Advertising on the portal

Why does the temperature persist? I have a temperature

Fever is a condition of the body in which the body temperature rises above normal limits. A temperature exceeding 38.5°C is considered a fever (more than 37°C is considered an elevated temperature). There are a number of reasons for this condition.

Infectious diseases are by far the most common reasons why a temperature of 38°C persists for a long time in an adult or child. The most common are respiratory tract pathologies, bronchitis, pneumonia and urinary tract infections. An extremely rare case is febrile neutropenia.

Bronchitis

Bronchitis is an inflammatory disease of the tubular branches of the airways (bronchi) that protrude from the trachea and branch into smaller and smaller tubes that open into the alveoli.

Bronchitis is divided into acute and chronic:

  • The acute form of the disease is characterized by flu-like symptoms, in which a sore throat predominates. At the same time, a cough appears, which may be dry at first, and later develop into a productive one. Symptoms persist and intensify, along with an increase in fever (temperature of 38 ° C does not subside for several days) and general malaise develops.
  • The chronic form is manifested by a chronic cough, usually with expectoration of mucus. Symptoms are usually worse in the morning.

The disease is technically defined as “a chronic cough with sputum that lasts for at least 3 months for 3 consecutive years.”

Periods of exacerbation are characterized by the appearance of other symptoms similar to those of the acute form, but with a milder course (for example, sore throat).

Chronic bronchitis, similar to acute bronchitis, can also be the reason why a temperature of 38 - 38.5 ° C lasts a long time in an adult or child.

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an inflammatory and degenerative lesion of the pulmonary parenchyma and bronchial tree. Lung tissue is very important for the exchange of blood gases with its surroundings, and damage by inflammation can have serious consequences.

When deciding what to do if a temperature of 39°C does not subside for 3 days or more, you need to contact a pulmonologist, because in case of pneumonia, timely initiation of treatment is important.

In addition to high temperature (often even above 38-39°C), the disease is accompanied by a severe cough, worsening in the morning, and general weakness.

Pneumonia is divided into infectious and non-infectious.
  • Infectious pneumonia can be caused by almost any microorganism - bacteria, viruses, fungi. Repeated infections can occur with immune disorders, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, and other conditions.
  • Non-infectious pneumonia is an inflammation caused by various oily and gaseous chemicals that enter the respiratory tract. Their effect on lung tissue is toxic and causes and disrupts the functioning of the alveoli (porous sacs in the lungs in which gas exchange occurs.)

Urinary tract infections

The most common manifestation is frequent, intermittent urination, burning or stinging, and a feeling of incomplete urine output.

Urine may have an unpleasant odor and be cloudy. Symptoms may also include pain in the lower abdomen, temporary incontinence, and fever.

Upper respiratory tract infections

Cold

Infectious rhinitis is a common disease of the upper respiratory tract. As a rule, the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx is affected by viruses.

It becomes swollen, difficulty breathing through the nose occurs, which leads to a distortion of the sense of smell.

The disease is usually not critical, but unpleasant - may be accompanied by fatigue, fever (often a temperature of 38-38.6°C does not subside for 3-5 days in an adult, 4-6 days in a child), muscle and joint pain.

To treat infectious rhinitis, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are mainly used, which are combined with vasoconstrictor drops to relieve swelling of the mucous membranes.

The purpose of these drugs, however, is to reduce symptoms; they do not have a significant effect on the duration of the disease.

Read a detailed course of quick treatment of rhinitis at home.

Sinusitis

Sinusitis is the collective name for inflammatory processes in the paranasal sinuses, which is the responsibility of an otolaryngologist. In practice, most often maxillary () and frontal (frontitis).

The first symptoms are a runny nose and soreness in the area of ​​the affected sinuses - usually in the projection of the cheeks and forehead. The pain intensifies when the position of the head changes, for example, when bending over.

A person blows out thick mucus or pus, sometimes mixed with blood. Fever, fatigue, malaise and other flu-like symptoms are also present. With sinusitis, the temperature usually stays around 38.4-38.6°C (usually does not exceed this figure) within a few days.

Angina

A sore throat is a common infection of the back of the throat, involving one or both tonsils. Typically caused by bacteria of the genus Streptococcus.

The disease, in most cases, is manifested by fever, fatigue, headache and muscle pain and typical catarrhal symptoms.

If you are concerned about why a temperature of 39°C does not subside in an adult or child, pay attention to his throat– with angina, you can visually notice a red back wall, enlarged tonsils with characteristic white dots (the so-called tonsillitis plugs), or covered with a pale coating.

Sometimes pain can make swallowing very difficult or almost impossible. You may even experience nausea associated with vomiting. Swollen and painful lymph nodes in the neck are often observed, but this is not a necessary occurrence.

Laryngitis

Additionally, the disease is accompanied by classic flu-like symptoms - fever, fatigue, joint pain, and general weakness.

Epiglottitis

Acute epiglottitis is a life-threatening bacterial infectious disease that mainly affects young children (infants and preschoolers). The disease is caused by a bacterium known as Haemophilus. After initial flu-like symptoms, a sore throat, cough and shortness of breath appear.

Gastrointestinal infections

The main symptom of a gastrointestinal infection is watery diarrhea. Depending on the cause, it may be accompanied by fever, nausea, decreased appetite, which is accompanied by weight loss, vomiting and dehydration.

Endocrine pathologies

Endocrine disorders are divided into hyperfunctional and hypofunctional (respectively, an increase or decrease in hormone production), as well as primary and secondary (sometimes tertiary). Accompanied by slight low fever (no more than 38.5 degrees).

  • Hypothalamic diseases

The hypothalamus (the part of the brain responsible for the secretion of hormones) can be damaged due to genetic characteristics or head trauma, and leads to complex lesions with changes in the secretion of several hormones, which is complemented by digestive disorders, disturbances in thermoregulation and puberty.

  • Pituitary gland diseases

The pituitary gland is relatively often affected by benign tumor processes, in which the production of one of the hormones is increased and the secretion of others is inhibited.

  • Thyroid diseases

The thyroid gland is the most commonly affected endocrine organ. If its function is impaired, either hyperthyroidism (increased hormone production) or hypothyroidism (decreased hormone secretion) occurs.

Both conditions can last for years and are accompanied by fever.

Stress factors

If the temperature of 38-38.5°C subsides over a month or more, we can talk about chronic psychogenic fever.

In this case, antipyretic drugs help only temporarily. It is advisable to change lifestyle or medicinal treatment of stress, use of tranquilizers, antidepressants, etc.

Stress can also be associated with more serious, as yet undiagnosed mental or neurological disorders.

However, if stress is chronic, fever (as well as blood pressure) may also become constant.. This is a very harmful condition, which can be accompanied by chronic fatigue syndrome.

What should the patient do?

Calmness is the foundation. The best place for a person with a fever is the bed.

It is important to drink plenty of fluids - this is necessary because the body loses it. When the temperature rises above 37°C, 0.5-1 liters of water should be added with each degree.

You can take an over-the-counter fever-reducing drug ( Paracetamol, Nurofen) and contact a specialist to find out the root cause of this condition.

What to do if after taking an antipyretic the temperature does not decrease? — Dr. Komarovsky

It occurs frequently and in many people. But it's worth noting that you don't always need to rush to lower your temperature right away. Of course, if it rises to a critical point, it will need to be shot down immediately. And if the temperature is elevated, but not much, then you should not worry and think: “how to reduce the temperature?”

This is evidence that your immune system is fighting something in the body. And this should make you happy, because the body has the strength to fight.

What are the reasons for the rise in temperature?

There are a huge number of similar reasons. The most common include:

Allergic reaction;

A bacterial or viral infection is present and developing in the body;

Inflammation in various tissues and joints;

Disruption of hormones;

Heart attack;

Some kind of injury;

Severe fractures or cracks of bones;

Bleeding.

in an adult.

To begin with, before calling doctors, it is advisable to try it yourself using improvised means.

At high temperatures, it is advisable to drink more fluids, as the body becomes dehydrated. The lost amount of fluid must be compensated for, since dehydration causes the temperature to rise even higher. Therefore, one of the answers to the question “how to quickly reduce the temperature?” would be to drink plenty of fluids.

What is advisable to drink:

Mineral water;

Compotes and decoctions.

You can drink tea with honey, raspberries, lemon or currants. This tea is especially effective not only in restoring fluid levels, but also in combating the cause of fever (infection, cold).

How to reduce the temperature of an adult if home folk remedies do not help? Here are additional steps. The patient will need to be undressed. Then rub it with vodka or alcohol; in extreme cases, cologne will do. There is no need to get dressed after this. As the alcohol evaporates from the surface of your body, your temperature will begin to drop. And there is no need to worry about the fact that it will be cool. This method is safe and quite effective.

There is another one, but it is a little unpleasant, and few people agree to carry it out. This method is an enema. The enema should be filled with a mixture of some antipyretic powder diluted with a glass of water, preferably boiled. It should be noted that the effect will not take long to appear. This method is used if the patient’s temperature does not subside for a long time.

You need to drink different ones in cases where the temperature is very high and does not subside for a long time.

How to reduce fever in an adult with the help of medications.

You should not drink everything in a row, since every medicine you drink has a harmful effect on the liver. As they say, it helps one and harms another.

But in every home there must be antipyretic medications in the first aid kit. Nowadays there are quite a lot of such drugs. The most famous are:

Aspirin;

Paracetamol;

Ibuprofen.

It should be noted that this number of drugs impairs blood clotting (especially aspirin). That is, if you cut yourself, your wound will take a very long time to heal. It is also important to remember that aspirin, as an acid, has a detrimental effect on the intestines and the entire digestive tract. As a result of taking aspirin, irritation of the intestinal mucosa occurs.

How to reduce an adult’s temperature if it does not subside?

If it happens that the temperature is above 38 degrees, does not go away for a long time and is still accompanied by various symptoms (cough, sore throat, runny nose, etc.), then you need to call an ambulance and be examined by doctors. Perhaps you are sick with something serious.

The normal temperature of a healthy person ranges from 36.6-37. As a rule, in the morning it is slightly lower, and in the evening it rises slightly.

However, when the mercury shows 39, this causes great concern. A high temperature in an adult is a symptom that is really worth paying attention to.

After all, when the temperature rises to 39 and above, everything indicates that infectious processes are occurring in the body.

This could be a sudden onset of flu or acute respiratory viral infection, but it could also be a more serious illness.

It is worth finding out why the temperature stays at 38-39 and does not subside, what led to this and how to lower it? And also, what to do at a temperature of 41?

Reasons

A temperature of 38-39, and in some cases reaching 40, is an alarming sign. Apathy, lethargy, and general malaise are added to the temperature.

The condition is also aggravated by the habit of carrying the disease on your feet, and if you add heavy physical labor to this, then you can even expect complications.

It is possible to understand why the temperature does not decrease only when the reasons for its increase are clear. A high temperature of 38-39 may be a sign of:

  • A pathogenic infection has entered the body.
  • Endocrine system disorders.
  • Fever due to medication.
  • Purulent-destructive pathology.
  • Collagenoses.

In addition to the reasons, there are also circumstances that negatively affected the general condition of the body and led to an increase in temperature:

  1. General overheating of the body. For example, prolonged exposure to the scorching sun (convulsions may occur), too much physical activity. When overloaded, a temperature of up to 40 is possible. Other signs of overheating include a wet back, hair and neck, and excessive redness of the skin.
  2. Allergic reaction. It can occur due to a food product, an insect bite, or even due to medications.
  3. Severe shock or stress, nervous overexcitation. For this reason, there is no need to do anything; the temperature should soon return to normal.

Symptoms of fever

Elevated temperature (38-39 degrees) in the vast majority of cases is accompanied by additional symptoms:

  • General ill health.
  • Aches in the limbs and the whole body.
  • Painful sensations in the muscles.
  • My head hurts.
  • Chills, fever, heart failure.
  • Cramps.
  • Cough.

At the same time, if, that is, 40-41, the central nervous system is depressed. Intense body heat leads to dehydration, blood circulation in internal organs (liver, kidneys and lungs) is disrupted, and blood pressure decreases.

Convulsions may occur - reflex muscle contractions. There are clonic convulsions, that is, contraction is replaced by a relaxation phase quite quickly, and tonic convulsions, characterized by prolonged muscle tension. Cramps can occur throughout the body, or may only affect one muscle group.

As a rule, convulsions cover the entire body during sudden changes in body temperature. Also, during high temperatures, cramps can occur when blood pressure drops sharply.

It is worth noting that if a patient experiences convulsions at a temperature of 39, it is necessary to urgently call an ambulance, and under no circumstances leave the person unattended.

The presence of a symptom such as a cough may indicate the development of an adenovirus infection; a cough is usually unproductive.

With bronchitis, the cough can be wet, that is, with sputum, or a dry cough, that is, without it. A severe cough can occur with sore throat, pharyngitis and sinusitis.

When to lower the temperature?

If a patient has a temperature of 37, you should not bring it down; perhaps it indicates an individual norm. The mercury column at around 37 does not always signal that an inflammatory process is underway in the body.

However, if it lasts 3-4 days and does not go away, you need to see a doctor to make sure everything is okay. If it is 37 degrees and febrile seizures occur, it is necessary to lower the temperature.

There are situations when 37 can be knocked down - these are those cases when the symptoms are supplemented by a headache, sleep is disturbed, a cough, lethargy and apathy appear.

If the mercury column shows 38.5, then it is recommended to take antipyretics when it lasts 3 days or more. Moreover, if the temperature does not go down within a few days and remains as it was, you need to visit a doctor.

Also, if the temperature of 39 lasts for 3 days or more, you should consult a doctor who will prescribe medications that help reduce the temperature and determine the reason for its increase.

At a temperature of 41, you should not think about what means to take to lower the temperature, you must immediately call an ambulance, with such a temperature the consequences can be unpredictable, and most dangerously, irreversible.

Treatment

As mentioned above, you should not bring down the temperature to 37 degrees, however, if the temperature rises above 38, you can take antipyretics. List of medications:

  1. Paracetamol and other products containing paracetamol. The daily dosage for an adult should not exceed 500 mg per day.
  2. Ibuprofen and other antipyretics based on it, for example, Nurofen, MIG, Naproxen.
  3. Diclofenac, Diclak, Voltaren.
  4. Nimesulide (tablets are contraindicated for children under 12 years of age).
  5. Acetylsalicylic acid.

If the temperature stays at 38 degrees, you can try other antipyretics - Movimed, Nise, Metindol, Movalis.

When the cause of a temperature of 37-39 is a bacterial infection, antibiotics are recommended. However, it is worth remembering that at a temperature of 38-39, only a doctor prescribes antibiotics, as well as the dosage and duration of treatment.

The most commonly prescribed broad-spectrum antibiotics. List of medications:

  • Amosin, Ecobol, Klacid.
  • Zinforo, Ospamox, Kefsepim.
  • Oletetrin, Becampicillin, Flamifix.

All these antibiotics are aimed at inhibiting various groups of pathogens. It is worth knowing that you cannot take antibiotics, but do not stop taking them.

The fact is that if you continue to take medications that bring down the temperature and at the same time take antibiotics, only visible improvements may occur, but at the same time bacterial inflammatory processes will develop further.

When three days have passed and the antibiotics have had no effect on improving your well-being, you need to stop taking them; perhaps the medicine is not suitable. You will need to visit the doctor again.

You cannot stop taking medications without permission; an interrupted course may result in a quick relapse. In addition, resistance to some drug components may develop, and antibiotics will be of little help.

When the temperature is 37-38 and is a consequence of food poisoning, it is prohibited to take antibiotics; all medications are prescribed only by a doctor, after establishing the exact cause of the disease.

To treat a dry cough, medications are prescribed to help it transform into a productive form. For dry cough the following are prescribed:

  1. Sinekod, Sedotussin.
  2. Demorphan, Codipront.
  3. Levopront, Helicidin.

If the cough is wet, the following medications are justified:

  1. Thermopsis, Licorin.
  2. Sodium citrate, Potassium iodide.
  3. Mukaltin, Bronkatar.

The prescription of cough suppressants and expectorants is justified, even at a temperature of 37. But, all tablets should be prescribed only by a doctor.

You can use traditional methods yourself at home.

Alternative medicine

To reduce the temperature, you can use folk methods at home, which will be no less effective than tablets. So, what you need to do at home:

  • Honey, onions and apples will help reduce fever. It’s very simple to do, you will need 100 ml of linden honey, the same amount of grated fresh apple and regular onion, mix and leave until syrup appears. Drink it 20 ml 2 times a day.
  • Grate a large onion and squeeze out the onion juice, mix with 400 ml of water. Leave to infuse for a day, then drink 50 ml every hour.
  • Raspberry compote. Do this: take half a glass of fresh berries and pour 250 ml of water, then take it as a regular compote before eating.

To bring down a high temperature at home, you can wipe with vinegar or alcohol. But in order to be treated with traditional methods at home, it is better to consult with your doctor.

In conclusion, it is worth saying that temperature is just a symptom; it can signal many diseases. Before knocking it down with medications or folk methods, it is necessary to establish the correct cause of its occurrence, and only a doctor can do this. The video in this article will tell you what to do at high temperatures.