Recognising Fever (1)
A fever is not an illness, but a symptom.
Dr. Chan Yan Wing, Paediatric SpecialistFever is a signal of the body's defence mechanism. When the body is infected by external bacteria or viruses, it can lead to a fever. Therefore, there are many causes behind a fever; it could be caused by a sore throat, an upper respiratory tract infection, or even a urinary tract infection that accompanies a bacterial infection.
It is worth noting that the duration of fever caused by different diseases can vary. For instance, adenovirus infections, which cause upper respiratory tract illnesses, can lead to a fever lasting six to seven days, while enterovirus infections might cause a fever for three to four days. Therefore, when parents seek medical attention for their children, they should have a clear understanding of the child's illness and the duration of the fever. This will help to avoid unnecessary panic and repeat visits to the doctor due to medication that doesn't immediately or completely resolve the fever.
Does a high fever always "damage the brain"?
Many parents, upon hearing that their child has a high fever, have likely worried if their child's brain will be "burned" by the fever! In reality, among the many causes of fever, only high fever symptoms caused by encephalitis or meningitis have the potential to affect a patient's future intellectual development, which is commonly referred to as "burning the brain." However, this does not mean that everyone who contracts encephalitis or meningitis will definitely have their brain "burned"; in fact, there is no necessary connection between the two.
Does sweating help reduce a fever?
When caring for a child with a fever, parents may recall some specious arguments, such as bundling them up in thick blankets or dressing them in extra layers, believing that sweating it out will help them recover. In reality, this is a misunderstanding. When the body is reducing a fever, it needs to sweat to cool down and release heat, so sweating often accompanies the fever reduction. This can easily lead people to mistakenly believe that sweating helps to reduce a fever. However, the truth is not that "sweating" reduces the fever, but rather that "fever reduction" causes sweating. The cause and effect are often confused, leading to the notion that "sweating it out helps to reduce a fever."
So, what is the correct way to care for a child with a fever? Dr. Chan Yan-wing states that parents should adjust the amount of clothing on their child according to how the child feels, rather than blindly believing in the notion of "sweating to dissipate heat." If the child is already complaining that they feel very hot, and the parents continue to add more clothing, it could be counterproductive and make the child more uncomfortable. Therefore, parents should dress their sick child according to their actual feelings.
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Source: Health Wealth
The information provided above is for educational and reference purposes only. If you have any medical concerns,
You should consult a paediatrician and not rely solely on the information provided above.
