Curious About Fevers

PODCAST 242: CURIOUS ABOUT FEVERS

RELEASE DATE: SUNDAY, MAY 21ST, 2023

D:  HELLO, AND WELCOME BACK TO THE CURIOUS KID PODCAST.  WHEN WE SELECT EPISODE TOPICS FOR FUTURE EPISODES, WE USUALLY MAP OUT ABOUT TWO OR THREE MONTHS OF EPISODES AT A TIME.  WE DO THAT SO WE CAN MAKE SURE WE HAVE A GREAT VARIETY OF TOPICS TO GET CURIOUS ABOUT.  WE LOVE THE FACT THAT WE CAN LEARN ABOUT VERY DIFFERENT THINGS FROM WEEK TO WEEK.  SOMETIMES, WE RUN INTO VERY STRANGE COINCIDENCES WHEN IT COMES TO THE TIMING OF OUR EPISODES, AND THIS WEEK WE HAVE A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THAT.  OLIVIA’S BROTHER, NOAH, HAS BEEN SICK FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS NOW.  AS A RESULT, HE HAS EXPERIENCED THE TOPIC OF THIS WEEK’S EPISODE AND HE WANTS TO SHARE HIS EXPERIENCE WITH US, SO FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, OLIVIA IS GOING TO INTERVIEW HER VERY OWN LITTLE BROTHER, NOAH.  

O:  DOUBLE-MAILBAG!

D:  DOUBLE-MAILBAG!

“HEY GUYS!  MY NAME IS EMMETT, AND I’M 8 YEARS OLD.  I HAVE A 4 YEAR OLD BROTHER NAMED EZEKIEL AND AN 8 MONTH OLD BROTHER NAMED ELI.  WE LIVE IN HAMILTON, ONTARIO, CANADA.  WE ENJOY LISTENING TO YOUR PODCAST AT BEDTIME, ON ROAD TRIPS, AND IN THE MORNING WHILE GETTING READY.  WE ARE HUGE FANS!  WE WOULD LIKE TO GET CURIOUS ABOUT FEVERS AND TREEHOUSES WITH YOU.  WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO DO AN EPISODE ABOUT THESE TOPICS.  THANKS FOR READING OUR MESSAGE AND KEEP UP THE AWESOME WORK!  YOU GUYS ARE GREAT!

-EMMETT, EZEKIEL, AND ELI”

“HELLO OLIVIA AND JACOB, MY NAME IS WILLIAM.  I AM SIX YEARS OLD AND I LOVE LISTENING TO CURIOUS KID PODCAST BEFORE BEDTIME.  WILD ANIMALS AND DINOSAURS ARE TWO OF MY FAVORITE TOPICS.  I AM CURIOUS TO KNOW IF WILD ANIMALS GET SICK LIKE HUMANS DO (WITH COLDS AND FEVERS).  THANK YOU FOR MAKING SUCH A FUN PODCAST!

-WILLIAM AND SISTER CAROLINE FROM HAVERTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA”

O:  I AM SO EXCITED TO GET CURIOUS ABOUT FEVERS FOR EMMETT, EZEKIEL, ELI, WILLIAM, AND CAROLINE.  I WAS VERY CONCERNED FOR NOAH WHEN HE HAD A FEVER, AND I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO LEARNING MORE ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO NOAH WHEN HE WAS SICK.

D:  SOMETIMES WE COME UP WITH THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK OURSELVES, BUT OTHER TIMES, OUR AWESOME LISTENERS COME UP WITH AMAZING QUESTIONS THAT TOTALLY WORK FOR THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK, SO THANK YOU WILLIAM AND CAROLINE.

O:  THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK IS, DO WILD ANIMALS GET FEVERS LIKE HUMANS DO?

D:  WHILE YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT THE ANSWER, LET’S LEARN WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE OUR BODIES WHEN WE HAVE A FEVER.

O:  OUR BODIES HAVE A TEMPERATURE THAT TENDS TO CHANGE SLIGHTLY FROM TIME TO TIME.  A NORMAL BODY TEMPERATURE IS CONSIDERED TO BE 98.6 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.  THAT’S THE MAGIC NUMBER THAT OFTEN COMES TO MIND WHEN WE THINK OF THE IDEAL BODY TEMPERATURE.

D:  IN A COUPLE OF MINUTES, WE ARE GOING TO LEARN WHY THAT NUMBER HAS, FOR MANY MANY YEARS, BEEN CONSIDERED THE PERFECT BODY TEMPERATURE.  

O:  OUR BODY TEMPERATURE GOES UP AND DOWN ALL THE TIME.  FOR EXAMPLE, OUR BODY TEMPERATURES TEND TO BE LOWER IN THE MORNING AND THEN GO UP LATER IN THE DAY.  SOME PEOPLE EVEN HAVE BODY TEMPERATURES THAT RUN A BIT HIGHER OR LOWER THAN THE AVERAGE PERSON.    

D:  FOR THAT REASON, MANY DOCTORS RECOMMEND NOT GETTING TOO CONCERNED ABOUT A HIGH TEMPERATURE READING UNLESS THE TEMPERATURE REACHES 100.4 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.  

O:  THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO CHECK YOUR BODY TEMPERATURE USING SOMETHING CALLED A THERMOMETER.  MANY PEOPLE USE ORAL THERMOMETERS, ALSO CALLED STICK THERMOMETERS, THAT GO IN THE MOUTH FOR A FEW SECONDS UNTIL GIVING YOU A TEMPERATURE READING.  

D:  FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN, IT MAY BE EASIER TO GET WHAT’S CALLED AN AXILLARY TEMPERATURE, BY PLACING THE THERMOMETER UNDER THE ARM, IN THE CENTER OF THE ARMPIT.      

O:  THERE ARE ALSO OTHER TYPES OF THERMOMETERS LIKE EAR THERMOMETERS, ALSO CALLED TYMPANIC THERMOMETERS, THAT USUALLY PROVIDE VERY FAST TEMPERATURE READINGS.  THERE ARE ALSO THERMOMETER STRIPS THAT CAN BE PLACED ON THE FOREHEAD FOR A TEMPERATURE READING.  TALK TO YOUR PEDIATRICIAN TO FIND OUT WHICH THERMOMETER IS BEST FOR YOUR NEEDS.

D:  SO, WHEN YOU HAVE A FEVER, IT USUALLY MEANS THAT THERE IS AN INVADER IN YOUR BODY.  I KNOW THAT SOUNDS SCARY, BUT IT’S USUALLY SOMETHING THAT IS EASY TO TREAT.  THE INVADER MIGHT BE SOMETHING LIKE A BACTERIA OR A VIRUS THAT CAUSES AN INFECTION.  

O:  ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE BODY DOES TO PROTECT ITSELF FROM THE INVADER IS RAISE THE BODY TEMPERATURE.  

D:  THERE IS A PART OF THE BRAIN CALLED THE HYPOTHALAMUS.  THAT’S THE PART OF THE BRAIN THAT CONTROLS YOUR BODY TEMPERATURE.  YOU CAN THINK OF IT LIKE A REALLY SOPHISTICATED THERMOSTAT FOR YOUR BODY.  WHEN THE BRAIN DETECTS A FOREIGN INVADER, THE HYPOTHALAMUS RAISES YOUR BODY TEMPERATURE.

O:  BY RAISING YOUR BODY TEMPERATURE, YOUR BODY IS MAKING IT HARD FOR THE GERMS INSIDE TO SURVIVE.  THE INCREASE IN TEMPERATURE YOU EXPERIENCE WHEN YOU HAVE A FEVER IS PART OF YOUR BODY’S IMMUNE RESPONSE.

D:  HAVING A FEVER IS ACTUALLY A GOOD THING, AS IT SHOWS THAT YOUR BODY IS FIGHTING OFF THE GERMS.  

O:  A FEW YEARS AGO, WE DID AN EPISODE ON THROWING UP.  WE DECIDED TO GET CURIOUS ABOUT THROWING UP AFTER I WAS SICK AND I THREW UP.  IN THAT EPISODE, WE LEARNED THAT THROWING UP IS ACTUALLY A GOOD THING, BECAUSE IT JUST MEANS THAT YOUR BODY IS TRYING TO GET RID OF WHATEVER IT IS THAT IS MAKING YOU SICK.  THAT’S WHY PEOPLE OFTEN FEEL A WHOLE LOT BETTER RIGHT AFTER THROWING UP.

D:  AND WE CAN THINK OF FEVERS THE SAME WAY.  IT MIGHT BE HARD TO SEE FEVERS AS A GOOD THING, BECAUSE THEY MAKE US FEEL YUCKY, BUT FEVERS ARE ACTUALLY A REALLY GOOD SIGN THAT OUR BODIES ARE FIGHTING FOR US.  

O:  WHEN PEOPLE HAVE A FEVER, THEY CAN GET CHILLS OR MIGHT GET SWEATY, AND THEY CAN EVEN FEEL MUSCLE ACHES OR WEAKNESS.      

D:  LOTS OF THINGS ARE HAPPENING INSIDE THE BODY WHEN YOU HAVE A FEVER.  FOR EXAMPLE, YOUR HEART RATE GOES UP AND YOUR KIDNEYS WORK MUCH HARDER, GETTING RID OF WASTE QUICKER.  

O:  ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS YOU CAN DO WHEN YOU HAVE A FEVER IS STAY HYDRATED, BECAUSE FEVERS CAUSE YOU TO LOSE FLUID AND CAN MAKE YOU DEHYDRATED VERY QUICKLY.  YOU SHOULD DRINK LOTS AND LOTS OF WATER, EVEN MORE THAN USUAL, WHEN YOU HAVE A FEVER.  

D:  MANY EXPERTS RECOMMEND REACHING OUT TO THE DOCTOR IF YOUR TEMPERATURE IS VERY HIGH, FOR EXAMPLE 102 OR HIGHER, OR EVEN IF IT IS LOWER BUT LASTS A WHILE AND REFUSES TO COME DOWN.  WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER, ESPECIALLY WITH CHILDREN, IS HOW THEY ARE ACTING WHEN THEY HAVE A FEVER.  KIDS CAN BE CRANKY WHEN THEY ARE SICK, BUT NOT DRINKING AND PEEING ENOUGH, OR BEEING WAY TOO TIRED ARE THINGS THAT CAN BE CONCERNING.  

O:  THERE ARE MEDICINES THAT HELP TO BRING A FEVER DOWN, BUT MEDICINE MAY NOT ALWAYS BE NECESSARY, AS LONG AS THE TEMPERATURE ISN’T VERY HIGH AND THERE AREN’T ANY OTHER PROBLEMS ALONG WITH THE FEVER, LIKE DEHYDRATION.  

D:  THE CONCERN WITH USING MEDICINE WHEN IT MAY NOT BE NECESSARY IS THAT IT MIGHT HELP END YOUR FEVER EARLIER, BUT DON’T FORGET THAT THE REASON YOU HAVE A FEVER IN THE FIRST PLACE IS TO HELP GET RID OF BAD GERMS IN YOUR BODY, SO A FEVER IS A GOOD THING AND DOESN’T ALWAYS REQUIRE MEDICINE.  

O:  BEFORE I INTERVIEW MY BROTHER, LET’S LEARN WHY 98.6 DEGREES SEEMS TO BE THE MAGIC NUMBER FOR NORMAL BODY TEMPERATURE.

D:  WELL, ALL THE WAY BACK IN THE YEAR 1851, WHICH WAS 172 YEARS AGO, THERE WAS A GERMAN DOCTOR BY THE NAME OF CARL WUNDERLICH, AND HE WAS FASCINATED BY BODY TEMPERATURES AND WHAT THEY MEANT.  HE WAS ACTUALLY THE INVENTOR OF THE CLINICAL THERMOMETER.  WELL, HE TOOK MORE THAN A MILLION TEMPERATURES FROM ABOUT 25,000 DIFFERENT PEOPLE.  HE THEN TOOK THE AVERAGES OF ALL OF THOSE TEMPERATURES AND CAME UP WITH THE NUMBER 98.6 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, OR 37 DEGREES CELSIUS.  

O:  A MORE RECENT STUDY ALSO TOOK HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF TEMPERATURES AND RESULTED IN AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 97.9 DEGREES, SO THE EXACT NUMBER ISN’T A PERFECT SCIENCE.

D:  THAT’S WHY ANY TEMPERATURE FROM 97 TO 99 DEGREES IS GENERALLY CONSIDERED NORMAL.  EVEN TEMPERATURES SLIGHTLY OUTSIDE OF THAT RANGE MIGHT BE NORMAL, BUT ANYTHING ABOVE 100.4 DEGREES CAN BE CONSIDERED A FEVER AND ANYTHING BELOW 95 DEGREES CAN BE CONSIDERED HYPOTHERMIA, A VERY LOW TEMPERATURE THAT NEEDS URGENT MEDICAL ATTENTION.  ALRIGHT OLIVIA, BEFORE WE BRING YOUR BROTHER IN HERE TO SHARE HIS EXPERIENCE, LET’S GET TO THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK.  DO ANIMALS GET FEVERS LIKE HUMANS DO?

O:  ANIMALS CAN GET FEVERS IF THEY GET SICK, BUT A LOT OF THE DETAILS OF ANIMAL FEVERS ARE DIFFERENT THAN HUMANS.  A NORMAL BODY TEMPERATURE CAN BE VERY DIFFERENT FROM ANIMAL TO ANIMAL.  HOW FEVERS ARE DETECTED IS ALSO DIFFERENT, AS THERMOMETERS MIGHT NOW WORK FOR ALL ANIMALS.  EVEN COLD-BLOODED ANIMALS LIKE FISH, CAN GET FEVERS TO HELP THEM FIGHT OFF GERMS THAT DON’T BELONG.  

D:  AND NOW, WITHOUT ANY FURTHER DELAY, HERE IS OLIVIA’S LITTLE 6 YEAR OLD BROTHER, NOAH, TO TELL US A BIT ABOUT WHAT HE JUST WENT THROUGH WITH HIS FEVER.

O:  HI NOAH.  THANK YOU FOR WALKING ABOUT 20 FEET FROM YOUR ROOM TO THE OFFICE TO TELL US ABOUT YOUR FEVER.  HOW DID YOUR FEVER BEGIN?

N:  I WOKE UP ON A FRIDAY MORNING AND MY WHOLE BODY WAS HURTING.  I TOLD DADDY ABOUT IT, AND HE ASKED ME A LOT OF QUESTIONS.  HE TOOK MY TEMPERATURE, AND IT WAS NORMAL.  HE ALSO TESTED ME FOR COVID, AND I WAS NEGATIVE, WHICH MEANS THAT I DIDN’T HAVE COVID.  I STARTED FEELING BETTER, I ATE A BIG BREAKFAST, AND I WENT TO SCHOOL.

O:  WHAT HAPPENED AT SCHOOL?

N:  I WASN’T FEELING WELL, SO I WENT TO THE NURSE’S OFFICE.  SHE TOOK MY TEMPERATURE, AND IT WAS HIGH.  SHE CALLED MOMMY AND RECOMMENDED THAT I COME HOME.  GRAMMY TOOK ME TO URGENT CARE.  THEY TOOK MY TEMPERATURE AND IT WAS 103.1.  THEY ALSO TESTED ME FOR STREP, AND THEY TOLD ME THAT’S WHAT I HAD.  THEY PUT ME ON AN ANTIBIOTIC.

O:  SO STREP IS A BACTERIAL INFECTION, SO THEY GAVE YOU AN ANTIBIOTIC, WHICH MAKES SENSE.  HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOUR TEMPERATURE WAS SO HIGH?

N:  MY THROAT HURT A LOT.  I WAS GETTING HOT AND COLD AND I COULDN’T GET COMFORTABLE.  I USUALLY SLEEP IN LONG PAJAMAS, BUT I NEEDED TO CHANGE TO A TEE SHIRT AND SHORTS INSTEAD, BECAUSE I WAS GETTING SO SWEATY.  I FELT YUCKY FOR A FEW DAYS THERE.  I’M SO HAPPY THAT I’M FEELING BETTER NOW, AND I FINISHED MY ANTIBIOTICS.  HOPEFULLY I DON’T GET SICK LIKE THAT AGAIN ANY TIME SOON.

O:  I’M GLAD YOU’RE BACK TO BEEING YOUR SWEET ADORABLE SELF.  THANKS FOR SHARING WHAT YOUR FEVER WAS LIKE.  I LOVE YOU, BRO.

D:  THAT WAS SUCH A FUN INTERVIEW.  GREAT JOB, KIDDOS.  WELL, THAT’S A WRAP FOR THIS WEEK’S EPISODE.

O:  242 - FEVERS.

D:  GREAT JOB OLIVIA, AND GREAT JOB EMMETT, EZEKIEL, ELI, WILLIAM, AND CAROLINE FOR THE RED HOT EPISODE TOPIC SUGGESTION.  BEFORE WE SAY GOODBYE, WE HAVE A FEW AWESOME PEOPLE TO THANK. 

O:  WE WANT TO THANK OUR NEWEST PATREON SUPPORTERS, AMANDA AND BEATRICE N, MEGAN P, AND THEO J.  

D:  A BIG THANKS TO AMANDA, BEATRICE, MEGAN, AND THEO FOR THE SUPPORT.  WE APPRECIATE ALL YOU DO TO HELP US KEEP THE PODCAST GOING.  JOIN US NEXT WEEK, WHEN WE WILL GET CURIOUS ABOUT BEACHES FOR LISTENERS IN TASMANIA, AUSTRALIA.  AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING AND GETTING CURIOUS WITH US.