Everyone feels feverish and gets a fever once in a while, and it’s usually your body’s way of signalling that it’s fighting a disease or infection. A fever is never a disease in itself but a sign that something is not right with your health and your body is already taking steps to remedy it. Your immune system is activated and all you need to do is strengthen it to fight the illness off as quickly and completely as possible.
This also suggests that the correct treatment for your fever will depend on the underlying condition that spurred it. If your fever is caused by, for example, a bacterial infection, then taking antibiotics will kill the bacteria and restore your body temperature back to normal. The best way to measure your fever is through a digital or mercury thermometer.
What’s normal and what’s not
MedlinePlus reveals that normal body temperature actually varies by age, activities and time of the day. The average normal body temperature for humans is considered to be 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit or 37 degrees Celsius, but recent research also shows that this normal should be a range between 97 degrees Fahrenheit or 36.1 degrees Celsius and 99 degrees Fahrenheit or 37.2 degrees Celsius. To know what’s normal for you, you can check your body temperature a few times on a regular day, when you’re feeling well.
Whichever measure or range you go by, keeping a check on your body temperature is very important. Even more important is to consult your doctor if you do have a fever so that the underlying cause can be treated and your health status is restored.
Why you may feel feverish without a fever
However, what do you do when you feel feverish – in the sense that you feel warm and unwell from the inside out – but the thermometer doesn’t record a fever even after checking repeatedly? Does this mean all is well? Research seems to suggest that it may not be.
Apart from infections, environmental and lifestyle factors or undetected underlying diseases of a chronic nature can also make you feel feverish without the actual presence of recordable high temperature. The following are some conditions that may cause you to feel feverish without an actual fever.
1. Heat exhaustion: Suffering from heatstroke or heat exhaustion can leave you dehydrated and your system extremely taxed. This may make you feel feverish and drinking plenty of fluids, staying in the shade and resting up can help you recover.
2. Stress: Feeling stressed, nervous or anxious can increase your heart rate, stiffen your muscles and give an overall feeling of being unwell. Feeling feverish in such a situation is natural but likely to pass if you de-stress slowly and completely.
3. Thyroid problems: If your thyroid gland is overactive, which can happen if you have hyperthyroidism, then your system is likely to be flooded with hormones. This can make you feel feverish along with feeling excessively fatigued.
4. Diabetes: Studies suggest that people whose bodies are unable to produce enough insulin or can’t use it properly may be more susceptible to heat sensitivity and metabolism-related problems. These can make you feel warmer from the inside without the presence of an actual recordable fever.
5. Autoimmune diseases: The Cleveland Clinic says that unexplained fevers, pains and feeling feverish that come and go often are symptoms of autoinflammatory and autoimmune conditions. These diseases, like lupus and multiple sclerosis, may also have other symptoms that are harder to miss than feeling feverish.
6. Medications and vaccines: Taking certain drugs can make you feel feverish, including some used to treat thyroid disorders, heart diseases, psychiatric problems and hormone disorders. Similarly, taking vaccines can also generate heat in your body and make you feel feverish.
For more information, read our article on Fever.
Health articles on News18 are written by myUpchar.com, India’s first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.