Why do we get fever?

God provided us with an ingenious body that knows what to do when something unwelcome invades it. As an animal must defend itself against enemies, so does our body fight bacteria or viruses when they try to occupy our system.

The normal body temperature of a healthy man is 98.4 degrees Fahrenheit. When bacteria, viruses, or even fungi, invade our body it usually results to an infection. When our body gets infected, its natural response is to activate cells in the immune system. These cells are called white blood cells. When they are activated, they fight these bacteria in many ways, one of which is to raise the body temperature. That's when you have a fever.

When the virus or bacteria enters the body system, they produce toxins that can directly set the body's temperature up. Meanwhile, these toxins also trigger the white blood cells to emit substances that can also increase the body temperature.

Fever then, fights off toxins when we are sick. Toxins are usually weaker than normal cells and have low tolerance to heat. When we start to sweat because of the fever, our body starts to detoxify from the viruses, tumors and other toxic cells that caused the infection. Moreover, blood circulation and respiration increases during fever. Both these processes help the body fight off the poisonous germs present in our body when we have infection.

However, fever that is persistent for a longer period of time is not good. There is a tendency for a disorder to set in the brain when the temperature continues to be high. It is therefore a big mistake to ignore fever.

So at the first signs of chills, loss of appetite, and a feeling of weakness, don't delay. It is our body's way of telling us that we are sick. It's time to go to the doctor for a dose of medical treatment and tender loving care.