Inside a Fever

Dr. Jim Sears: First let's talk about what a fever is? You know when somebody gets an infection we actually have a graphic that you can watch that shows when a body gets an infection, the bacteria or virus enters the body usually through the mouth, through the nose and it kind of flows through the blood steam and all of the white blood cells that help fight infection those get released and they release other substances, things called leukotrienes and those flow through the body and make their way to the hypothalamus. It's kind of that thermostat of the brain.

Dr. Travis Stork: I think that's the first time leukotrienes has ever been said on day time television.

Dr. Jim Sears: Oh! Yes.

Dr. Travis Stork: Congratulations!

Dr. Jim Sears: Alright! To change I can get it not for that. But you know the hypothalamus it's the thermostat and it gets raised and so the body suddenly thinks its normal temperature should be higher and that's what causes a fever. You know it makes the muscle tone and the blood flow of the body change so that the temperature's higher which helps fight the infection.


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