Fever
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People get a fever when their body temperature is hotter than 37.5 degrees celsius (99.5 Fahrenheit). Normal body temperature for humans is around 36.6 to 37 degrees celsius (98 to 98.6 F) or a bit higher after a lot of exercise. These numbers are for an temperature taken from under the tongue. Rectal temperatures will read about 0.3 C (0.55 F) higher, and armpit temperatures will read about the same amount lower.
When people fall ill, their body's immune system fights the disease, and so the body temperature rises.
About 38.9 C (102 F) degrees is called a low-grade fever, and above 39.4 C (103 F) degrees is a high-grade fever.
Children usually have a higher fever than adults; their immune system is less mature. Infants have the highest normal temperature, which gradually decreases as people age. Some animals, especially small ones like rabbits and cats, also have a higher normal temperature than humans.
[edit] External links
- Shands HealthCare article on fever
- American Academy of Pediatrics article on home treatment of fevers
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