Sign or Symptom
fever
fe·ver [ fee-ver ]
Subclass of:
Body Temperature Changes
Etymology:
Old English fefer or Latin febris = fever
Also called:
Pyrexia
Definitions related to fever:
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A fever is a body temperature that is higher than normal. A normal temperature can vary from person to person, but it is usually around 98.6 F. A fever is not a disease. It is usually a sign that your body is trying to fight an illness or infection. Infections cause most fevers. You get a fever because your body is trying to kill the virus or bacteria that caused the infection. Most of those bacteria and viruses do well when your body is at your normal temperature. But if you have a fever, it is harder for them to survive. Fever also activates your body's immune system. Other causes of fevers include Medicines, including some antibiotics, blood pressure medicines, and anti-seizure medicines; Heat illness; Cancers; Autoimmune diseases; Some childhood immunizations. Treatment depends on the cause of your fever. If the fever is very high, your health care provider may recommend taking an over-the-counter medicine such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Adults can also take aspirin, but children with fevers should not take aspirin. It is also important to drink enough liquids, to prevent dehydration.MedlinePlusU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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An abnormal elevation of body temperature, usually as a result of a pathologic process.NLM Medical Subject HeadingsU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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An increase in body temperature above normal (98.6 degrees F), usually caused by disease.NCI Dictionary of Cancer TermsU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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Body temperature elevated above the normal range.Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO)The Human Phenotype Ontology Project, 2021
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Elevation of body temperature above normal due to inflammatory or immune responses.NCI ThesaurusU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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The elevation of the body's temperature above the upper limit of normal, usually taken as 37.7 degrees Celsius.ACC/AHA Clinical Data TerminologyAmerican College of Cardiology and American Heart Association , 2020
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(febrile) Feverish; having a high body temperature.Harvard Dictionary of Health TermsHarvard Medical Publishing, 2011
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(hyperthermia) Abnormal elevation of body temperature, usually as a result of a pathologic process.CRISP ThesaurusNational Institutes of Health, 2006
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A disorder characterized by elevation of the body's temperature above the upper limit of normal.Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse EventsU.S. National Institutes of Health, 2021
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Fever is elevated body temperature (> 37.8� C orally or > 38.2� C rectally) or an elevation above a person�s known normal daily value. Fever occurs when the body's thermostat (located in the hypothalamus) resets at a higher temperature, primarily in response to an infection. Elevated body temperature that is not caused by a resetting of...Merck & Co., Inc., 2020
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A fever is a temporary increase in your body temperature, often due to an illness. Having a fever is a sign that something out of the ordinary is going on in your body.Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
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Fever, abnormally high body temperature. Fever is a characteristic of many different diseases. For example, although most often associated with infection, fever is also observed in other pathologic states, such as cancer, coronary artery occlusion, and certain disorders of the blood. It also may...Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2020
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