Fever is one of the most commonly occurring health diseases that affect everyone ranging from infants to older adults. It can also be a symptom of an underlying health condition in which it should be taken more seriously. Dengue is spreading at a rapid rate in the country among people which also has its primary symptoms as fever. However most of the people do not know that there are multiple types of fever that can occur in a human body. They are divided into 5 categories depending on their period, severity, temperature and some other factors. Today we will discuss about different types of fever and how do they affect your body.
Why does Fever occur?
While this question may not arise in minds of numerous people but it is a important question. This is because knowing the cause of elevated temperature in the body can give you a hint about your problem. According to Dr. Sumeet Nigam, General Physician from Sahara Hospital, Lucknow tells that fever is a natural reaction to any foreign substance in the body. Whenever there is any attack or bacteria, virus or parasite etc, your body allows its natural defences to work on it and raise the body temperature. This is fight the problem and make the foreign body weak, as soon as the problem ends, body temperature also gets back to normal.
Various types of fever actually determine the type of problem you are suffering from. Normal fever or sudden high fever is generally caused by overexertion, fatigue, body ache, etc which goes within few hours of sleep. Rest intermittent and remittent fever may create more difficulties as they are mostly caused as a result of underlying health condition or bacterial infection. Symptoms of different fevers almost remain similar. It only changes because of another disease or infection affecting the body.
5 Types of Fever and Their Causes
1. Intermittent Fever
This type of fever means that your body temperature changes between day and night time. In intermittent fever, the temperature of body remains normal during the day time but rises in the night. According to Dr. Sumeet, this is caused because of parasite or bacterial infections. Sometimes it can also be symptom of malaria or septicaermia. It is further divided into 3 types-
- Quotidian fever
- Tertian fever
- Quartan fever
Symptoms for Intermittent Fever
- High fever during night time
- Shivering and vomiting
- Experiencing chills
- Stomach ache or body ache
2. Sudden High Fever
This is actually a normal circumstance that occurs with most of the people. It can also be said normal fever. Sudden high fever is caused when there is increase in body temperature due to normal lifestyle issues such as overexertion, fatigue, tiredness, body ache etc. In this type of fever, the temperature comes down within a day or two. Infact the temperature does not even rise over 102oC in majority of cases. The only exemption in this is having dengue. In case of dengue, you get similar fever and that is a symptom of this disease. Hence you need to be careful.
Symptoms of Sudden High Fever
- Body ache
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Tiredness
- Weakness
3. Continuous Fever
This is a condition that could be of medical concern. As the name suggests in this type of fever, the body temperature remains around 1-2 degree higher than usual and does not fluctuate much. Continuous fever is caused by an underlying health issue that may be associated with pneumonia, UTI or typhoid fever. This can cause complication if not treated at the correct time. Continuous fever has similar symptoms of most of the other fever; its symptoms mostly depend upon the health issue that has caused continuous fever.
Symptoms of Continuous Fever
- Body temperature remains high for many days
- There is not fluctuation in body temperature
- Symptoms of other diseases start to become visible
- Weakness and fatigue
Also Read- Eagle Syndrome: Know About Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis And Treatment Options For This Syndrome
4. Remittent Fever
This type of fever is similar to continuous fever but the conditions can be more severe in this type of fever. This is because in remittent fever, the body temperature can fluctuate throughout the day. Remittent fever is caused by bacterial infections, parasites infection etc. therefore it cause major threats to the body and especially among children. This fever may also result in brucellosis which is a medical condition that makes endocarditic infected. Remittent fever can also occur because of inflammation in inner tissues of the heart.
Symptoms of Remittent Fever
- Stomach ache
- Uneasiness
- Irregular bowel movements
- Weakness
- Vomiting
- High temperature
Also Read- Having Prolonged Fever? Here Are Probable Causes & Symptoms For This Type Of Fever
5. Rheumatic Fever
This type of fever is typically caused by one type of bacteria that is streptococcal bacteria. According to Dr. Sumeet, it starts with throat infection and then turns into painful fever if not treated within time. Rheumatic fever can cause serious medical issues which can be very troublesome and affect your daily routine. It may cause-
- Tonsils on tongue
- Inflammation
- Severe headache
- Bacterial infection symptoms
Symptoms of Rheumatic Fever
- Headache
- Body ache
- Vomiting
- Condition of tonsils
- Inflammation of tissues
Read More Articles on Other Diseases
Picture Credits- pexels.com
