Abstract

Some misleading usages and myths related to fever

Author(s): K. M. Yacob

Many misleading words and expressions have entered the medical field without knowing the correct meaning. Due to the use of such words and expressions, many things are misjudged, misunderstood, and even correct ones are misjudged. There is a situation where fever is the cause of many diseases and is a symptom and protective shield against many diseases. This is because there is a lack of basic knowledge about fever1 and there is no universally accepted definition of fever2. As stated above, according to current scientific law, fever cannot exhibit three or four unrelated characteristics at the same time or multiple times. In Kerala-India, there are many vernacular expressions that are misleading about fever. All of that is difficult to translate into other languages. Ignorance of the subject is the root cause of misleading usages. Fever is one of the least knowledgeable topics in modern science. Therefore, the most misleading words and expressions are associated with fever. The words and phrases used in medical books to describe fever are evidence of a misunderstanding of fever. In no other condition, except the fever, has the immune system been so misunderstood and misled by others.