Can an extremely high fever cause brain damage?

Question

Can a very high fever, like 106 degrees Fahrenheit, or 41 degrees Celsius damage your neuronal pathways? I remember having such a high fever for a prolonged time period (I was stuck on an air-conditioned plane for nearly 24 hours in this condition), and the fever in general lasted about two weeks. I do remember having these very painful headaches that weren't continuous, but would come in spurts for shortened time periods, almost like someone was sticking a knife into my head. I couldn't sleep, eat or breathe properly, and was having extreme sensitivity to even the slightest noise. The reason I ask is b/c it was very different from fevers I've had earlier in my life (which didn't have such a painful impact, nor were they so high in magnitude)

By the way the fever was a result of bronchitis. Ever since, I've wondered about the effects a high fever can possibly illicit on a person's brain. Is the fever-brain damage link only applicable for infants, or does it extend to older people as well? (I was 17 when this happened). Also, are there any long term implications of extremely high fevers in general?

Thanks for your answers =)

Answer 1

yes i the high fever is called hyperpyrexia is an excessive and unusual elevation of set body temperature greater than or equal to 41.1° Celsius (106°F), or extremely high fever. Such a high temperature is considered a medical emergency. It differs from hyperthermia in that in hyperthermia the body temperature is too high above the set point, whereas in hyperpyrexia the body's temperature regulation mechanism sets the normal body temperature too high. and it causes ur blood to boil and serious to death brain damage is possible

Causes

Some of the more common causes of hyperpyrexia include:

    * Excessive exposure to heat or the sun (also called heat hyperpyrexia, a part of heatstroke), especially if intense exercise is done during such exposure

    * amphetamine or other stimulant abuse, which can aggravate the effects of heat hyperpyrexia, or which can cause it by itself, such as the drug PMA which was the cause of a 115F (46.1 C) fever [1]

    * idiosyncratic drug reactions

    * withdrawal from barbiturates, alcohol, or other anxiolytics, although it is less common with benzodiazepines

    * serotonin syndrome, caused by combining two or more different serotonin agonists, such as antidepressants, stimulants (prescribed or street drugs), migraine medications, or common cold medicines (including decongestants, antihistamines, and dextromethorphan)

    * septicemia (a generalized bacterial infection of the blood)

    * some viral infections, such as mononucleosis

    * a thyrotoxic crisis (in hyperthyroidism)

    * Malignant hyperthermia is a particular condition accompanied by the breakdown of muscle following its over-excitation, in response to certain anesthetics in humans, and other stimuli in animals, such as pigs

    * Intense and prolonged convulsions

    * Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) can also cause hyperpyrexia after the administration of antipsychotic drug

Answer 2

Fevers this high often result in seizure activity. It is very dangerous for an adult to have a temp over 104.0 for any length of time. Fevers this high can and will cause damage to the brain as well as all the organs in your body.  

Answer 3

possibly. extremelt high fevers usually result in seizures

Answer 4

Simply put, YES.