Fever

Why is it that when you get a fever, you  feel cold? 

    When you have a fever your body's internal thermostat is reset at a higher temperature. So to your body it feels normal, However the outside temperature feels colder to your body even though it is not, because in comparison to your new internal temperature it is colder. You will usual feel chills until your fever gets up to 102 F. 

But why do we get a fever?

    There is a specific purpose to why our bodies get a fever when we are sick. Bacteria can not live when the temperature around them goes up beyond normal body temperature. So a fever helps to kill off the bacteria that is trying to spread through your body. 

How does our body start a fever. 

    When some of your cells get an infection, it triggers a release of a chemical from inside the cell. The chemical travels up the blood stream to the brain. When the chemicals reach the brain it raises the thermostat setting. Another chemical is released in the brain that alerts the  heat conserving circuits. If you take aspirin to reduce your fever it blocks the second chemical from being made. 

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