What to do if you have a headache and 37C

Probably more than once so it was that for no reason, for example, in the morning after sleep, you woke up and felt that something was wrong: headache, and fever still. This is likely the first signs of acute respiratory disease. But in some cases you can be wrong with the diagnosis because diseases that are accompanied by headache and low grade fever (37-38⁰C) is more than enough. Consider the main reasons of such a combination of pathological symptoms.

Important

First we need to understand some medical terms. Low-grade fever is a fever no higher than 38⁰C. at Least the fever and does not display fully human from the “working condition”, but significantly interfere with the performance of everyday tasks, especially when simultaneously accompanied by a headache.

The stable temperature of the human body system is responsible the thermoregulation center located in the hypothalamus of the brain. Disruption of the thermoregulatory centre with a shift of the system toward the formation of heat can occur under the influence of several factors:

• antigens of various pathological microorganisms (viruses, protozoa, bacteria, fungi, parasites);
• foreign antigens nemikrobnoy origin;
• circulating immune complexes in the blood;
• sensitized T-lymphocytes (cells of the immune system);
• the decay products of the cells;
• endotoxins of various origins;
• neurological and endocrinological mechanisms of disruption of the hypothalamus;
• metabolic products of some tumor cells.

The temperature increase as a protective response have been developed in all stages of human evolution, and the main objective of the fever – the creation of obstacles to the multiplication of pathogenic microorganisms and accelerate the production of protective antibodies by the immune system.

But, despite the protective role of fever has a negative side that affects our well-being with increasing temperature. With increasing temperature accelerates all metabolic processes in the body, metabolism occurs mainly by the type of catabolism (disintegration of the prepared substances, proteins, fats, carbohydrates with release of energy), and this leads to loss of weight, muscle and General weakness, intoxication by products of metabolism, headache. At the same time quickens the heart rate, may occur convulsions, which often happens in young children.

Because the temperature rise does not need to endure. Today there are effective medications that will not only help to cope with fever and malaise, but also to destroy any micro-organisms, which led to the violationwork of system of thermoregulation and headaches.

Video transmission about the flu and its symptoms:

Infectious causes

It is because of penetration into the body of pathogenic microorganisms and develops most of the fevers with a headache, and it can be as sharp and momentary increase of temperature, for example, with influenza, and chronic fever with a sluggish current chronic infections such as tuberculosis, HIV infection, brucellosis, toxocariasis, and others.

Acute respiratory viral infections and influenza

For this reason patient's complaints, headache, and 37C, accounts for more than half of all cases, especially in the autumn-winter season and during the epidemic outbreak of SARS.

The etiological factors most often are:

• influenza virus and parainfluenza;
• respiratory sentilly virus;
• rhinovirus infection;
• adenoviral infection;
• herpes viruses (Epstein-Barr, etc.).

Very often, the lesions induced by these agents, accompanied by, in addition to the increase in temperature and headaches, other symptoms. Among them the most common catarrhal – runny nose, cough, sore throat, nasal congestion, eye redness and lacrimation, enlargement and tenderness of regional lymph nodes. Feature of headache in influenza is diffuse, bursting character, the pain spreads to the eyeballs and any movements of eyes become painful.

As a rule, the fever and headache, appear at the beginning of the disease, and for 3 days fully tested if these signs last longer, you should think about possible bacterial complications of SARS.

Other acute infectious diseases

Any acute infectious disease may be accompanied by low-grade fever and headache. After respiratory infections, the second place is given to intestinal diseases. It can be pathological strains of Escherichia coli, dysentery, typhoid, intestinal infections caused by viruses ECHO and Coxsackie, amoebiasis, helminthic infestations, salmonellosis, pathological types of staphylococci, etc.

But at the forefront of the clinical picture of intestinal infections out gastrointestinal disorders, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, which greatly facilitates the diagnosis. But the first few hours after infection, the only symptoms may be only fever and headache due to intoxication.

ENT pathology

Diseases of the ear, nose and throat often enough are the cause of low-grade fever and headache. It can be both chronic and acute lesions – tonsillitis, pharyngitis, sinusitis, adenoids, nasopharyngitis, ear infections, etc. most Often

Reasonsnon-infectious character

Headache with rise of temperature may become non-communicable diseases. Consider the most frequent among them.

Acute surgical pathology

Among of this disease can cause fever and headache can:

• acute appendicitis;
• intestinal obstruction;
• acute cholecystitis and pancreatitis;
• abscesses of different localization;
• cellulitis and boils;
• thrombosis of vessels of lower extremities;
• ulcer perforation of gastrointestinal tract.

Headache and low-grade fever when these diseases are secondary, the main symptoms are abdominal pain and other signs of destruction of an organ. But in the beginning of the disease may be present only cephalalgia and low-grade fever (especially in abscesses of different localization).

Solar or heat stroke

To diagnose this condition easily. The core is an indication of prolonged exposure to sunlight or heat radiation, for example, carrying out on the beach several hours in the sun, work in the closed stuffy rooms, etc. in Addition to the headache and the temperature rises, there is a thirst (due to dehydration), sunburn, severe General fatigue.

Intoxication

In this case, refers to poisoning by various chemical compounds. To poisons can penetrate through the skin, the respiratory way, the gastrointestinal tract. In addition to the pain of the head and temperature, there are a variety of pathological symptoms, depending on the type of poison and method of entry into the body. Very often there are gastrointestinal symptoms (diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain), neurological symptoms, disturbances of consciousness, changes in color of mucous membranes and skin, metallic taste in the mouth.

Video about how to alleviate their condition with increasing temperature:

If symptoms persist for a long time

It so happens that the person suffers from fever and headache one week or even one month. Typically, different medical examinations did not initially provide an answer about the cause of such condition and the person set the diagnosis of fever of unknown or Central origin. Indeed, there are States that are not accompanied by any pathological changes, but temperature remains elevated even for many years. This is considered a normal variant for some people (there are only a few). In other cases under this diagnosis are hiding a very serious disease.

TB infection

Prolonged fever in the first place it is necessary to exclude tuberculosis (most common cause). This is not so easy, because not in every case the patient selects the bacteria out.Suspected tuberculosis is possible, and the guidelines on chronic cough, weight loss, increased sweating, especially at night, contact with an infected person, a discharge of blood with phlegm, General fatigue, lack of appetite.

Mandatory conduct x-ray chest, Mantoux test, sputum for the presence of bacilli of Koch, if necessary – a biopsy of the suspicious area of the lung tissue.

Sluggishly flowing chronic infection

It infectious diseases that do not cause active immune response of the human body, which contributes to their long-term persistence of. Such infections include HIV/AIDS, infective endocarditis, rheumatic fever, infectious mononucleosis, herpes virus infection, diseases caused by virus Epstein-Barr, chronic pyelonephritis, chronic diseases of ENT-organs, brucellosis, toxocariasis, toxoplasmosis.

Cancer

Often cause prolonged low-grade fever and headache are cancer. Neoplasms of any localisation can cause a rise in temperature and headache. Tumor cells secrete substances that act as pyrogens – act on the center of thermoregulation, which causes an increase in temperature.

Thyrotoxicosis

Headache with fever may be thyroid disease, particularly hyperthyroidism (increased function of the thyroid gland with overproduction of thyroid hormones). Along with the above symptoms is observed tachycardia, sweating, tremors of the body, cardiac arrhythmia, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nervousness, emotional lability, irritability, exophthalmia.

Individual rate

As already mentioned, there are people for whom low-grade fever is an individual norm. But if it is accompanied by a constant headache, it's likely the case to some undiagnosed disease.

Psycho-autonomic causes

Some people have headache and fever can be part of a syndrome of vegetative-vascular dystonia (termometros).

Hyperthermia of the Central Genesis

This high temperature develops as a result of pathological processes in the brain that affect the hypothalamus and thermoregulation center. This may be the consequence of traumatic brain injury, infectious diseases of the brain and its membranes, parasitic lesions of the brain tissue, for example, echinococcosis, tumors of the brain.

How to help themselves?

If this happens, and you caught a headache and low-grade fever, you need to know about how to improve your health.

Important!If other than a headache and a temperature of 37⁰C, there are other pathological symptoms which arouse suspicion (abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea, marked drowsiness, convulsions, hemorrhagic rash, etc.), then in any case be self-medicate. You should immediately seek specialized medical help, a not to miss life-threatening pathology.

First, you need to comply with bed rest. You also need to provide rational drinking regime – it is necessary to drink up to 2-3 liters of fluid a day to get rid of intoxication (warm tea, compote, fruit drink, fruit juices). To get rid of a headache and the temperature you can use the same-steroidal anti-inflammatory. With this, you can take Paracetamol 200-500 mg, Aspirin 240 mg, Ibuprofen 400 mg After your health will improve, go to the clinic for examination and appointment of adequate treatment.

The mistake of many people is the appointment of himself antibiotics at the first symptoms of cold, and is absolutely not respected the rules of usage of antibacterial drugs. By such actions many patients only harm their health. Antibiotics should be prescribed only by a doctor after examining the patient, taking into account all the nuances, because the choice of drugs and its dose is not a simple matter.