The fact that increased body temperature is the sign of some or other ill health is known to everyone without an exception. Reasons of it are well known too. But sometimes the opposite occurs: temperature of a human’s body becomes low. If a person has low body temperature, causes are not well known to everyone.
We will sort out the reasons of such situations and what it is necessary do, if body temperature is significantly reduced. You have to know some prehistory to understand it.
Humans have become warm-blooded, thanks to evolution. Otherwise, it would be too hard to survive in different climatic conditions. System of thermoregulation of a human is almost perfect. It allows a body to maintain constant body temperature equalling approximately 36.6′ C or 98.6’F.
People notice significant increasing of body temperature (fever) and get medical care from a doctor or make everything to reduce body temperature to usual level by themselves.
But, humans don’t pay attention to low temperature. It is a great mistake. Sometimes serious diseases threatening to a human’s health and even to life cause reduction of body temperature.
It is necessary to understand common information about this process of thermoregulation in a body to determine the reason of body temperature reduction. There are several types of thermoregulation:
- Chemical thermoregulation of a human’s body. Chemical thermoregulation is characterized by production of heat in an organism, at significant reduction of environmental temperature. This process allows human’s to survive even at very low temperatures.
- Physical thermoregulation of a human’s body. Physical thermoregulation is characterized by narrowing or dilatation of vessels and perspiration process. Such feature of a human’s body allows us to adapt to fluctuations in temperature. It is noticeable when you come into a warm room after being in frost weather.
- Behavioural thermoregulation. Humans want to relocate to a place with more optimal temperatures. This behavioural reaction is unconditional. It is given to a human since birth. It is especially noticeable in children: they start to worry and cry in uncomfortable air temperature.
Types of Thermoregulation Violation
But there are many types of thermoregulation. Let’s review these violations. This information will help understand better the essence of thermoregulation violation. Chemical thermoregulation will be the first.
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Violation in immune system of an body
Such violation of thermoregulation occurs serious disease with significant increase of body temperature.
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The strong intoxication of a body
Temperature of the body increases too much at intoxication. Sometimes opposite phenomenon may occur: temperature of body lowers at strong intoxication. Reasons of such a phenomenon are not determined. It may occur presumably because of type of toxin or features of an immune system. Therefore, it is better to simply accept this fact.
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The asiderotic and others types of anemia
Anemia wirh its different types may cause violation of a usual process of thermoregulation. Such phenomenon occurs if person suffers from asiderotic or plastic anemia. Therefore, it is necessary control body temperature in similar situation, even if your doctor didn’t tell to you anything about this. Sometimes doctors forget about this aspect.
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Diseases of an endocrine system
The usual operation of an endocrine system (problems with adrenals, hypothyroidism, etc) can be violated, which cause reducing of body temperature.
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Strain and lack of sleep
Syndrome of chronic fatigue, lack of sleep or permanent stressful situations cause violence of chemical thermoregulation. Such situations influence a body negatively in general.
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Pregnancy
Pregnancy can be reason of body temperature reduction. Therefore, if a woman notices reducing of body temperature, it is necessary make sure that she is not pregnant.
The violation of physical thermoregulation occur because of strong pathological sweating or strong and long dilatation of vessels. It can occur because of strong stress or such diseases as vegetovascular dystonia, hypotension.
The violation of usual behavioural thermoregulation doesn’t take the last place among reasons of body temperature reduction. As a rule, it happens if patient stops reacting to changes of body temperature. Reasons of such violation: wrong perception of ambient temperature changes, wrong functioning of mentality or because of drugs and alcohol.
It is extremely dangerous for a human’s health and even for his life. Person doesn’t note a significant decrease of ambient temperature and may overcool. Coma and death occur at temperature of 25’C.
Such phenomen may occur in small children under the age of two months old. Pediatricians remind parents, that they have to control constantly temperature of a child’s body. Skin of a baby must be warm and dry. Temperature of body’s body can reduce significantly, if parents will not notice it in time.
There are more reasons which can provoke pathological decrease of body temperature. Reasons which were provoked such diseases as: various brain tumors (influencing on those areas of brain, which respond for natural process of thermoregulation), critically low body weight, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
What Should We Do?
It is not always easy to notice low body temperature. But some symptoms will help determine low body temperature:
- Person feel weakness and general malaise.
- Sleepiness and it is difficult cope with it.
- The increased nervous excitability, nervousness and children’s tearfulness.
- Reactions (reflective and physical) are slow.
Take possible measures as soon as possible if reduction of body temperature is detected. First of all, determine reason of body temperature reduction. If super cooling is a main reason, it is necessary move person into warm place as soon as possible and call a doctor.
What must you do at low body temperature? Answer is extremely simple: see a doctor as quickly as possible. A doctor will make examination. If it is necessary, the sick person will be directed for a further consultation.
It is not a good idea to deal with self-diagnosis and self-treatment. Doctor may do it quickly and correctly. Sometimes low body temperature is an individual feature of a particular person.
Such person retains the ability to work and doctors don’t reveal any disorders during medical examination. They don’t require medical care because low body temperature is usual condition for them.
