Why does the body raise your temperature when you have a fever?

When you have a fever, your body raises its temperature in an effort to fight off the infection. The higher temperature helps to kill bacteria and viruses that cannot survive in the heat. Raising your temperature also assists your immune cells move more quickly and respond more effectively to the invaders.

Here is a more detailed explanation of how your body raises its temperature during fever:

* When you are sick, the infection triggers the release of certain chemicals, including pyrogens, into the bloodstream.

* These pyrogens travel to your hypothalamus, which acts as the body's thermostat.

* The hypothalamus then raises the body's set point, causing the body to begin to warm up.

* To warm up, your blood vessels constrict, reducing the flow of blood to your skin. This leads to shivering, which helps to generate heat.

* Your muscles also contract and relax more rapidly, which is another way the body generates heat.

* The increased heat causes the sweat glands in your skin to produce sweat. As the sweat evaporates, it takes heat with it, which helps to cool the body down.

* This cycle of warming up and cooling down continues until the infection is cleared.