Pain, fever

General or Other | - Others | Pain, fever (Disease)


Description

Pain is an unpleasant feeling that is conveyed to the brain by sensory neurons. The discomfort signals actual or potential injury to the body.

However, pain is more than a sensation, or the physical awareness of pain; it also includes perception, the subjective interpretation of the discomfort. Perception gives information on the pains location, intensity, and something about its nature. The various conscious and unconscious responses to both sensation and perception, including the emotional response, add further definition to the overall concept of pain.

Fever is the temporary increase in the bodys temperature in response to some disease or illness.

A child has a fever when the temperature is at or above one of these levels: 100. 4 °F (38 °C) measured in the bottom (rectally); 99. 5 °F(37. 5 °C) measured in the mouth (orally); 99 °F (37. 2 °C) measured under the arm (axillary). An adult probably has a fever when the temperature is above 99 - 99. 5 °F (37. 2 - 37. 5 °C), depending on the time of day.

Causes and Risk factors

Pain arises from any number of situations. Injury is a major cause, but pain may also arise from an illness. It may accompany a psychological condition, such as depression, or may even occur in the absence of a recognizable trigger.

Pain is the most common symptom of injury and disease, and descriptions can range in intensity from a mere ache to unbearable agony. Nociceptors have the ability to convey information to the brain that indicates the location, nature, and intensity of the pain. For example, stepping on a nail sends an information-packed message to the brain: the foot has experienced a puncture wound that hurts a lot.

Pain perception also varies depending on the location of the pain. The kinds of stimuli that cause a pain response on the skin include pricking, cutting, crushing, burning, and freezing. These same stimuli would not generate much of a response in the intestine. Intestinal pain arises from stimuli such as swelling, inflammation, and distension.

Almost any infection can cause a fever.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Generally, if the fever does not cause discomfort, the fever itself need not be treated. It is not necessary to awaken an adult or child to treat a fever unless instructed to do so by your doctor.

The following fever-reducing medications may be used at home: acetaminophen, ibuprofen, aspirin. ...