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A fever is the body's normal and healthy reaction to infection and other illnesses, both minor and serious. It helps the body fight infection. A fever is a symptom, not a disease. In most cases, having a fever means that you have a minor illness. When you have a fever, your other symptoms will help you know how serious your illness is.
Temperatures in this topic are oral temperatures. Oral temperatures are usually taken in older children and adults.
Most people have an average body temperature of about 98.6°F (37°C), measured orally (under the tongue). Your temperature may be as low as 97.4°F (36°C) in the morning or as high as 99.6°F (38°C) in the late afternoon. Your temperature may go up when you exercise, wear too many clothes, take a hot bath, or are exposed to hot weather.
A fever is a high body temperature. A temperature of up to 102°F (39°C) can be helpful because it helps the body fight infection. Most healthy children and adults can tolerate a fever as high as 103°F (39°C) to 104°F (40°C) for short periods of time without problems. Children tend to have higher fevers than adults.
The degree of fever may not show how serious the illness is. With a minor illness, such as a cold, you may have a fever. But a very serious infection may cause little or no fever. It's important to look for and evaluate other symptoms along with the fever.
If you can't measure your temperature with a thermometer, you need to look for other symptoms of illness. A fever without other symptoms that lasts 3 to 4 days, comes and goes, and gradually reduces over time usually isn't a cause for concern. When you have a fever, you may feel tired, lack energy, and not eat as much as usual. High fevers aren't comfortable. But they rarely cause serious problems.
An oral temperature taken after you smoke or you drink a hot fluid may give you a false high temperature reading. After you drink or eat cold foods or fluids, your oral temperature may be falsely low.
Travel outside your native country can expose you to other diseases. Fevers that start after travel in other countries need to be checked by your doctor.
Fever and respiratory symptoms are hard to evaluate during the flu season. A fever of 102°F (39°C) or higher for 3 to 4 days is common with the flu.
Recurrent fevers are ones that occur 3 or more times within 6 months and are at least 7 days apart. Each new viral infection may cause a fever. It may seem that a fever is ongoing. But if 48 hours pass between fevers, then the fever is recurring. If you have frequent or recurrent fevers, they may be a symptom of a more serious problem. Talk to your doctor about your fevers.
In most cases, the illness that caused the fever will clear up in a few days. You usually can treat the fever at home if you are in good health and don't have any medical problems or significant symptoms with the fever. Make sure that you are taking enough foods and fluids and urinating in normal amounts.
If a low body temperature is your only symptom, it's not something to worry about. If a low body temperature occurs with other symptoms, such as chills, shaking, breathing problems, or confusion, then this may be a sign of more serious illness.
Low body temperature may occur from cold exposure,
Many things can affect how your body responds to a symptom and what kind of care you may need. These include:
You have answered all the questions. Based on your answers, you may be able to take care of this problem at home.
You can get dehydrated when you lose a lot of fluids because of problems like vomiting or fever.
Symptoms of dehydration can range from mild to severe. For example:
Severe dehydration means:
Moderate dehydration means:
Mild dehydration means:
Symptoms of difficulty breathing can range from mild to severe. For example:
Severe trouble breathing means:
Moderate trouble breathing means:
Mild trouble breathing means:
Severe trouble breathing means:
Moderate trouble breathing means:
Mild trouble breathing means:
Sudden drooling and trouble swallowing can be signs of a serious problem called epiglottitis. This problem can happen at any age.
The epiglottis is a flap of tissue at the back of the throat that you can't see when you look in the mouth. When you swallow, it closes to keep food and fluids out of the tube (trachea) that leads to the lungs. If the epiglottis becomes inflamed or infected, it can swell and quickly block the airway. This makes it very hard to breathe.
The symptoms start suddenly. A person with epiglottitis is likely to seem very sick, have a fever, drool, and have trouble breathing, swallowing, and making sounds. In the case of a child, you may notice the child trying to sit up and lean forward with his or her jaw forward, because it's easier to breathe in this position.
Many prescription and nonprescription medicines can trigger an allergic reaction and cause a fever. A few examples are:
If you're not sure if a fever is high, moderate, or mild, think about these issues:
With a high fever:
With a moderate fever:
With a mild fever:
Certain health conditions and medicines weaken the immune system's ability to fight off infection and illness. Some examples in adults are:
Temperature varies a little depending on how you measure it. For adults and children age 12 and older, these are the ranges for high, moderate, and mild, according to how you took the temperature.
Oral (by mouth) temperature
A forehead (temporal) scanner is usually 0.5°F (0.3°C) to 1°F (0.6°C) lower than an oral temperature.
Ear temperature
Armpit (axillary) temperature
Sudden tiny red or purple spots or sudden bruising may be early symptoms of a serious illness or bleeding problem. There are two types.
Petechiae (say "puh-TEE-kee-eye"):
Purpura (say "PURR-pyuh-ruh" or “PURR-puh-ruh”):
Symptoms of serious illness may include:
Pain in adults and older children
Pain in children under 3 years
It can be hard to tell how much pain a baby or toddler is in.
Fever can be a symptom of almost any type of infection. Symptoms of a more serious infection may include the following:
Shock is a life-threatening condition that may quickly occur after a sudden illness or injury.
Adults and older children often have several symptoms of shock. These include:
Shock is a life-threatening condition that may occur quickly after a sudden illness or injury.
Babies and young children often have several symptoms of shock. These include:
Based on your answers, you may need care right away. The problem is likely to get worse without medical care.
Based on your answers, you may need care soon. The problem probably will not get better without medical care.
Based on your answers, you need emergency care.
Call 911 or other emergency services now.
Sometimes people don't want to call 911. They may think that their symptoms aren't serious or that they can just get someone else to drive them. Or they might be concerned about the cost. But based on your answers, the safest and quickest way for you to get the care you need is to call 911 for medical transport to the hospital.
Based on your answers, the problem may not improve without medical care.
It's easy to become dehydrated when you have a
In the early stages, you may be able to correct
If you become mildly to moderately dehydrated:
Rest and take it easy for 24 hours. Keep drinking a lot of fluids. You'll probably start to feel better within just a few hours. But it may take as long as a day and a half to completely replace the fluid that you lost.
Many people find that taking a lukewarm 80°F (27°C) to 90°F (32°C) shower or bath makes them feel better when they have a fever. Don't try to take a shower if you are dizzy or unsteady on your feet. Increase the water temperature if you start to shiver. Shivering is a sign that your body is trying to raise its temperature. Don't use rubbing alcohol, ice, or cold water to cool your body.
Dress lightly when you have a fever. This will help your body cool down. Wear light pajamas or a light undershirt. Don't wear very warm clothing or use heavy bed covers. Keep the room temperature at 70°F (21°C) or lower.
If you can't measure your temperature, you need to look for other symptoms of illness while you have a fever and are using home treatment.
When you have a fever, check your temperature several times each day.
Call a doctor if any of the following occur during self-care at home:
Over-the-counter medicines
More self-care
Current as of: August 6, 2023
Author:
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