February 2011
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
« Jan		Mar »
	1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27
28

Pharmacy Links

YOUR BODY’S DEFENSES AGAINST INFECTIONS: FEVER AND PAIN

03rd February 2011

Fever
If an infection is localized, pus formation, redness, swelling, and irritation often occur. These symptoms indicate that the invading organisms are being fought systematically. Another indication is the development of a fever, or a rise in body temperature above the norm of 98.6°E Fever is frequently caused by toxins secreted by pathogens that interfere with the control of body temperature. Although this elevated temperature is often harmful to the body, it is also believed to act as a form of protection. Elevations of body temperature by even 1 or 2 degrees provide an environment that destroys some types of disease-causing organisms. Also, as body temperature rises, the body is stimulated to produce more white blood cells, which destroy more invaders.

Pain
Although pain is not usually thought of as a defense mechanism, it is a response to injury, and it plays a valuable role in the body’s response to invasion. Pain may be either direct, caused by the stimulation of nerve endings in an affected area, or referred, meaning it is present in one place although the source is elsewhere. An example of referred pain is the pain in the arm or jaw often experienced by someone having a heart attack. Regardless of the cause of pain, most pain responses are accompanied by inflammation. Pain tends to be the earliest sign that an injury has occurred and often causes the person to slow down or stop the activity that was aggravating the injury, thereby protecting against further damage. Because it is often one of the first warnings of disease, persistent pain should not be overlooked or masked with short-term pain relievers.
*20/277/5*