A Fever - It's All In Your Head

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.