We
know that fevers can go hand-in-hand with most flu and cold bugs, but do we
really know what's going on when it happens?
Fevers are such a common ailment we may almost take them for granted; we
take our temperatures, it reads high, so we pop something for it and go on
feeling miserable. However, there is
some serious stuff going on with our entire body when we have a fever. Check it out at http://gingerhillcreations.com/thermee/;
Our Brain Knows
In
all of our brains there's a gauge that reads our core temperature, it's called,
the hypothalamus. Our hypothalamus knows what our
temperatures should be and sends a message to the rest of the body to keep it
that way - pretty handy, huh? Most of us
run a normal temperature of around 98.5 F (37 C) - of course some individuals
can be lower or higher. However, when
germs invade our system, they can trigger other chemicals to flow in our body.
Once these chemicals hit our brain, it triggers the hypothalamus into action.
Fighting Back
In
order to help our bodies fight the bacteria of a cold or flu, the hypothalamus
raises our core temperature (a fever).
Scientists believe that when our bodies heat up, it makes it a less
favourable environment for germs to live in.
Plus, it also lets us know that our bloodstream has been invaded by an
unfriendly source. As our bodies heat up
to the new temperature the hypothalamus has set (a fever), we may begin to feel
cold and start to shiver - this speeds up the process as shivering causes heat.
Once our body regulates to the higher temperature we stop shivering and won't
feel cold anymore.
Taking Our Temperatures
One
of the best ways to tell if we have a fever is by using a thermometer. But not all thermometers are created
equally. Some are glass and go under the
tongue or up your bum. Others can go in
your ear or under your armpit. However,
the most convenient of all is the forehead thermometer. This handy little device measures the
temperature from your forehead and never touches your skin. You simply scan it across your forehead and
the infrared technology picks up the heat being emitted and changes it into a
digital reading. Easy peasy! This
thermometer is perfect for when the patient falls asleep so you can easily
monitor the fever without waking them up.
Know
for sure what your hypothalamus is trying to tell you with a fast, accurate
forehead thermometer. It's the
technology of the future and will take the guess work out of your next cold or
flu read more at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JWUTL6S.