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Article: Fever; what to do - and what not to do - when the heat is on. (includes related articles on body temperature and thermometers)
- Article from:
- FDA Consumer
- Article date:
- November 1, 1985
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1985 U.S. Government Printing Office. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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"Fever" can be a frightening word, particularly when it is part of the name of a disease, as in "yellow fever," "typhoid fever," "scarlet fever," "childbed fever," and so on. Literary descriptions of a heroine languishing with fevered brow or a hero dying of an unknown fever give the word an air of mystery, while "feverish activity" or similar phrases suggest frenzied excitement.
Unless it is very high, a fever is not to be feared. It is not a disease, simply a symptom, a warning sign that something is wrong with the body that needs investigation. A fever may even serve a useful purpose.
Fever usually occurs with a bacterial or viral infection or ...