Your body’s defense system
A normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit; when it hits 100.4 or above, you have a fever. Many times, a fever can be a sign that your immune system is functioning well. Your body heats up because it senses a foreign invader: “Bacterial, viral, or something else that’s not supposed to be there,” says Deborah Nunziato-Ghobashy, DO, family medicine physician at Scarsdale Medical Group. “The hypothalamus in the brain controls your body temperature and raises it to kill off anything that could be invading your body,” she explains. “All those bacteria and viruses prefer a cozy 98.6-degree environment to keep on replicating. Once it’s higher, it’s too hot for them and they start to die off.” Discover exactly what happens to your body when you have a fever. But what about those times your fever is a red flag for something more serious?
The post 11 Red Flags Your Fever Is Something More Serious appeared first on Reader's Digest.
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