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### Why Do We Heat Up When We're Sick?

***Do you remember those moments when you are lying in bed, shivering one minute and then the very next minute you are burning up like a furnace ? Well that’s your body saying, “Hey, something’s wrong here!” But really, why exactly does our body temperature go up when we’re sick? Let’s do a bit of findings***

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Imagine your body is like a house. Inside this house is a special thermostat, and it’s usually set to a specific temperature. This thermostat is located in your brain, in a place called the hypothalamus. Now, you see, when all is well, the hypothalamus keeps everything nice and cool, not too hot, not too cold, which is 37⁰C.

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![](https://images.ecency.com/DQmQetSQoJuUDxXtvAxxcoBhAvcaokGZ6J1Cw3gpQmXRhCD/1722387577732.jpg)

<sup>Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/guvo59-9285194/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=3656065">Gundula Vogel</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=3656065">Pixabay</a></sup>

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Now in this our body, which we have likened to a house, we sometimes have some unwanted guests, germs like bacteria and viruses trying to break into your house like burglars. They sneak in through your nose, mouth, or even a cut on your skin. Once inside, they start causing trouble.

One of the good things about our body is that it has an amazing alarm system, also a defence system called the immune system. As soon as the germs break in, the immune system sounds the alarm. It’s like having a security team ready for anything 24/7. The immune system sends out soldiers, known as white blood cells, to fight off the invaders.

At the point of fighting off the invaders, here’s where things get hot. To help the white blood cells win the battle, your hypothalamus turns up the heat. It’s like setting the thermostat higher in your house. This higher temperature is called a fever.

Why does your body do this? Well, it a strategy, many germs don’t like the heat. They’re like ice cream they start to melt and lose their cool when it gets too hot. By raising your body temperature, your hypothalamus is trying to make life difficult for the germs. 

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![](https://images.ecency.com/DQmceu2cyApCoTbp5BbGJCo11Q7VvL2TJCCcchQsPAuKscV/1722387752982.jpg)

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Now, when you have a fever, your body goes through some weird stuff. You might start sweating like you’re in a sauna. This is your body’s way of trying to cool down. But then, out of nowhere, you might start shivering. This is because your body is trying to generate more heat. It’s like your body can’t decide whether it wants to be in the desert or the Arctic!

This is when you start to feel sick and your body temperature start to go up, at this point, it’s important to rest and drink plenty of fluids. Resting helps your body focus on fighting the invaders, germs in this case . Drinking fluids like water, juice, or soup helps keep you hydrated and cool.

Most fevers don’t last forever. Once your immune system kicks the germs out of your body, the hypothalamus lowers the thermostat back to normal. You start feeling better, and the strange sweating and shivering finally stop.

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![](https://images.ecency.com/DQmb8e9Rk3wujrwxGNU8jGytwYcgqJDB9noAwi7tHwkBwhw/1722388066115.png)

<sup>Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/wynpnt-868761/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=1917500">Wynn Pointaux</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=1917500">Pixabay</a></sup>

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*So now that you have read to this point and you now understand whats going on when you seems to be having an increase in temperature, remember that your body is just doing its job. It’s fighting off those intruders called germs and trying to make you feel better. Now what you do is to just rest, take some good fluids, some drugs to help win the battle and let your inner thermostat do its thing. And who knows? Maybe those germs will think twice before breaking into your house again!*

So yeah, that is why we heat up when we’re sick 

### *Thanks for reading, Stay safe, stay healthy*

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<center>References</center>
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- https://health.clevelandclinic.org/whats-happening-in-my-body-when-i-have-a-fever
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321889
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK562334/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279457/
- https://www.conehealth.com/services/primary-care/family-medicine/why-do-we-get-chills-with-a-fever/
- https://medlineplus.gov/fever.html