Pyrexia: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention

Pyrexia usually has symptoms such as weakness, body ache, headache, cough, and cold. A slight increase in body temperature can be reduced by over-the-counter medications such as Paracetamol. An abrupt and greater rise in the body temperature beyond the normal range should be treated medically as it could be a result or symptom of some major diseases.

What is Pyrexia?

Pyrexia is the body’s natural immune response to fight disease-causing organisms and serious diseases. 98.6ᵒF is deemed normal temperature, but it differs according to the body part from which the measure is made. Temperature is generally measured from oral or axillary areas and sometimes the rectal area. The rectal area reveals precise readings as it records the temperature of the internal areas. Also, the body temperature varies throughout the day; it tends to be less in the morning and more in the afternoon. 

Causes of Pyrexia:

Ever thought about how humans survived severe diseases before the invention of antibiotics? When you’re ill or infected, your body purposely increases its temperature. Through increased body temperature, fever prevents bacteria and viruses from reproducing, consequently impeding the reproduction of illness-causing bacteria and viruses. This allows the body to slowly revive itself to full health. Some of the common reasons for pyrexia are as follows:

Infectious Causes:

• Lower respiratory tract infections such as bronchitis
• Tuberculosis
• Complex urinary tract infections
• Bone infections such as Osteomyelitis
• Endocarditis
• Viral infections such as HIV (Human-Immunodeficiency syndrome) and Cytomegalovirus

Non-infectious Causes:

• Neurological conditions such as brain fever or hemorrhages
• Fatal conditions such as Leukaemia and renal cell carcinoma
• Side-effects to medications
• Bowel or bladder related problems
• Reactions to blood transfusion

Signs and Symptoms of Fever:

Everyone has suffered from a fever at some point or the other in their life. Fever is clinically seen as additional signs and symptoms, which are as follows:

• Shivering
• Body ache and weakness
• Headache
• Petulance
• Dehydration
• Loss of appetite
• Joint pains
• Sweating

Diagnosis of Fever:

The doctors take a thorough history from the patient regarding the duration of fever and the related symptoms such as shivers, headache and body pains.

Doctors also physically examine the following:

• Temperature: To check the degree of temperature increase
• Eyes: To check whether there is any redness or paleness
• Pulse: To test for the heart rate
• Blood pressure: To check whether there are changes in the blood pressure

Accordingly, the doctors suggest a Complete blood count (CBC), Urine test and a chest X-ray to deduce the actual cause of pyrexia.

Prevention of Pyrexia:

The measures that can prevent pyrexia are as follows:

• Maintaining a proper self-hygiene
• Washing hands before having food
• Using hand sanitizers if no access to water
• Covering the nose and mouth when commuting through public transport
• Not sharing things with others

Treatment of Pyrexia:

The methods that can treat pyrexia are as follows:

• Medications: The use of drugs such as Ibuprofen helps to curb fever and any related distress. These medications should be used at specific doses as instructed by the physician as bigger doses may harm the liver or kidney.
• Antibiotics: These drugs are recommended if the doctor infers that the fever is induced by some bacterial infections in the bladder or bowel.
• Antiviral drugs: These medicines are used if the doctors diagnose that the fever is induced by viral infections.
• Rest: The patient should take sufficient rest.
• Fluids: Sufficient fluids along with regular supplements should be taken to avoid dehydration.

Infants aged less than 6 months are to be properly examined for the related symptoms of fever such as the stiff neck, prolonged crying, complication in breathing, and rash on the body; on seeing any of these signs, opt for medical support.

In most cases, fever is useful, results in no problems, and enables your body to fight off infections naturally. If your body temperature crosses 103 degrees lasting beyond 3-4 days, then consult your doctor soon. A fever is terrible and tiring; there’s no question about it. The best way to deal with it is to take plenty of rest and let it run its own path.