Can Stress and Anxiety Cause Psychogenic Fever?

Living with ongoing stress can make you physically and mentally drained. Treating stress on time is important to avoid the formation of psychosomatic diseases and mental health disorders like anxiety and depression. 

Once stress takes the next stage and becomes chronic stress, it starts to affect health dramatically, causing high blood pressure and heart disease, and eventually, psychogenic fever, which is a type of fever caused by stress. Learn more about psychogenic fever in this blog.

But before, Contact Therapy Fleet if anxiety disorders and chronic stress are making your life difficult to deal with. Our expert online mental health care providers can deal with all types of mental health disorders.

What is Psychogenic Fever?

Psychogenic fever is often defined as a high body temperature that results after a high-stress situation or emotional event. Many individuals define psychogenic fever as feelings of intense heat, sweaty with severe headaches, and an increase in core body temperature. 

Psychogenic fever is a stress response- when extreme anxiety, mental disorders, and health conditions like fibromyalgia get tough to deal with. Young children also suffer from psychogenic fever when they experience changes in their daily routine.

Diagnosing Psychogenic fever is not easy. The only way to confirm diagnosis is to rule out other health conditions. The treatment for psychogenic fever is treating the underlying condition with antipsychotics like Xanax and Ativan and or giving psychotropic medications. 

Treating the underlying conditions is important to avoid health complications. For instance, when anxiety gets hard to control, it leads to complications like anxiety vomiting. Remember, there are no physical causes of psychogenic fever; it is only stress. It is the body’s response to different psychosomatic conditions and anxious thoughts. 

Physical Symptoms of Psychogenic Fever

Psychogenic fever results after a stressful situation. One of the biggest symptoms is the increase in body temperature from the normal  37°C (or 98.6ºF). Other common symptoms include;

• Red face
• High heart rate
• Feeling extreme heat
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Sweating
• Insomnia

Note—these symptoms might appear one at a time. But if they last more than 48 hours, seek medical advice, or in case of an emergency, visit your nearest medical emergency room. 

Causes of Psychogenic Fever

One of the biggest factors contributing to the onset of psychogenic fever is stress. When our brain cells react to emotional situations, they trigger our body to raise the temperature and lead to vasoconstriction of the blood vessels. This explains the palpitations and redness of the face.

Other common causes or triggers are;

• Lost of a family member
• Post-traumatic stress disorder, acute stress
• Generalized anxiety disorder
• Divorce.

Online Treatment Options for Psychogenic Fever

The best treatment plan would be;

•  to treat the underlying conditions, igniting the acute stress, and 
• getting rid of psychological stressors. 

Most often, the fever resolves independently when the stressor is removed. If your child is stressed before an exam, try creating a relaxing environment at home to keep their nerves calm. Psychogenic fever is not a medical condition but is a result of emotional distress and poor physical health.

If an excessive workload stresses you, try relaxation techniques such as yoga, aromatherapy, meditation, etc. Clear your head, go out, and let it out. The focus is to remain calm and composed and not let stress get over you.

Finally, if the psychogenic fever is not resolving on its own, then visit a professional for help. Only a mental health professional can help reduce the symptoms of anxiety by treating the condition instead of the symptoms. They will develop tools that will help you manage stress daily.

• If ongoing fever leads to body pains, your doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatories like Ibuprofen.
• If the source is PTSD, then they will recommend a psychologist for psychotherapy or CBT.
• For ongoing depression, getting rid of psychological factors is crucial. For example, for anxiety, SSRIs like Zoloft or Lexapro will be given. 
• If these don’t work, then Gabepenten or Clonidine may be prescribed. Although not the first-line treatment for anxiety disorders, they are provided, and then other therapies fail. 
• Another option is Wellbutrin for anxiety. Finding the correct dosage is essential for the drug to work optimally. Read this blog to recognize the signs of Wellbutrin working for anxiety management.
• For insomnia caused by stress, Ramelton or Mirtazapine may be prescribed
• For short-term anxiety relief, Xanax is prescribed for a week or so.

Counseling or Psychological Therapy For Ongoing Anxiety

Your mental health professional will recommend a therapist to help you cope with the ongoing stress. Connecting with therapists will help you figure out the triggers causing the psychogenic fever and will teach you how to cope with them. Every person experiences stress differently, so the treatment plan varies. However, one common factor is reducing stress levels.

1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
2. Exposure Therapy
3. Dialectal Behavioural Therapy

The Bottom Line

Regular fevers are not suitable for your health. If you have witnessed a stressful event or if too much stress is causing panic attacks, visit healthcare providers to find the underlying cause. Constant high fever can cause heart disease and anxiety disorder. If you notice unexplained fever, abdominal pain, or recently experienced stressful situations, contact help.

Taking control of your life will help avoid psychogenic fever. Ongoing anxiety can make your body weak. Contact mental healthcare now and get your life on track. Remember, help is around the corner.

Believe in your potential; every step brings you closer to your dreams. Stay resilient, and let your determination light the path forward.

FAQs

1.    How do you calm a psychogenic fever?

Engage in mindfulness, such as deep breathing or meditation. Train yourself to become accustomed to your symptoms; that way, you will feel relaxed even during times of stress.

2.    Can emotional stress cause a fever?

Yes, it is also known as psychogenic fever. It is more common in young women. When exposed to emotional situations, the body temperature increases to up to 41°C) 

3.    How long does it take for psychogenic fever to go away?

It depends on the severity of the underlying condition. When treated on time, it goes away quickly; otherwise, the stressor remains, and the fever continues for months at a stretch.