Wednesday 29 July 2009

What are the reasons for heat on the body when heat is needed inside a feverish person?

3.1
The answer is that 'heat preserves heat,' the doctrine of physics.
Owing to many reasons, the heat inside the body may get lowered. But it cannot be reduced beyond a certain limit, since such a situation endangers life. When the heat inside the body goes down below the limit, the heat from inside may exit outside the body and destroy the remaining heat and may result in the loss of life. In order to avoid this dangerous situation, the defense mechanism of the body creates heat outside the body to preserve heat inside. The outside heat [Fever] is to act as a non -conductor
If you put a hot object in cold water the temperature of the object will fall quickly. On the other hand if a hot object is placed in hot water, its warmth will not fall quickly. The effect of sponging the body with cloth dipped in cold water and blowing of cold breeze is the same as that of a hot object put into cold water(conductor). The external heat (fever) is the medium that maintains the internal heat when one is in feverish condition. It is like a hot vessel put in hot water.

3.2.Heat in and on the body is different.

First we have to learn about the heat of the body before knowing fever. The heat in the body can be broadly divided in to two types.

3.2.A. The heat on the body:-
It can be known by touching the body or measured with thermometer. Here feeling by touching is improper as the skin has constant contact with atmospheric heat. So thermometer is effective as a system for measuring fever. Heat on the body varies from person to person and from organ to organ. The normal heat outside the human body is 37 degree celsius that indicates 98.6 Fahrenheit in the thermometer. If we say 100 degree fever, it means the temperature is one degree more than normal position.Some people mistakenly think that 100 degree Fahrenheit is 100 degree celsius. Fever is high when thermometer exceeds 40 degree celsius; it is 104 degree on the common thermometer.

3.2.B .Heat in the body.
It is the common heat of the body or the heat on each organ. The littlechildren and newborn babies and old people feel less heat in the body. It begins to rise at the age group of 13-16 and reaches maximum at 15-18 years of age . The body itself takes measures to maintain normal heat by driving out excess heat under this age group. This age is almost free from diseases. The heat in the body reduces slightly in the 19-22 age group and little more in 22-30 age group. Temperature reduces greatly after 31 years and chances of diseases affecting the body are increased. comparing to men the heat in the women falls soon because of delivery; it may fall considerably owing to repeated deliveries. In olden times, marriageable age was fixed based on natural considerations. Unlike human beings other living creatures have higher temperatures in the body during menstrual periods which indicates the time for pregnancy. But today the time for marriage is extended by law.
But westerners and tribal people follow marriage timing based on nature.Nowadays people think of marriage only after the age of 18 years.The heat on the human beings and elephants is same. The heat on the human being is 37c[98.6.F], the heat on the elephant is 36-37c[97.5-99F]. Owing to the lack of sweat glands the heat in theelephant is higher than that of human beings. Taking in saliva and water and by throwing dust on the body, elephants try to reduce heat. If we run,drink hot water, lie wrapped in clothes, heat in the body rises. Suddenly our body starts sweating and there by excess heat is driven out. If we lie wrapping the body during fever, we do not sweat.
In ladies during the menses period and in pregnancy the outside temperature of the body increases. As the temperature increases the heart beat also increases. That means the inside temperature of the body gets reduced.

Friday 3 July 2009

How fever happens?How can identify fever?

2.How fever happens?
How can identify fever?

There are two types of symptoms for fever.
(1) Symptoms others can identify: Increment in temperature of the patient’s body.
(2) Symptoms patient can identify: The associated difficulties gives the clue about the fever. They are Chill feeling, heaviness of head, ill taste for food, tiredness of mind & body, body pain, decrement in motion.
Some persons may not have an increase in external heat to mark the fever. But other symptoms may be present.

Is the increase in external temperature means fever?

When the external temperature increases and other symptoms of fever are present, then the answer is yes. But when we are exposed to heat generators like, sun, fire chimneys, etc, the external heat of the body increases and as it has no relation with the status of internal heat, it is not fever.
.