Every time we suspect that we have a fever, we use a thermometer to measure if our temperature is above the average range (37°C/98.6°F). Why does a higher body temperature indicate that we are sick? Keep reading to find out!
If a thermometer measures our temperature as 38-39.5°C or 100.4-103.1°F, we realize that we have a fever. The reason why our body temperature rises when we are sick is because these higher temperatures signal our immune system to perform functions that will help it properly fight off the virus or bacteria.
Findings published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) from research led by Professors David Rand and Mike White show how a high body temperature stimulates protein activity that controls the body's immune system.
The Process on a Cellular Level
Our bodies contain proteins called NF-κB (short for Nuclear Factor kappa B), which respond when bacteria or viruses are present in the body. They control immune response genes to react and activate the body's inflammation response, which is a defense mechanism against harmful presences in the body. When your body temperature is lower, these NF-κB proteins are less active, their functions only intensifying when you are warmer.
The NF-κB proteins activate the gene that yields A20 proteins, which is known as the "gatekeeper" of inflammatory responses as it is the factor that activates it. Inflammation is the body's way of fighting them off on a biological level by increasing blood flow to the area that is infected so that your body's white blood cells, which are in charge of immune response, can get to work. This increased blood flow can also result in redness and swelling.
The A20 proteins also control the activity of the NF-κB proteins in order to continuously regulate their intensity according to the body's state. When the A20 proteins are no longer present, the NF-κB proteins would not be able to react accordingly when the body's temperature changes. This shows the relationship that these two have with each other in order to activate the immunity response in the body during the occurrence of a fever.
In conclusion, your body gets warmer when you are sick because it is actively performing the immune response in order to fight off the bacteria/virus in your system. When you recover, you'll be assured that your body knows what to do in order to keep you healthy!
Written by: Janice Le
Resources:
Cohut, Maria. “Why Fever Can Be Your Friend in Times of Illness.”Medical News Today, 23 May 2018, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321889#The-protein-that-alters-temperature-reactivity.
Felman, Adam. “Everything You Need to Know about Inflammation.”Medical News Today, 13 Apr. 2020, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/248423.
“What Is Inflammation?”WebMD, 1 Jan. 2002, www.webmd.com/arthritis/about-inflammation.
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