Night fever (only at night): main causes and what to do

Fever is a very common symptom that usually arises when there is some inflammation or infection in the body, and is therefore associated with almost all types of changes in health status, from the simplest situations, such as flu or tonsillitis, to more serious such as lupus, HIV or cancer, for example.

Generally, fever is more easily felt during the day when you are awake, as it is accompanied by other symptoms such as severe headache or generalized muscle pain, however, there are also several cases where the fever can worsen during the night, causing you to wake up with excessive sweat production.

Regardless of when it appears, fever should always be evaluated by a general practitioner, especially when it is persistent and lasts for more than 3 days, not improving through natural techniques such as placing wet cloths on the forehead or using home remedies such as tea. macela or eucalyptus, for example. Check out some natural ways to lower your fever.

Main causes

Fever is a natural response of the body and can occur as a result of several situations, the main ones being:

• Virus infection, such as flu, cold and COVID-19;
• Bacterial infection;
• During the crisis of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease;
• As a consequence of the use of some drugs that can lead to a decrease in the functioning of the immune system;
• After the application of vaccines.

It is important that the cause of the fever is identified, so that the most appropriate treatment can be initiated, if necessary. Learn more about the causes of fever.

What to do

To relieve fever, it is important that the cause is identified. In the case of infections, it is important to start treatment to combat the infectious agent, and the doctor may indicate the use of antibiotics or antivirals. In addition, the use of anti-inflammatories and/or antipyretics is common. In addition, it is interesting to stay in an environment with a lot of ventilation, wear light clothes, rest and shower with warm water. Learn more about what to do to lower your fever.

When Night Fever Can Be Severe

Night fever is rarely a sign of a serious problem, and even when there is no apparent cause, it is more often caused by environmental factors such as increased room temperature or excessive use of clothing, which end up increasing the body’s metabolism. body.

However, there are some diseases that may have as their only symptom the appearance of night fever every night. Some examples are:

• Lyme Disease;
• HIV;
• Tuberculosis;
• Hepatitis;
• Lupus.

Some types of cancer may also have night fever as their first symptom, but they are usually accompanied by weight loss that cannot be explained by changes in diet or exercise pattern.

‘Cause the fever rises at night

In most cases, fever comes on or gets worse at night due to the natural cycle of the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is the part of the brain responsible for producing hormones that regulate body temperature and is normally more active at night, which can cause an increase in temperature when you are sleeping.

In addition, due to the normal functioning of metabolism, it is also common for the body temperature to increase slightly throughout the day, being higher at night and even causing excessive sweating. Discover the 8 main causes of night sweats.

So having a fever at night is rarely a sign of a serious problem, especially if it’s associated with other symptoms that could indicate an infection. However, whenever it lasts for more than 3 days, it is important to go to the general practitioner to identify whether it is necessary to take any specific medication, such as antibiotics, or to perform tests that help identify the correct cause.