ELi5 Why are fevers so dangerous? If they’re an immune system mechanism, shouldn’t there also be a biological “emergency stop/ brain overheating” button?
In: Biology
They actually generally aren’t. Unless you have brain damage, a fever (actual fever, not being caught in the sun and getting heat stroke) won’t get high enough to injure or kill you through overheating (contrary to popular belief). What can be a problem is fever causing dehydration, increased energy use and generally making you feel terrible.
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