Why do you get a fever when you're sick? - Christian Moro
-
0:07 - 0:12In 1917, doctors proposed
an outlandish treatment for syphilis, -
0:12 - 0:17the incurable bacterial infection
that had ravaged Europe for centuries. -
0:17 - 0:22Step 1: Infect patients suffering
from the later stages of syphilis -
0:22 - 0:25with the parasite that causes malaria,
-
0:25 - 0:29the deadly but curable
mosquito-borne disease. -
0:29 - 0:34Step 2: Hope that malarial fevers
clear the syphilis. -
0:34 - 0:38And step 3: Administer quinine
to curb the malaria. -
0:38 - 0:40If all went according to plan,
-
0:40 - 0:44their patient would be left alive
and free of both diseases. -
0:44 - 0:50This killed some 15% of patients,
but for those who survived, -
0:50 - 0:51it seemed to work.
-
0:51 - 0:54It actually became the standard treatment
for syphilis -
0:54 - 0:58until penicillin
was widely used decades later. -
0:58 - 1:01And its driving force was fever.
-
1:01 - 1:04There are many mysteries around fever,
-
1:04 - 1:06but what we do know is that all mammals,
-
1:06 - 1:12some birds and even a few invertebrate
and plant species feel fever’s heat. -
1:12 - 1:17It has persisted
for over 600 million years of evolution. -
1:17 - 1:19But it has a significant cost.
-
1:19 - 1:23For every 1 degree Celsius of temperature
increase in the human body, -
1:23 - 1:28there’s a 12.5 percent increase
in energy required, -
1:28 - 1:32the equivalent of about 20 minutes
of jogging for some. -
1:32 - 1:37So, why and how does your body
produce a fever? -
1:37 - 1:41Your core temperature is maintained
via thermoregulation, -
1:41 - 1:46a set of processes that usually keep
you around 37 degrees Celsius. -
1:46 - 1:50These mechanisms are controlled
by the brain’s hypothalamus, -
1:50 - 1:52which detects minute temperature shifts
-
1:52 - 1:56and sends signals
throughout the body accordingly. -
1:56 - 1:59If you’re too hot, the hypothalamus
produces signals -
1:59 - 2:03that activate your sweat glands
or make your blood vessels dilate, -
2:03 - 2:07moving blood closer
to the skin’s surface— -
2:07 - 2:10all of which releases heat
and cools you off. -
2:10 - 2:12And if you’re too cold,
-
2:12 - 2:16your blood vessels will constrict
and you may start to shiver, -
2:16 - 2:17which generates heat.
-
2:17 - 2:23Your body will disrupt its usual
temperature equilibrium to induce a fever, -
2:23 - 2:26which sets in above 38 degrees Celsius.
-
2:26 - 2:29Meanwhile, it has mechanisms
in place to prevent it -
2:29 - 2:34from exceeding 41 degrees Celsius,
when organ damage could occur. -
2:34 - 2:38Immune cells that are fighting
an infection can induce a fever -
2:38 - 2:42by triggering a biochemical cascade
that ultimately instructs -
2:42 - 2:46your hypothalamus to increase
your baseline temperature. -
2:46 - 2:52Your body then gets to work to meet
its new “set point” using the mechanisms -
2:52 - 2:55it would to generate heat when cold.
-
2:55 - 2:59Until it reaches this new temperature,
you’ll feel comparatively cool, -
2:59 - 3:02which is why you might experience chills.
-
3:02 - 3:04But why does your body do this?
-
3:04 - 3:09While the jury's still out on how higher
temperatures directly affect pathogens, -
3:09 - 3:12it seems that fever's main effect
-
3:12 - 3:17is in rapidly inducing a whole-body
immune response. -
3:17 - 3:20Upon exposure to raised
internal temperatures, -
3:20 - 3:26some of your cells release
heat shock proteins, or HSPs, -
3:26 - 3:30a family of molecules produced
in response to stressful conditions. -
3:30 - 3:36These proteins aid lymphocytes,
one of several kinds of white blood cells -
3:36 - 3:41that fight pathogens, to travel
more rapidly to infection sites. -
3:41 - 3:46HSPs do this by enhancing
the “stickiness” of lymphocytes, -
3:46 - 3:50enabling them to adhere to and squeeze
through blood vessel walls -
3:50 - 3:54so they can reach the areas
where infection is raging. -
3:54 - 3:56In the case of viral infections,
-
3:56 - 4:01HSPs help tell nearby cells to dampen
their protein production, -
4:01 - 4:04which limits their ability to replicate.
-
4:04 - 4:07This stunts the virus’s spread
because they depend on -
4:07 - 4:11their host’s replicative machinery
to reproduce. -
4:11 - 4:16It also protects surrounding cells
from damage since some viruses spread -
4:16 - 4:20by rupturing their host cells, which can
lead to large-scale destruction, -
4:20 - 4:25the build-up of detritus,
and potentially even organ damage. -
4:25 - 4:30The ability of HSPs to protect host cells
and enhance immune activity -
4:30 - 4:35can limit the pathogen’s
path of destruction inside of the body. -
4:35 - 4:39But for all we know about fever’s role
in immune activation, -
4:39 - 4:43some clinical trials have shown
that fever suppressor drugs -
4:43 - 4:47don’t worsen symptoms or recovery rates.
-
4:47 - 4:51This is why there’s no definitive rule
on whether to suppress a fever -
4:51 - 4:53or let it ride.
-
4:53 - 4:56Doctors decide on a case-by-case basis.
-
4:56 - 5:01The fever’s duration and intensity,
as well as their patient’s immune status, -
5:01 - 5:06comfort level, and age will all play
a role in their choice of treatments. -
5:06 - 5:08And if they do let a fever ride,
-
5:08 - 5:14they’ll likely prescribe rest and plenty
of fluids to prevent dehydration -
5:14 - 5:16while the body wages its heated battle.
- Title:
- Why do you get a fever when you're sick? - Christian Moro
- Speaker:
- Christian Moro
- Description:
-
View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-do-you-get-a-fever-when-you-re-sick-christian-moro
There are many mysteries around fever, but we do know that all mammals, some birds and even a few invertebrate and plant species feel fever’s heat. It has persisted for over 600 million years of evolution. But it has a significant cost: for every degree increase in temperature, there’s a 12.5% increase in energy required. So, why and how does your body produce a fever? Christian Moro investigates.
Lesson by Christian Moro, directed by Artrake Studio.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TED-Ed
- Duration:
- 05:17
Elise Haadsma approved English subtitles for Why do you get a fever when you're sick? | ||
Elise Haadsma accepted English subtitles for Why do you get a fever when you're sick? | ||
lauren mcalpine edited English subtitles for Why do you get a fever when you're sick? |