What can be associated with temperature 37. Congenital feature of the body. Rare causes of fever

Life "under the hood"

10 Reasons Your Temperature May Rise

1. The disease begins suddenly, usually with chills, there is an ache in the body, pain in the eyes. The temperature quickly rises to 38 - 39 degrees, its fluctuations are insignificant in during the day. Can keep for 4-5 days.

It looks like the flu, especially since the season is right. Other SARS also occur with an increase in temperature, but more often not so high.

2. The temperature suddenly rises to 39 - 40 degrees, there is a severe headache, pain in the chest, aggravated by inhalation. On the face - a feverish blush, herpes can become more active on the lips. A day later, brownish sputum begins to depart.

This is how pneumonia works. It captures a segment or lung lobe(sometimes double-sided). True, now more and more often this disease occurs in a blurred form.

3. During the day, the temperature jumps to 38 - 39 degrees. A rash appears all over the body. Before that, for several days there may be weakness, runny nose. Adults get sick more severely than children.

It looks like you've caught measles, or rubella, or scarlet fever - these infectious diseases are very similar in the initial stages. Characteristic signs help to make the diagnosis correctly: with rubella, the lymph nodes increase, with scarlet fever, the rash is small, there is no runny nose, unlike measles, but it is often accompanied by a sore throat.

4. There is a periodic rise in temperature, more often subfebrile condition. White blood cells may be elevated in the blood.

Looks like it's coming chronic illness, or in the body there is a hidden focus of infection.

Fever is often the main or even the only symptom inflammatory processes. For example, exacerbation of pyelonephritis, inflammation in gallbladder, arthritic joints sometimes do not have obvious clinical manifestations except for elevated temperature.

5. The temperature quickly jumps up to 40 degrees in a few hours. There is a severe headache, vomiting, which does not bring relief. The patient cannot tilt his head forward, straighten his legs. A rash appears. Strabismus may occur nervous tick in the eye area.

It looks like infectious meningitis - inflammation of the lining of the brain. It is necessary to immediately call an ambulance and hospitalize the patient.

6. Long-term (longer than a month) causeless increase in temperature is combined with general malaise weakness, loss of appetite and weight. Are increasing The lymph nodes, blood appears in the urine, etc.

An increase in body temperature almost always occurs with tumors. It is especially characteristic of tumors of the kidneys, liver, lung cancer, leukemia. There is no need to panic right away, but in some cases, especially the elderly, it is necessary to be examined by an oncologist without wasting time.

7. Increased body temperature, often around 37 - 38 degrees, combined with weight loss, irritability, tearfulness, fatigue, a sense of fear. Appetite increases, but weight is lost.

I need to check my hormones thyroid gland. A similar picture occurs with diffuse toxic goiter.

In case of violation of the function of the thyroid gland - hyperthyroidism - a disorder of the body's thermoregulation occurs.

An increase in temperature is combined with damage to the joints, kidneys, pain in the heart.

Fever is almost always the case with rheumatism and rheumatism-like diseases. it autoimmune diseases- they violate the general immune status body, and leapfrog begins, including with temperature.

Subfebrile temperature, mainly in young women, is combined with pressure drops, there may be redness of the face, neck, chest.

This is constitutional hyperthermia - more often it is observed in young people with nervous and physical overstrain, for example, during exams. Of course, this diagnosis can be made with the exclusion of other causes of temperature rise.

Even after a thorough examination, it is not possible to identify the cause of the fever. However, fixed fever(38 and above) or its periodic rises within 3 weeks.

Doctors call such cases "fever of unknown origin." We need to search more carefully, using special methods research: test for immune status, endocrinological examination. Sometimes a rise in temperature can provoke the intake of certain antibiotics, analgesics - this is a drug fever.

BY THE WAY
normal temperature human body- from 36 to 36.9 degrees - is regulated by a part of the brain called the hypothalamus.
Most often, an increase in temperature is a protective and adaptive factor of the body.

ON A NOTE
What will help bring down the temperature without medication:
Rubbing the body with a weak solution of table vinegar.
Warm green tea or black with raspberries.
Citrus. In order for the temperature during a cold to drop by 0.3 - 0.5 degrees, you need to eat 1 grapefruit, 2 oranges or half a lemon.
Cranberry juice.

FACT
It is believed that with colds, temperatures up to 38 degrees should not be knocked down with the help of medicines.

TYPES OF TEMPERATURE
37 - 38 degrees - subfebrile,
38 - 38.9 - moderate,
39 - 40 - high,
41 - 42 - extra high.

Body temperature is one of the most important physiological parameters indicating the state of the body. Since childhood, we all know well that the normal body temperature is +36.6 ºC, and a temperature increase of more than +37 ºC indicates some kind of disease.

What is the reason similar condition? An increase in temperature is an immune response to infection and inflammation. The blood is saturated with temperature-raising (pyrogenic) substances produced by pathogenic microorganisms. This, in turn, stimulates the body to produce its own pyrogens. The metabolism speeds up somewhat to make it easier for the immune system to fight the disease. Typically, temperature rise is not the only symptom diseases. For example, with colds, we feel typical symptoms for them - fever, sore throat, cough, runny nose. With mild colds, body temperature can be at the level of +37.8 ºC. And when severe infections, such as the flu - rise to + 39-40 ºC, and aches throughout the body and weakness can be added to the symptoms.

High temperature danger

In such situations, we know very well how to behave and how to treat the disease, because its diagnosis is not difficult. We gargle, take anti-inflammatory drugs and antipyretics, if necessary, we drink antibiotics, and the disease gradually disappears. And after a few days the temperature returns to normal. Most of us have faced this situation more than once in our lives.

However, it happens that some people experience slightly different symptoms. They find that their temperature is higher than normal, but not by much. It's about about subfebrile condition - about a temperature in the range of 37-38 ºC.

Is this condition dangerous? If it does not last long - within a few days, and you can associate it with some kind of infectious disease, then no. It is enough to cure him, and the temperature will drop. But what if there are none visible symptoms no cold or flu?

Here it must be borne in mind that in some cases, colds can have erased symptoms. Infection in the form of bacteria and viruses is present in the body, and the immune forces react to their presence with an increase in temperature. However, the concentration pathogenic microorganisms so small that they are unable to typical symptoms colds - cough, runny nose, sneezing, sore throat. In this case, the fever may pass after these infectious agents die and the body recovers.

Especially often this situation can be observed in the cold season, during epidemics. colds when infectious agents can attack the body over and over again, but stumble upon the barrier of embattled immunity and cause no visible symptoms, except for a temperature increase from 37 to 37.5. So if you have 4 days 37.2 or 5 days 37.1, and you feel tolerable, this is not a cause for concern.

However, as you know, colds rarely last more than one week. And, if the fever lasts more than this period and does not subside, and no symptoms are observed, then this situation is a reason to seriously think about it. After all, permanent subfebrile condition without symptoms can be a harbinger or a sign of many serious illnesses much more serious than the common cold. These can be diseases of both infectious and non-infectious nature.

Measurement technique

However, before you worry in vain and run around the doctors, you should exclude such a banal cause of subfebrile condition as measurement error. After all, it may well happen that the cause of the phenomenon lies in a faulty thermometer. As a rule, this is the fault electronic thermometers especially the cheap ones. They are more convenient than traditional mercury ones, however, they can often show incorrect data. However, and mercury thermometers not immune from mistakes. Therefore, it is better to check the temperature on another thermometer.

Body temperature is usually measured in armpit . Rectal measurement is also possible measurement in the mouth. In the last two cases, the temperature may be slightly higher.

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The measurement should be taken while sitting calm state, in a room with normal temperature. If the measurement is taken immediately after intensive physical activity or in an overheated room, the body temperature in this case may be higher than normal. This circumstance should also be taken into account.

Consideration should also be given to the fact that temperature changes during the day. If in the morning the temperature is below 37, and in the evening - the temperature is 37 and slightly higher, then this phenomenon may be a variant of the norm. For many people, the temperature may vary slightly during the day, rising in the evening hours and reaching values of 37, 37.1. However, as a rule, the evening temperature should not be subfebrile. In a number of diseases, a similar syndrome, when the temperature is above normal every evening, is also observed, therefore, in this case, it is recommended to undergo an examination.

Possible causes of prolonged subfebrile condition

If you have a fever without symptoms for a long time, and you do not understand what this means, you should consult a doctor. Only a specialist after a thorough examination can say that this is normal or not, and if abnormal, then what caused it. But, of course, it is not bad to know for yourself what can cause such a symptom.

What conditions of the body can cause prolonged subfebrile condition without symptoms:

norm variant
change hormonal background during pregnancy
thermoneurosis
temperature tail of infectious diseases
oncological diseases
autoimmune diseases - lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease
toxoplasmosis
brucellosis
tuberculosis
helminthic infestations
latent sepsis and inflammatory processes
foci of infection
thyroid disease
anemia
drug therapy
intestinal diseases
viral hepatitis
Addison's disease

Norm variant

Statistics say that 2% of the world's population has a normal temperature slightly above 37. But if you do not have a similar temperature with childhood, and subfebrile condition appeared only recently - then this is a completely different case, and you do not belong to this category of people.

Pregnancy and lactation

Usually, starting from the second trimester, a woman's body temperature stabilizes. Sometimes subfebrile condition can accompany the entire pregnancy. As a rule, if fever is observed during pregnancy, then this situation does not require treatment. Sometimes subfebrile condition with a temperature of about 37.4 can also be observed in women who are breastfeeding, especially in the first days after the appearance of milk. Here the cause of the phenomenon is similar - fluctuations in hormone levels.

Thermoneurosis

Body temperature is regulated in the hypothalamus, one of the parts of the brain. However, the brain interconnected system and processes in one part of it can affect another. Therefore, the phenomenon is often observed when neurotic states- anxiety, hysteria - body temperature rises above 37.

This is also facilitated by the development of neurosis increased amount hormones. Prolonged low-grade fever can accompany stress, neurasthenic conditions, and many psychoses. With thermoneurosis, the temperature, as a rule, normalizes during sleep.

For exclusion similar reason it is necessary to consult with a neuropathologist or psychotherapist. If you really have a neurosis or anxiety state associated with stress, then it is necessary to undergo a course of treatment, since loosened nerves can cause much big problems than subfebrile.

Temperature "tails"

You should not discount such a banal reason as a trace of a previously transferred infectious disease. It is no secret that many influenzas and acute respiratory infections, especially severe ones, lead the immune system into a state of increased mobilization. And in the event that infectious agents are not completely suppressed, then the body can maintain an elevated temperature for several weeks after the peak of the disease. This phenomenon is called a temperature tail. It can be observed in both adults and children.

Therefore, if the temperature is + 37 ºС and above for a week, then the causes of the phenomenon may lie precisely in the previously transferred and cured (as it seemed) disease. Of course, if you had been ill shortly before the detection of a constant subfebrile temperature with some kind of infectious disease, then there is nothing to worry about - subfebrile condition is precisely its echo. On the other hand, similar situation cannot be called normal, because it indicates weakness immune system and the need to take steps to strengthen it.

Oncological diseases

In order to exclude similar diseases, you need to undergo a thorough examination and take a blood test. That a persistent increase in temperature can be caused by such serious illness, as an oncological one, makes us take this syndrome seriously.

Autoimmune diseases

Autoimmune diseases are caused by an abnormal response of the human immune system. As a rule, immune cells - phagocytes and lymphocytes attack foreign bodies and microorganisms. However, in some cases, they begin to perceive the cells of their body as foreign, which leads to the appearance of the disease. In most cases, connective tissue is affected.

Almost all autoimmune diseases - rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Crohn's disease, are accompanied by an increase in temperature to 37 and above without symptoms. Although usually these diseases have a number of manifestations, however, on early stage they may be invisible. To exclude such diseases, it is necessary to be examined by a doctor.

Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis is a very common infectious disease, which often proceeds without noticeable symptoms, with the exception of fever. It often affects pet owners, especially cats, which are carriers of bacilli. Therefore, if you live at home fluffy pets and the temperature is subfebrile, then this is a reason to suspect this disease.

Also, the disease can be contracted through poorly fried meat. To diagnose toxoplasmosis, a blood test should be taken to check for the infection. You should also pay attention to symptoms such as weakness, headaches, loss of appetite. The temperature in toxoplasmosis is not knocked down with the help of antipyretics.

Brucellosis

Brucellosis is another disease caused by an infection transmitted through animals. But this disease most often affects farmers who deal with livestock. Illness in initial stage expressed in relatively low temperature. However, as the disease progresses, it may take severe forms, while hitting nervous system. However, if you do not work on a farm, then brucellosis can be ruled out as a cause of hyperthermia.

Tuberculosis

Alas, consumption, infamous for the works classical literature, has not yet become part of history. Tuberculosis currently affects millions of people. And this disease is now characteristic not only for places not so remote, as many believe. Tuberculosis is a severe and persistent infectious disease that is difficult to treat even with the methods of modern medicine.

However, the effectiveness of treatment largely depends on how quickly the first signs of the disease were detected. To the most early signs disease refers to subfebrile condition without others clearly severe symptoms. Sometimes temperatures above 37 ºC may not be observed all day, but only in the evening.

Other symptoms of tuberculosis include increased sweating, fast fatiguability, insomnia, weight loss. To accurately determine if you have tuberculosis, you need to test for tuberculin (Mantoux test), as well as do a fluorography. It should be borne in mind that fluorography can only detect the pulmonary form of tuberculosis, while tuberculosis can also affect genitourinary system, bones, skin and eyes. Therefore, relying only on this diagnostic method should not be.

AIDS

About 20 years ago, the diagnosis of AIDS meant a sentence. Now the situation is not so sad - modern drugs can keep an infected person alive human HIV for many years, or even decades. It is much easier to get infected with this disease than is commonly believed. This disease affects not only representatives of sexual minorities and drug addicts. You can pick up the immunodeficiency virus, for example, in a hospital with a blood transfusion, with accidental sexual contact.

Permanent low-grade fever is one of the first signs of the disease. Note. that in most cases, weakened immunity in AIDS is accompanied by other symptoms - increased susceptibility infectious diseases, rashes on the skin, violation of the stool. If you have reason to suspect AIDS, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Worm infestations

Often, an infection in the body can be latent, and not show any signs other than fever. The foci of a sluggish infectious process can be located in almost any organ in cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal tract, bone and muscular systems. The organs of urination are most often affected by inflammation (pyelonephritis, cystitis, urethritis).

Often, subfebrile condition can be associated with infective endocarditis - chronic inflammatory disease affecting the tissues surrounding the heart. This disease can be latent for a long time and not manifest in any other way.

Also Special attention worth paying attention to oral cavity. This area of the body is especially vulnerable to the effects of pathogenic bacteria, since they can enter it regularly. Even a simple untreated caries can become a focus of infection that will enter the bloodstream and cause a constant protective response of the immune system in the form of fever. Patients with diabetes, which can be observed non-healing ulcers, which make themselves felt through elevated temperature.

Thyroid diseases

Thyroid hormones, such as thyroid-stimulating hormone, play important role in the regulation of metabolism. Some thyroid diseases can increase the release of hormones. An increase in the amount of hormones can be accompanied by symptoms such as increased heart rate, weight loss, hypertension, inability to tolerate heat, deterioration of the hair and an increase in body temperature. Also observed are nervous disorders – increased anxiety, anxiety, distraction, neurasthenia.

An increase in temperature can also be observed with a lack of thyroid hormones. To exclude an imbalance of thyroid hormones, it is recommended to take a blood test for the level of thyroid hormones.

Addison's disease

This disease is quite rare and is expressed in a decrease in the production of hormones by the adrenal glands. She is long time develops without special symptoms and is also often accompanied by a moderate increase in temperature.

Anemia

A slight increase in temperature can also cause a syndrome such as anemia. Anemia is a lack of hemoglobin or red blood cells in the body. This symptom may appear when various diseases, which is especially characteristic of heavy bleeding. Also, an increase in temperature can be observed with some beriberi, lack of iron and hemoglobin in the blood.

Medical treatment

At subfebrile temperature, the causes of the phenomenon may be medication. Many medications can cause fever. These include antibiotics, especially drugs penicillin series, some psychotropic substances, in particular neuroleptics and antidepressants, antihistamines, atropine, muscle relaxants, narcotic analgesics.

Very often, an increase in temperature is one of the forms allergic reaction for the drug. Perhaps the easiest way to check this version is to stop taking the medicine that causes suspicion. Of course, this should be done with the permission of the attending physician, since the withdrawal of the drug can lead to much more serious consequences than subfebrile.

Age up to a year

At infants causes of subfebrile temperature may be natural processes body development. As a rule, in a person in the first months of life, the temperature is slightly higher than in adults. In addition, infants may experience violations of thermoregulation, which is expressed in a low subfebrile temperature. This phenomenon is not a symptom of pathology and should go away on its own. Although with an increase in temperature in infants, it is still better to show them to a doctor to rule out infections.

Intestinal diseases

Many infectious intestinal diseases can be asymptomatic, except for an increase in temperature above normal values. Also, a similar syndrome is characteristic of some inflammatory processes in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, for example, in ulcerative colitis.

Hepatitis

Hepatitis types B and C - severe viral diseases affecting the liver. As a rule, prolonged subfebrile condition accompanies sluggish forms of the disease. However, in most cases, it is not the only symptom. Usually, hepatitis is also accompanied by heaviness in the liver, especially after eating, yellowness of the skin, pain in the joints and muscles, general weakness. If hepatitis is suspected, a doctor should be consulted as soon as possible, since timely treatment reduces the likelihood of severe, life threatening complications.

Diagnosis of the causes of prolonged subfebrile condition

As you can see, there are potential causes that can cause a violation of the thermoregulation of the body. great amount. And it's not easy to find out why it happens. This can take a lot of time and require a lot of effort. However, there is always something from which such a phenomenon is observed. And an elevated temperature always says something, usually that something is wrong with the body.

In the first case, taking antipyretic and anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen or paracetamol is able to restore normal temperature, albeit not for long.
In the second case, acceptance similar drugs gives no effect. However, one should not think that the absence of inflammation makes the cause of subfebrile condition less serious. On the contrary, in the number non-inflammatory causes subfebrile temperature can include such serious things as cancer.

In addition to your symptoms, tell your doctor about your recent activities. For example, did you communicate with animals, what foods did you eat, did you travel to exotic countries, etc. When determining the cause, information about the patient's previous diseases is also used, because it is quite possible that subfebrile condition is the result of a relapse of some long-treated disease.

To establish or clarify the causes of subfebrile condition, usually need to submit several physiological tests . The first is a blood test. In the analysis, one should, first of all, pay attention to such a parameter as the erythrocyte sedimentation rate. An increase in this parameter indicates an inflammatory process or infection. Also important are parameters such as the number of leukocytes, hemoglobin levels.

For the detection of HIV, hepatitis, special studies blood. Urinalysis is also necessary, which will help determine if there are any inflammatory processes in urinary tract. At the same time, attention is also paid to the number of leukocytes in the urine, as well as the presence of protein in it. To cut off the probability helminthic invasions fecal analysis is performed.

If the analyzes do not allow to unambiguously determine the cause of the anomaly, then studies are carried out internal organs. For this, they can be used various methods– Ultrasound, radiography, computed and magnetic tomography.

x-ray chest can help identify the pulmonary form of tuberculosis, and the ECG - infective endocarditis. In some cases, a biopsy may be indicated.

Establishing a diagnosis in the case of subfebrile condition can often be complicated by the fact that the patient may have several potential causes of the syndrome at once, but it is not always easy to separate real reasons from false ones.

What to do if you find yourself or your child has a persistent fever?

Which doctor should I contact with this symptom? The easiest way is to go to a therapist, and he, in turn, can give a referral to specialists - an endocrinologist, an infectious disease specialist, a surgeon, a neuropathologist, an otolaryngologist, a cardiologist, etc.

Of course subfebrile temperature, unlike febrile, does not pose a danger to the body and therefore does not require symptomatic treatment. Treatment in such a case is always aimed at eliminating hidden reasons diseases. Self-medication, for example, with antibiotics or antipyretics, without a clear understanding of actions and goals is unacceptable, since it can not only be ineffective and lubricate clinical picture, but it will also lead to the fact that the real ailment will be launched.

But from the insignificance of a symptom it does not follow that it should not be paid attention to. Vice versa, subfebrile temperature is a reason to undergo a thorough examination. This step cannot be postponed until later, reassuring yourself that this syndrome not hazardous to health. It should be understood that behind such a seemingly insignificant malfunction of the body, there can be serious problems. published .

P.S. And remember, just by changing your consumption, we are changing the world together! © econet

Many of us start to worry when they have a temperature of 37 degrees on the thermometer. A person immediately begins to think that he has some kind of inflammatory process, for example, in the lungs. Before falling into despair, it is necessary to find out the true cause of this condition. In this case, specialists - a pediatrician or a therapist will help. They will help to find out the reasons for this phenomenon.

The main causes of fever

One of the most common causes of subfebrile temperature is considered to be a cold. In the presence of such a disease, a person also feels other symptoms, for example: sore throat, rhinitis, cough, headache. It happens that after past illness the patient also has a temperature of 37 for some time: although there are no infections in the body, he is still weak, and he needs time to restore a healthy state.

Other causes of subfebrile temperature

Other causes of persistent fever can be severe lesions, more precisely, oncological, autoimmune processes. In this case, the person feels the symptoms are clearly not colds. In our life there are different situations, in which a person often worries, endures stress. Or it happens that he has to travel often, change living conditions, that is, change climatic and time zones. As a result, body temperature can also fail. Therefore, another of the reasons why the temperature is kept at 37 can be called thermoneurosis. This is especially true for people with vegetovascular dystonia. Also, women during pregnancy often have a temperature of 37. I must say that in pregnant women the temperature is always unstable. According to medical statistics, there are people who constantly have a temperature of 37, which is considered normal for them, and not elevated. And the elevated temperature for them, respectively, is 37.5.

What should a person do with a fever?

It is strictly forbidden to treat yourself! First of all, it is necessary to consult a doctor, since it is he who can determine exact reason elevated temperature and prescribe a course of treatment. For this, it is usually assigned general analyzes blood and urine. They will allow the doctor to establish whether any hidden processes are taking place in the human body. If we talk about a child who has a temperature of 37 for a long time, then if it is found, immediately call the doctor at home. But it is also necessary to check if the child's teeth are being cut.

Self-treatment at a temperature of 37

It happens that a person does not want to seek help from a doctor and decides that he can reduce the temperature on his own. In this case, it is forbidden to drink any pills. Better to consume more vitamins in order to strengthen the immune system. Or you just need to relax. In the event that additional anxiety symptoms you should definitely consult a doctor!

Conclusion

So, we can draw the following conclusion: if the temperature is 37 for a long time, then this is a reason to see a doctor. This temperature should not be knocked down on your own. It is better to find out the reasons for its appearance: it may not be a disease, but, for example, just overwork.

The temperature of the human body cannot always be at the same mark. It changes due to ongoing chemical and physiological processes. It is wrong to consider temporary and minor deviations from the generally accepted norm of 36.6 ° C (when measured in the armpit) as signs of a health disorder. However, the norm also has its limits. The upper limit of this indicator in an adult corresponds to 37.0 ° C, in a child - 37.0–37.3 ° C due to an unsteady thermoregulation system. If a person's temperature rises to 37.5 ° C and lasts 3 days or more, both without symptoms and with them (runny nose, cough, headache, etc.), then this is a reason to contact a specialist for diagnosis and treatment .

Reasons for the appearance of a temperature of 37.5 ° C

An increase in body temperature is always defensive reaction organism to adverse processes that occur to it. The reasons can be very different. For example, in women, a temperature of 37.5 ° C may be associated with hormonal changes that occur a few days before menstruation, during pregnancy or in the premenopausal period. In some cases, such a reaction occurs when taking antibiotics, after surgical intervention, blood transfusion, vaccination. Also, an increase in temperature is sometimes observed with allergies, disorders of the nervous system, overwork, stress, abrupt changes time zones, overheating, etc. In some cases, this occurs when intestinal infection, which is usually accompanied characteristic features. But most common cause an increase in body temperature to 37.5 ° C are infectious diseases that are accompanied by chills, sore throat, cough, runny nose, muscle aches and weakness.

Is 37.5°C dangerous?

By itself, a temperature of 37.5 ° C is not dangerous if a person does not have certain diseases. Nevertheless, this state brings a lot of inconvenience. If an increase in temperature was observed within 2 days and was one of the signs of acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections, then, as a rule, this does not cause serious concern among doctors. If subfebrile condition is observed (the temperature lasts for more than 3 days or a whole week), then complex diagnostics are necessary.

Is it possible to bring down the temperature of 37.5 ° C?

Since elevated body temperature is the body's method of fighting viruses and bacteria, in most cases it is not recommended to bring it down. This statement applies not only to adults, but also to children. As a rule, doctors advise at the first sign of malaise to observe bed rest refrain from physical and mental load, drink more for relief unpleasant symptoms. However, in some cases, it is still necessary to bring down the temperature of 37.5 ° C. As a rule, this applies to those people who are difficult to tolerate such a condition, have a predisposition to convulsions, suffer from diseases of the heart and brain. To reduce body temperature, it is necessary to use antipyretics prescribed by the attending physician.

Temperature 37.5 ° C in a child

The main cause of a temperature increase in a child up to 37.5 ° C is a cold. This problem is especially familiar to parents whose children attend kindergartens or have already started school. In the normal course of the disease, this temperature can last about 3 days. An elevated temperature lasting up to 2 weeks is considered warning sign and can indicate the presence of a focus in the body chronic infection(tonsillitis, sinusitis, pyelonephritis, etc.). In some cases, children may experience a disorder of the thermoregulatory system on physical level. This occurs as a result of spasm of superficial vessels in the lower and upper limbs or due to failures endocrine system. Experts usually consider this a manifestation vegetative dystonia and is called thermoneurosis. This state not considered a disease pure form, but it is also impossible to rank it as normal, since elevated body temperature for a long period of time is stressful for a growing organism.

Why does a temperature of 37.5 ° C occur without symptoms?

Prolonged subfebrile temperature that occurs without the appearance of other symptoms is an alarming sign. What this means, only a doctor will help to understand. As a rule, an increase in temperature to 37.5 ° C indicates the presence of an infectious-viral pathology or diseases caused by bacteria or fungi. Colds are usually accompanied by characteristic symptoms. But it should be remembered that pneumonia can occur without pronounced symptoms. Cough with this disease appears when the focus of inflammation is located near the bronchus. If a inflammatory tissue has a small size and did not reach the bronchus, cough may be absent. However, the person may feel weak and have difficulty breathing. In some cases, symptoms of intoxication and loosening of the stool speak of the disease.

What to do if the temperature of 37.5 ° C does not pass for a long time?

In this case, most people have a question: what to do at this temperature? The answer is unequivocal: consult a specialist. It is impossible to diagnose and solve the problem on your own at home. Postponing a visit to the doctor can lead to serious health consequences. It is very important not to start bringing down the temperature without the permission of a specialist, since removing the symptom does not solve the problem, but only makes it difficult to find the cause of its occurrence. During the diagnosis, the patient is usually prescribed laboratory research blood and urine, fluorography, ultrasound, etc.

High temperature danger

What is the reason for this state of affairs? An increase in temperature is an immune response to infection and inflammation. The blood is saturated with temperature-raising (pyrogenic) substances produced by pathogenic microorganisms. This, in turn, stimulates the body to produce its own pyrogens. The metabolism speeds up somewhat to make it easier for the immune system to fight the disease.

Usually, fever is not the only symptom of the disease. For example, with colds, we feel typical symptoms for them - fever, sore throat, cough, runny nose. With mild colds, body temperature can be at the level of +37.8 ºC. And in case of severe infections, such as influenza, it rises to + 39-40 ºC, and aches all over the body and weakness can be added to the symptoms.

Photo: Ocskay Bence / Shutterstock.com

In such situations, we know very well how to behave and how to treat the disease, because its diagnosis is not difficult. We gargle, take anti-inflammatory drugs and antipyretics, if necessary - drink, and the disease gradually disappears. And after a few days the temperature returns to normal.

Most of us have faced this situation more than once in our lives. However, it happens that some people experience slightly different symptoms. They find that their temperature is higher than normal, but not by much. We are talking about subfebrile condition - a temperature in the range of 37-38 ºC.

Is this condition dangerous? If it does not last long - within a few days, and you can associate it with some kind of infectious disease, then no. It is enough to cure him, and the temperature will drop. But what if there are no visible symptoms of a cold or flu?

Here it must be borne in mind that in some cases, colds can have erased symptoms. Infection in the form of bacteria and viruses is present in the body, and the immune forces react to their presence with an increase in temperature. However, the concentration of pathogenic microorganisms is so low that they are unable to cause typical cold symptoms - cough, runny nose, sneezing, sore throat. In this case, the fever may pass after these infectious agents die and the body recovers.

Especially often, such a situation can be observed in the cold season, during epidemics of colds, when infectious agents can attack the body over and over again, but stumble upon the barrier of the embattled immunity and not cause any visible symptoms, except for an increase in temperature from 37 to 37 ,5. So if you have 4 days 37.2 or 5 days 37.1, and you feel tolerable, this is not a cause for concern.

However, it is known to rarely last more than one week. And, if the fever lasts more than this period and does not subside, and no symptoms are observed, then this situation is a reason to seriously think about it. After all, permanent low-grade fever without symptoms can be a harbinger or a sign of many serious diseases, much more serious than the common cold. These can be diseases of both infectious and non-infectious nature.

Measurement technique

However, before you worry in vain and run around the doctors, you should exclude such a banal cause of subfebrile condition as a measurement error. After all, it may well happen that the cause of the phenomenon lies in a faulty thermometer. As a rule, electronic thermometers, especially cheap ones, are guilty of this. They are more convenient than traditional mercury ones, however, they can often show incorrect data. However, mercury thermometers are not immune from errors. Therefore, it is better to check the temperature on another thermometer.

Body temperature is usually measured in the armpit. Rectal and oral measurements are also possible. In the last two cases, the temperature may be slightly higher.

The measurement should be carried out while sitting, in a calm state, in a room with a normal temperature. If the measurement is taken immediately after intense physical exertion or in an overheated room, then the body temperature in this case may be higher than normal. This circumstance should also be taken into account.

One should also take into account such a circumstance as temperature changes during the day. If in the morning the temperature is below 37, and in the evening - the temperature is 37 and slightly higher, then this phenomenon may be a variant of the norm. For many people, the temperature may vary somewhat during the day, rising in the evening and reaching values of 37, 37.1. However, as a rule, the evening temperature should not be subfebrile. In a number of diseases, a similar syndrome, when the temperature is above normal every evening, is also observed, therefore, in this case, it is recommended to undergo an examination.

Possible causes of prolonged subfebrile condition

If you have a fever without symptoms for a long time, and you do not understand what this means, then you should consult a doctor. Only a specialist after a thorough examination can say that this is normal or not, and if abnormal, then what caused it. But, of course, it is not bad to know for yourself what can cause such a symptom.

What conditions of the body can cause prolonged subfebrile condition without symptoms:

norm variant
hormonal changes during pregnancy
thermoneurosis
temperature tail of infectious diseases
oncological diseases
autoimmune diseases - lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease
toxoplasmosis
brucellosis
helminthic infestations
latent sepsis and inflammatory processes
foci of infection
thyroid disease
drug therapy
intestinal diseases
viral hepatitis
Addison's disease

Norm variant

Statistics say that 2% of the world's population has a normal temperature slightly above 37. But if you do not have a similar temperature since childhood, and subfebrile condition has appeared only recently, then this is a completely different case, and you are not included in this category of people.

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Pregnancy and lactation

Body temperature is regulated by hormones produced in the body. At the beginning of such a period of a woman's life as pregnancy, the body is restructured, which, in particular, is expressed in an increase in the production of female hormones. This process can cause overheating of the body. As a general rule, a temperature around 37.3ºC for pregnancy should not cause serious concern. In addition, subsequently, the hormonal background stabilizes, and subfebrile condition disappears. Usually, starting from the second trimester, a woman's body temperature stabilizes. Sometimes subfebrile condition can accompany the entire pregnancy. As a rule, if fever is observed during pregnancy, then this situation does not require treatment.

Sometimes subfebrile condition with a temperature of about 37.4 can also be observed in women who are breastfeeding, especially in the first days after the appearance of milk. Here the cause of the phenomenon is similar - fluctuations in hormone levels.

Thermoneurosis

Body temperature is regulated in the hypothalamus, one of the parts of the brain. However, the brain is an interconnected system and processes in one part of it can affect another. Therefore, such a phenomenon is very often observed when, in neurotic states - anxiety, hysteria - the body temperature rises above 37. This is also facilitated by the production of an increased amount of hormones during neuroses. Prolonged low-grade fever can accompany stress, neurasthenic conditions, and many psychoses. With thermoneurosis, the temperature, as a rule, normalizes during sleep.

To exclude such a reason, it is necessary to consult a neurologist or psychotherapist. If you really have a neurosis or an anxiety condition associated with stress, then you need to undergo treatment, since loose nerves can cause much more problems than low-grade fever.

Temperature "tails"

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Therefore, if the temperature is + 37 ºС and above for a week, then the causes of the phenomenon may lie precisely in the previously transferred and cured (as it seemed) disease. Of course, if you had been ill shortly before the detection of a constant subfebrile temperature with some kind of infectious disease, then there is nothing to worry about - subfebrile condition is precisely its echo. On the other hand, such a situation cannot be called normal, since it indicates the weakness of the immune system and the need to take measures to strengthen it.

Oncological diseases

This reason also cannot be discounted. Often it is subfebrile condition that is the earliest sign of a tumor that has appeared. This is explained by the fact that the tumor releases pyrogens into the blood - substances that cause an increase in temperature. Especially often subfebrile condition accompanies oncological diseases of the blood - leukemia. In this case, the effect is due to a change in the composition of the blood. To exclude such diseases, it is necessary to undergo a thorough examination and take a blood test. The fact that a persistent increase in temperature can be caused by such a serious disease as cancer makes us take this syndrome seriously.

Autoimmune diseases

Almost all autoimmune diseases - rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, are accompanied by an increase in temperature to 37 and above without symptoms. Although these diseases usually have a number of manifestations, they may not be noticeable at an early stage. To exclude such diseases, it is necessary to be examined by a doctor.

Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis is a very common infectious disease that often occurs without noticeable symptoms, except for fever. It often affects pet owners, especially cats, which are carriers of bacilli. Therefore, if fluffy pets live in your home and the temperature is subfebrile, then this is a reason to suspect this disease. Also, the disease can be contracted through poorly fried meat. To diagnose toxoplasmosis, a blood test should be taken to check for the infection. You should also pay attention to symptoms such as weakness, headaches, loss of appetite. The temperature in toxoplasmosis is not knocked down with the help of antipyretics.

Brucellosis

Brucellosis is another disease caused by an infection transmitted through animals. But this disease most often affects farmers who deal with livestock. The disease in the initial stage is expressed in a relatively low temperature. However, as the disease develops, it can take on severe forms, affecting the nervous system. However, if you do not work on a farm, then brucellosis can be ruled out as a cause of hyperthermia.

Tuberculosis

Alas, consumption, infamous from the works of classical literature, has not yet become part of history. Tuberculosis currently affects millions of people. And this disease is now characteristic not only for places not so remote, as many believe. Tuberculosis is a severe and persistent infectious disease that is difficult to treat even with the methods of modern medicine.

However, the effectiveness of treatment largely depends on how quickly the first signs of the disease were detected. Subfebrile condition without other clearly expressed symptoms belongs to the earliest signs of the disease. Sometimes temperatures above 37 ºC may not be observed all day, but only in the evening. Other symptoms of tuberculosis include increased sweating, fatigue, insomnia, and weight loss. To accurately determine if you have tuberculosis, you need to perform a tuberculin test (), as well as do a fluorography. It should be borne in mind that fluorography can only detect the pulmonary form of tuberculosis, while tuberculosis can also affect the genitourinary system, bones, skin and eyes. Therefore, relying only on this diagnostic method should not be.

AIDS

About 20 years ago, the diagnosis of AIDS meant a sentence. Now the situation is not so sad - modern drugs can support the life of an HIV-infected person for many years, or even decades. It is much easier to get infected with this disease than is commonly believed. This disease affects not only representatives of sexual minorities and drug addicts. You can pick up the immunodeficiency virus, for example, in a hospital with a blood transfusion, with accidental sexual contact.

Permanent low-grade fever is one of the first signs of the disease. Note. that in most cases, the weakening of the immune system in AIDS is accompanied by other symptoms - increased susceptibility to infectious diseases, skin rashes, impaired stools. If you have reason to suspect AIDS, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Worm infestations

Latent sepsis, inflammatory processes

Often, an infection in the body can be latent, and not show any signs other than fever. The foci of a sluggish infectious process can be located in almost any organ in the cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal tract, bone and muscle systems. The organs of urination are most often affected by inflammation (pyelonephritis, cystitis, urethritis). Often, subfebrile condition can be associated with infective endocarditis, a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the tissues surrounding the heart. This disease can be latent for a long time and not manifest in any other way.

Also, special attention should be paid to the oral cavity. This area of the body is especially vulnerable to the effects of pathogenic bacteria, since they can enter it regularly. Even a simple untreated caries can become a focus of infection that will enter the bloodstream and cause a constant protective response of the immune system in the form of fever. The risk group also includes patients with diabetes mellitus, who may experience non-healing ulcers that make themselves felt through fever.

Thyroid diseases

Thyroid hormones, such as thyroid-stimulating hormone, play an important role in regulating metabolism. Some thyroid diseases can increase the release of hormones. An increase in the amount of hormones can be accompanied by symptoms such as increased heart rate, weight loss, hypertension, inability to tolerate heat, deterioration of the hair and an increase in body temperature. Nervous disorders are also observed - increased anxiety, restlessness, absent-mindedness, neurasthenia.

An increase in temperature can also be observed with a lack of thyroid hormones.

To exclude an imbalance of thyroid hormones, it is recommended to take a blood test for the level of thyroid hormones.

Addison's disease

This disease is quite rare and is expressed in a decrease in the production of hormones by the adrenal glands. It develops for a long time without any special symptoms and is also often accompanied by a moderate increase in temperature.

Anemia

A slight increase in temperature can also cause a syndrome such as anemia. is called a lack of hemoglobin or red blood cells in the body. This symptom can manifest itself in various diseases, it is especially characteristic of severe bleeding. Also, an increase in temperature can be observed with some beriberi, lack of iron and hemoglobin in the blood.

Medical treatment

At subfebrile temperature, the causes of the phenomenon may be medication. Many medications can cause fever. These include antibiotics, especially penicillin drugs, some psychotropic substances, in particular neuroleptics and antidepressants, antihistamines, atropine, muscle relaxants, narcotic analgesics. Very often, an increase in temperature is one of the forms of an allergic reaction to the drug. Perhaps the easiest way to check this version is to stop taking the medicine that causes suspicion. Of course, this should be done with the permission of the attending physician, since drug withdrawal can lead to much more serious consequences than low-grade fever.

Age up to a year

In infants, the causes of subfebrile temperature may lie in the natural developmental processes of the body. As a rule, in a person in the first months of life, the temperature is slightly higher than in adults. In addition, infants may experience violations of thermoregulation, which is expressed in a low subfebrile temperature. This phenomenon is not a symptom of pathology and should go away on its own. Although with an increase in temperature in infants, it is still better to show them to a doctor to rule out infections.

Intestinal diseases

Hepatitis

- severe viral diseases that affect the liver. As a rule, prolonged subfebrile condition accompanies sluggish forms of the disease. However, in most cases, it is not the only symptom. Usually, hepatitis is also accompanied by heaviness in the liver, especially after eating, yellowness of the skin, pain in the joints and muscles, and general weakness. If hepatitis is suspected, a doctor should be consulted as soon as possible, since timely treatment reduces the likelihood of severe, life-threatening complications.

Diagnosis of the causes of prolonged subfebrile condition

As you can see, there are a huge number of potential causes that can cause a violation of the body's thermoregulation. And it's not easy to find out why it happens. This can take a lot of time and require a lot of effort. However, there is always something from which such a phenomenon is observed. And an elevated temperature always says something, usually that something is wrong with the body.

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As a rule, at home it is impossible to establish the cause of subfebrile condition. However, some conclusions about its nature can be drawn. All the reasons that cause fever can be divided into two groups - associated with some kind of inflammatory or infectious process and not associated with it. In the first case, taking antipyretic and anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen or paracetamol can restore normal temperature, albeit not for long. In the second case, taking such drugs does not give any effect. However, one should not think that the absence of inflammation makes the cause of subfebrile condition less serious. Conversely, non-inflammatory causes of low-grade fever can include such serious things as cancer.

As a rule, diseases are rare, the only symptom of which is subfebrile condition. In most cases, other symptoms are also present, such as pain, weakness, sweating, insomnia, dizziness, hypertension or hypotension, pulse disturbances, and abnormal gastrointestinal or respiratory symptoms. However, often these symptoms are erased, and a simple person is usually not able to determine the diagnosis from them. But for an experienced doctor, the picture may be clear. In addition to your symptoms, tell your doctor about your recent activities. For example, did you communicate with animals, what foods did you eat, did you travel to exotic countries, etc. When determining the cause, information about the patient's previous diseases is also used, because it is quite possible that subfebrile condition is the result of a relapse of some long-treated disease.

To establish or clarify the causes of subfebrile condition, it is usually necessary to pass several physiological tests. The first is a blood test. In the analysis, one should, first of all, pay attention to such a parameter as the erythrocyte sedimentation rate. An increase in this parameter indicates an inflammatory process or infection. Also important are parameters such as the number of leukocytes, hemoglobin levels.

To detect HIV, hepatitis, special blood tests are needed. Urinalysis is also necessary, which will help determine if there are any inflammatory processes in the urinary tract. At the same time, attention is also paid to the number of leukocytes in the urine, as well as the presence of protein in it. To cut off the likelihood of helminthic invasions, a fecal analysis is performed.

If the analyzes do not allow to unambiguously determine the cause of the anomaly, then studies of the internal organs are carried out. For this, various methods can be used - ultrasound, radiography, computed and magnetic tomography.

A chest x-ray can help identify pulmonary tuberculosis, and an ECG can help identify infective endocarditis. In some cases, a biopsy may be indicated.

What to do if you find yourself or your child has a persistent fever?

Of course, subfebrile temperature, unlike febrile temperature, does not pose a danger to the body and therefore does not require symptomatic treatment. Treatment in such a case is always aimed at eliminating the hidden causes of the disease. Self-medication, for example, with antibiotics or antipyretics, without a clear understanding of the actions and goals is unacceptable, since it can not only be ineffective and blur the clinical picture, but also lead to the fact that the real disease will be launched.

But from the insignificance of a symptom it does not follow that it should not be paid attention to. On the contrary, subfebrile temperature is a reason to undergo a thorough examination. This step cannot be postponed until later, reassuring yourself that this syndrome is not dangerous to health. It should be understood that behind such a seemingly insignificant malfunction of the body, there can be serious problems.