Everyone experiences illness differently; your fever might be caused by a mild reaction to new medication or a signal that your body is combating a serious infection. It could also be a symptom of other surprising causes. Your age, current health status, and environment can influence how you might develop a fever. Read through this guide to learn more about some surprising causes of fever in seniors.
COVID-19
Seniors are part of the groups that are at high risk when contracting the coronavirus and might develop serious health complications as a result. If you have a high fever and other COVID-19 symptoms, get tested and seek proper medical attention. Furthermore, getting the COVID-19 vaccine might also cause a short-term fever. Vaccines prevent a bacterial or viral infection by preparing your body to fight that infection later. Take care of yourself during that period and the vaccine-induced fever will go away in no time.
Heatstroke
Exercise is an integral part of keeping yourself healthy in old age. However, the outdoor heat and internal heat generated by your body from exercise can cause you to get a heatstroke. Under regular circumstances, your body can cool down through dilation of blood vessels and perspiration. But in specific circumstances, such basic systems may be overwhelmed, and your body might not be able to cool down and continue to rise in temperature. In such cases, immediately find shelter and remove yourself from the heat, and try different methods to cool down your body such as patting yourself with a damp towel and drinking cool water. If you start to feel confused or lose consciousness, seek help from passersby immediately.
Infections
A high fever is one of the ways your body reacts to fighting an infection. Pyrogens is released to the hypothalamus, which regulates the body temperature, when the immune system identifies a threat. When the hypothalamus detects pyrogens, the body temperature is raised in order to kill off such threats. If the fever continues and doesn’t come down after using home remedies, set up an appointment with a doctor. This is especially important if you also experience constant headaches, difficulty breathing, rashes, blood in your urine or stool, or vomiting during the fever.
Side Effect of Certain Medications
Taking medications like penicillin, antibiotics, or antimalarials can cause fever as a side effect. Administering medication can sometimes upset the usual balance of the body by interfering with heat dissipation, increasing the rate of metabolism, provoking an immune response, or mimicking pyrogen. Monitor your body’s reaction when using any new drug. Should a fever occur after seven to ten days of drug administration, and persists while taking the drug, you should immediately stop the medication and consult with your doctor to find safer alternatives.
Health and Wellness at Regency Pointe
Here at Regency Pointe, we take utmost care of our residents’ health and wellness. We have a team of certified nurses and highly trained health specialists who will monitor and improve your overall health through health screenings and therapeutic sessions. Our holistic health programs are also designed to boost physical, mental and emotional well-being. You can be confident that you will lead an active and healthy lifestyle with us at Regency Pointe.