Braun ThermoScan PRO 3000 - Fever facts

Fever facts
Many persons may not have an elevated temperature even when
they are ill. These include, but are not limited to infants under
90 days of age, persons taking steroids, antibiotics or antipyretics
(acetaminophen, ibuprofen, aspirin), persons with compromised
immune systems, including the elderly or persons with some
chronic illnesses.
Fever is described as an elevation of body temperature over an
individual’s «normal» temperature.
An elevated temperature or fever is often viewed as a danger sign.
In fact, a fever can be very beneficial, and helps our immune system
work more effectively. A fever should be evaluated in the light of
other physical symptoms. With the exception of newborn infants,
the presence of fever, without any other symptoms of illness, or in
a child who is behaving normally may not be cause for concern.
Some people, like the elderly, infants under 90 days of age, those
with compromised immune systems, or persons who take steroids,
for example are often unable to build a response to illness or
environmental conditions. These individuals may not have a fever
when they are ill, or their elevated temperature may be iower than
expected for the severity of their illness. Other medications such as
anti-inflammatories and some analgesics may also mask fever.
The presence or absence of fever should rarely be used as the only
measurement of the significance of illness.
Antipyretics, tike acetaminophen or ibuprofen, are usually
recommended to relieve the aches and associated symptoms of
fever, not the fever itself. Febrile seizures, or convulsions, which
usually occur in children six months to six years of age, are thought
to occur not because a fever is present, but because of the rapid
rise of the child’s temperature.
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