Can Stress Cause Fever?: Addressing Psychogenic Fever

Since discovering the mind-body connection, scientists and psychologists have examined whether stress and emotional challenges can cause physical symptoms. Many people also wonder whether stress can cause a fever. The short answer is yes, a stress fever (also known as stress-induced hyperthermia or psychogenic fever) can occur when an elevated body temperature stems from feeling stressed. Understanding the connection between stress and health can help you ensure a healthy self-care practice and daily routine that target your mind and body, equipping you with the tools to address an emotional fever. Additionally, some people may benefit from psychological support in managing stress, anxiety, and emotional distress.

What is a fever? 

Fever is a body temperature that exceeds the average threshold. Although 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit is considered a "normal" body temperature, some people's baseline temperature is closer to the low end of 97 degrees, and others' might trend toward 99 degrees. Temperatures of over 100.4 are most often considered a fever. In infancy, however, a fever can be as little as 99 degrees, and infants with fevers are often treated quickly due to the delicate nature of their immune systems. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, a psychogenic fever is characterized by high body temperature resulting from sympathetic hyperactivity.

What is the purpose of a fever? 

Some people may immediately run to the medicine cabinet if a fever inches over 100.4 degrees and feel terrified if it hits 103 degrees or higher. Still, fevers are a helpful reaction in the human body and serve a purpose. 

A fever is meant to burn off foreign substances and invaders attacking the body to prevent illness. Bacteria and viruses can cause fevers, which may be followed by symptoms of the bacteria or virus responsible for the immune response, depending on the severity of the fever. 

Fevers are associated with the onset of illness, but they can spike as high as 104 degrees or higher without visible signs of sickness or overt distress, especially in children. Seattle Children's Hospital released guidelines to keep parents at ease when fevers like these occur. 

Stress's impact on the human body 

A problematic workday, an unpleasant altercation with a partner, or the piling-on of responsibility at school can all incite an intense stress response, releasing a flood of hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones cause symptoms like sweating, headaches, dry mouth, and tension, which may take a few minutes or hours to subside. Even so, a stress response of this nature is often short-lived. 

When stress responses are constantly incited, or your body is pushed into a state of "fight or flight" on a near-permanent basis, stress can begin to take a toll on your overall health and well-being. Stress can cause persistent, long-term physical health challenges in your heart, skin, lungs, muscles, gastrointestinal system, and hormone production, leading to periods of illness, exhaustion, and overwhelm.

Can stress cause a fever? 

Stress-induced fever is an identifiable condition called "psychogenic fever.” A sudden high fever with no physical roots characterizes this type of fever. These fevers can rise as high as 105 degrees or hold steady at 99 to 100 degrees without any other visible cause. 

Stress fever vs infection-induced fever

A psychogenic fever differs from an infection-induced fever caused by viral or bacterial infections. Unlike fevers that have an inflammatory cause, P psychogenic fevers do not respond to standard, over-the-counter medications for an inflammation-induced fever but may respond to medications that treat depression and anxiety with anxiolytic and sedative properties. Psychogenic fever also responds to therapeutic modalities designed to lessen the effects of stress and encourage healthy coping techniques. 

Though psychogenic fevers have been well documented and observed, little is known about what makes this stress response likely to occur. Psychogenic fevers do not serve to ward off illness but appear directly and inextricably tied to the stressful event, and are considered entirely stress-related. Easing the source of stress also eases the fever, making psychogenic fever an example of a physical ailment caused by high-stress levels.

Biological and psychological mechanisms behind stress fever

Stress can affect body temperature by activating the sympathetic nervous system of the autonomic nervous system. The activation of the sympathetic nervous system then triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response, prompting the release of cortisol and adrenaline in response to a perceived threat. These hormones may trigger the brain’s hypothalamus, which is responsible for regulating body temperature.

Fevers occur when the brain increases body temperature. Maintaining core body temperature is a function of the central nervous system, with its distinct central efferent pathways. Dysregulation of the stress system due to chronic stress can disrupt homeostasis, leading to various manifestations, including a fever stemming from emotional distress and psychological factors.

Prolonged exposure to stressors can lead to psychogenic fever through sympathetic and neuroendocrine responses, including heat production in brown adipose tissue (BAT) and cardiovascular responses. Psychological stressors that can cause an emotional fever include:

• Prolonged stress exposure
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Exposure to a traumatic event

Who is more likely to experience stress-related fever?

Individuals' responses to stressors can vary. The Trier Social Stress Test, for example, can induce stress in study participants to assess their responses and identify individual differences. 

The condition is A stress-related fever is uncommon, primarily affecting individuals under 18, though it has been seen in adults of all ages. Beyond age distribution and gender differences in those more likely to develop a psychogenic fever, findings suggest that young women may be especially affected due to increased sympathetic nervous system activity. 

Additionally, too much stress can affect all systems of the body, contributing to mental and physical illness. Stress is associated with various conditions, including:

• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Anxiety
• Asthma
• Hypertension
• Alcohol use disorder

Symptoms that may occur alongside stress fever

Unlike a fever caused by an infection, symptoms such as muscle aches, chills, and sweating may not be present. With a psychogenic fever, a person typically experiences other symptoms besides feeling hot, including:

• Chest tightness
• Abdominal pain
• Headaches
• Rapid heartbeat
• Insomnia
• Fatigue
• Flushed skin

Along with physical symptoms, there are usually emotional and cognitive symptoms when the body feels hot. These symptoms often include racing thoughts and anxiety. 

Other unexplained fevers

There may be cases when a person experiences a fever of unknown origin that is not stress-related. A fever of an unknown origin is defined as a fever of at least 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38.3 degrees Centigrade) for more than three weeks whose cause hasn’t been established after receiving medical tests by healthcare providers. These types of fevers may be caused by over 200 infectious, inflammatory, and other disorders. Symptoms may include a severe headache, a stiff neck, low blood pressure, and tender muscles, among others. To determine its underlying cause, a person should seek medical attention and further diagnostic tests. 

Managing and reducing stress-related fever

There are many mind-body approaches to address a psychosomatic fever, including relaxation exercises to reduce stress. 

Some stress-caused fevers go away on their own after as little as a few hours or as long as several weeks. Treating a psychogenic fever often involves addressing the source of stress. If your child experiences these fevers during exam season, consider creating a calm, relaxing, and welcoming environment at home during exam season. If you are coming down with psychogenic fever, try to clear your schedule, engage in a relaxation practice such as meditation and deep breathing exercises, or seek help from a mental health professional to improve your ability to process and manage stress. 

Stress management techniques

Engaging in relaxation techniques at home can be a valuable tool in easing psychogenic fever. Meditation, yoga, and walking, as well as other physical exercise can all have beneficial effects on stress. Meditation encourages you to practice mindfulness, which can help alleviate future-forward thinking commonly experienced alongside stress and anxiety. Yoga teaches you to isolate your breath and improve flexibility, which helps control your nervous system. Walking is a physical activity that gets your blood flowing and out into nature, which may improve stress and anxiety disorders. Other daily habits to reduce stress and improve well-being can include visualization, journaling, and positive affirmations.

Therapy and professional support

Enlisting the help of a professional can be an effective tool in addressing underlying psychological stressors and ultimately eliminating psychogenic fever. Because the condition is predicated entirely on the presence of stress or anxiety, seeing a mental health professional can improve your anxiety symptoms, allow you to develop tools to manage ongoing stress, and support you in learning how to reason through panic attacks. You may also receive further guidance on stress management techniques that can promote stress reduction. 

The role of mental health care in stress-related symptoms

Managing stress helps protect long-term mental and physical health. If you are considering therapy to help you cope with stress, several options are available. Some people choose online therapy platforms like BetterHelp because of their convenience and affordability. With online therapy, you can meet with your counselor from the comfort and safe space of your own home. Connecting with a licensed therapist can help you identify the stressors in your life and develop coping mechanisms to cope with stress in healthy ways, eventually eliminating negative symptoms like stress-induced fever. 

Research shows that online therapy is effective. One review showed that online treatment led to a 50% improvement in symptoms of several mental health conditions, including general anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder, significantly limiting stress's impact on the body and mind.