’s how your immune system responds to the foreign invader, such as a virus or bacteria, in your body.
Your body increases its temperature to fight the virus or bacteria and prevent it from multiplying, making you want to cover your body in blankets and get warm. Moreover, you sweat even when you feel cold because your body spends a lot of energy trying to keep you warm.
There are various causes of fever. It can be a side effect of certain medications, infections, immunization, and in other cases, autoimmune disease, food poisoning, heat exhaustion, and viruses like COVID-19, which exhibits flu-like symptoms.
You must identify the root cause of fever to get proper treatment, especially if it persists and severe symptoms start to happen. To help you better understand its causes, signs and symptoms, and treatment, check out the infographic below that dissects the anatomy of a fever.
Infographic by – Makati Medical Center