My Grandma is in hospital being treated for a severe infection (location not know but likely cellulitis, delusional and clearly incredibly unwell) and her temperature is normal. What determines your temperature when suffering from an infection and why could her temperature possibly be normal?

Question

My Grandma is in hospital being treated for a severe infection (location not know but likely cellulitis, delusional and clearly incredibly unwell) and her temperature is normal. What determines your temperature when suffering from an infection and why could her temperature possibly be normal?

In: Biology

Answer 1

A rising temperature occurs when the body is actively fighting the infection. When that doesn’t happen, either because it didn’t detect the infection or the immune system doesn’t function properly, the temperature won’t be affected (or not much).