Fever usually makes us think of infection or physical illness. But writing in Daily Bangladesh, Dr M R Karim Reza says not every fever has an infection behind it: intense stress, anxiety or chronic emotional turmoil can also raise body temperature. Medicine calls this psychogenic, or stress-related, fever.
He explains that under intense stress the body's stress response switches on, and changes in hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, along with heightened nervous-system activity, can affect how the body regulates temperature. It can follow prolonged anxiety, exam or job pressure, family problems, strained relationships or a sudden emotional shock.
Normal adult temperature is usually 97 to 99 degrees Fahrenheit, and 100.4 degrees or more counts as fever. Ordinary fever comes from infection or inflammation and responds to paracetamol or anti-inflammatory drugs. With psychogenic fever, he writes, severe anxiety can send temperature suddenly as high as 105 degrees, while others run a mild fever near 100 degrees for a long time, and the usual fever medicines do not work well.
To ease stress he recommends nutritious food, sleeping at a set time each night, reading, music or time in nature, regular yoga and meditation, deep breathing and muscle-relaxation exercises. Stress affects sleep, heart rate, digestion, sweating and temperature control, he reminds readers.
Photo: Menchi / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Source: Daily Bangladesh
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