Will having a fever help me lose weight?

Colds and fevers are very common diseases in normal times. Although colds and fevers are not serious diseases, they can cause physical discomfort. If fevers are not treated in time, they can lead to other diseases in the body. Once symptoms of fever appear, active treatment is critical. Some people often think they have become thinner after having a fever, and think that a fever can help them lose weight. Can you lose weight when you have a fever?

Will having a fever help me lose weight?

1. Many people will lose weight after having a fever. This is because a person's basal metabolic rate increases when they have a fever. For every 1 degree increase in body temperature, the basal metabolic rate increases by about 13%. If the body temperature during a fever is 38.5 degrees, then the metabolic rate is 126% of the normal level. When food intake is not increased, increased metabolism will cause weight loss, just like a person with hyperthyroidism will gradually lose weight. People who exercise will also increase their body's basal metabolic rate.

2. When a person's body temperature rises, water consumption will also increase accordingly, causing the person to become dehydrated in disguise, which is also the reason for weight loss. Most of the weight lost during a fever is water. In severe cases, patients with a fever will lose 3 to 4 kilograms of water every day.

Fever can indeed make a person lose weight, but most of the weight lost is water, not fat, so fever cannot help you lose weight.

How to tell if you have a fever?

1. You can check whether you have a fever by comparing the temperature of your hands, feet, and forehead. Usually when people have a fever, the temperature of their hands and feet is not very high. Many people also have cold hands and feet, while the temperature of the forehead will be very high. Even if you have a low fever, your forehead will feel hot. You can determine whether you have a fever by touching your forehead.

2. When a person has a fever, the body's temperature sensing system and nervous system will react, and the person with a fever will feel lazy and unwilling to move. Because the body temperature rises, people will be in a state of heat dissipation, and at this time they will feel cold.

3. When a person has a fever, the respiratory system will also heat up, which will make the breathing sound louder and the temperature of the exhaled gas will be higher than usual. If you find that the air you exhale has a burning sensation, you may have a fever.

When you have a fever, if you don’t have a thermometer, you can use the above method to determine whether you have a fever, which is usually very accurate.