How long does the temperature last during poisoning and how to reduce it

Everyone is familiar with the main symptoms of poisoning, such as nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea. These signs usually appear in combination and, with appropriate treatment, also disappear almost simultaneously.

But there are other symptoms that do not accompany all types of intoxication and not always. For example, many people wonder whether there is a fever during poisoning and what to do in this case? How to treat poisoning with elevated temperature? To answer these questions, let’s take a closer look at this symptom that accompanies intoxication of the body.

In case of poisoning of various natures, the temperature often rises.

Reasons for rising temperature

An increase in temperature is a reaction of the immune system to toxins.

The human body is quite complex. All processes and phenomena in it occur for a reason and have meaning. This also applies to symptoms such as fever. Why does it rise and is there a temperature during poisoning?

When various foreign agents enter the body: toxins, viruses or bacteria, which is exactly what happens during poisoning, the immune system begins to activate. Her work is aimed at destroying these harmful factors and removing them from the body as quickly as possible.

And it is not always possible to do this at normal body temperature. In such situations, the thermoregulation center, which is located in the hypothalamus, receives a signal to increase body temperature, which is achieved through the production and release of special hormones into the blood.

Thus, the body temperature begins to rise. The rate of growth and the magnitude to which it can reach will depend on the nature of the stimulus and its quantity.

The thermoregulation center is located in the hypothalamus.

Why is the temperature rising?

The fact is that increasing body temperature allows you to speed up all metabolic processes, that is:

• blood flow through the vessels accelerates, which means that all organs and tissues are better supplied with oxygen and nutrients;
• metabolic processes in cells occur faster, i.e. toxins and poisonous substances are eliminated faster;
• viruses and bacteria are not adapted to life in conditions of elevated temperature, so they die;
• The production of interferon and antibodies increases, which destroy pathogenic microflora and other foreign agents.

All this speaks to the importance of such a physiological process as an increase in temperature, including during poisoning. But this symptom does not always play only a positive role.

Severe fever is life-threatening

Sometimes such a struggle of the immune system can be disastrous for the body itself, therefore, when a tendency to increase the temperature appears, you need to especially carefully monitor the patient’s condition and, if the condition worsens, be sure to seek medical help.

Prevention of pathology

It is impossible to prevent elevated temperatures associated with infections and poisonings, but you can avoid diseases by following the rules of hygiene and buying only high-quality products. You cannot eat spoiled fruits or vegetables, even if only 1 side is spoiled. It is forbidden to drink milk or juice from a swollen package.

In hot weather, it is better to avoid dressing salads with mayonnaise or sour cream, using vegetable oil. You should not eat cream desserts and cakes in the summer, especially if there is a risk that the sweet has spent some time outside the refrigerator.

What is the temperature during poisoning?

The symptoms of poisoning in humans are quite varied and depend on several factors:

• what substance or microorganism caused the pathological reaction;
• how much toxin entered the body;
• the level of the victim's immune status.

The nature of the change in body temperature during poisoning also depends on the listed parameters. Typically, the first defensive reaction to toxic substances entering the body is vomiting.

This is how natural cleansing and elimination of toxins occurs. If it is not possible to completely remove toxic substances by vomiting, then the development of diarrhea syndrome follows, which has the function of cleansing the intestines of toxins that have entered it.

But if this protective reaction does not work, and toxic substances manage to be absorbed into the blood, then in this case the temperature begins to rise. Therefore, in case of mild poisoning, the temperature almost never rises, but if the intoxication is severe or moderate, then the risk of fever increases.

It is not recommended to bring the temperature down to 38.5˚.

But can there be a high temperature during poisoning and how much can it rise? As statistics show, most often such an illness is accompanied by a fever within the subfebrile range, i.e. up to 38˚.

If the thermometer approaches 39˚, this indicates the serious nature of the pathology and requires a mandatory medical examination, since only a doctor can correctly assess the severity of poisoning and possible health risks, after which suitable treatment will be prescribed.

Attention: If the temperature during poisoning rises to 40˚ or more, then you must immediately call an emergency medical team, since this condition is life-threatening, especially if it concerns a child.

Diagnostic methods

Timely diagnosis of high fever, headache, nausea and vomiting is the key to effective treatment. It is important to determine what causes the symptoms and prescribe a treatment regimen that can eliminate the root cause of poor health. To fully understand the picture of the disease, the following examination methods may be prescribed:

• blood pressure measurement and control at home;
• a general blood test is the easiest way to detect inflammatory processes in the body;
• Ultrasound of the gastrointestinal tract;
• culture for suspected bacterial infection with isolation of the exact pathogen;
• MRI or CT scan of the brain if there is a history of traumatic brain injury, as well as if neoplasms are suspected.

The Clinical Brain Institute offers individual diagnostic programs. They are selected taking into account the patient’s complaints and examination data. The scheme includes only those techniques that will reliably determine the cause of high fever, nausea and vomiting, and headache.

Why is high temperature dangerous?

Fever can trigger a heart attack.

Despite performing many positive functions, the body's defense mechanism, such as an increase in body temperature, can also cause harm.

What does it consist of:

1. Increased load on the cardiovascular system.
2. Violation of the water-salt balance of the body.
3. Blood viscosity increases, which disrupts normal blood circulation.
4. The load on the respiratory system increases, and hypoxia (lack of oxygen) may develop.
5. Suppression of the nervous system.

And these are only the main possible manifestations of the negative impact of a feverish state. Moreover, the reaction of each individual organism to the high temperature that accompanies poisoning is individual, and everyone tolerates it differently. Some still feel quite tolerable at 39˚, while others already at 37.5˚ are almost in an unconscious state.

Important: How a person feels during a fever is key to deciding whether to use fever-reducing medications.

In addition, there are several groups of people for whom even a slight increase in temperature during poisoning is extremely dangerous, namely:

• newborns and children up to 2 months;
• patients with cardiovascular diseases;
• children who have had febrile seizures;
• people with diseases of the central nervous system;
• people with chronic kidney disease.

Even a slight increase in T ° C in a baby is a reason to be wary

Poisoning in people from the listed categories should be treated only under the strict supervision of a physician.

3.How do you know if you have food poisoning?

Since most poisonings are quite easily tolerated, people do not always turn to doctors about this. Usually the assumption of food poisoning is made if people who eat the same food get sick at the same time.

If the symptoms of poisoning are severe enough - there is severe vomiting or diarrhea

, or your health condition does not improve within a few days, it is better to consult a doctor. The doctor will be able to accurately determine the cause of the illness and say whether it is really poisoning. You may need to do blood and stool tests for an accurate diagnosis.

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Temperature reduction

Based on the functions of high temperature, it becomes clear that there is no need to rush to bring it down. But if the patient’s condition still requires intervention and the temperature needs to be lowered, then several methods come to the rescue.

First you need to create all the necessary conditions for a natural decrease in temperature:

• plenty of warm drinks, preferably herbal teas with the addition of chamomile, linden, honey, lemon;

• maintaining cool, moist air in the room;

• wiping the victim with warm water.

These methods should complement the therapy of poisoning itself, which consists of neutralizing and removing toxins from the body; its basics are outlined in the video in this article. It is this combination of measures that allows you to quickly restore the patient’s condition and the temperature drops on its own.

Paracetamol is available in the form of tablets, syrup and rectal suppositories.

If all of the above measures are taken, but the fever persists, or if there is no time to wait, because the temperature rises too quickly and the condition worsens sharply, then in these cases it is necessary to use medications with antipyretic properties.

There are quite a few such drugs, but when using them in a poisoning situation, you need to pay special attention to the composition of the drug and its possible side effects. Because some of them can negatively affect the condition of organs already affected by toxins.

The pros and cons of the most popular means to reduce temperature are discussed in the table:

In general, the mechanism of action of all antipyretics is similar to each other.

You should always remember that thoughtless use of this or that drug can be fraught with negative consequences. Therefore, when choosing a drug, it is better to consult a doctor.

It is also imperative to study the instructions for the chosen remedy for fever in order to eliminate possible risks of side effects.