On this page. Symptoms of fever Infection is usually the cause of fever Self-treatment suggestions for fever When to see your doctor for fever symptoms When to seek immediate urgent medical attention Diagnosis methods Treatment options Fever in children Where to get help Things to remember.
Symptoms of fever The symptoms of fever can include: Feeling unwell Feeling hot and sweaty Shivering Chattering teeth Flushed face. Infection is usually the cause of fever The cause of fever is usually an infection of some kind. This could include: Viruses — such as colds or upper respiratory tract infections. Bacteria — such as tonsillitis, pneumonia or urinary tract infections.
Some chronic illnesses — such as rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis that can cause fevers that last longer than two weeks. Some tropical diseases — such as malaria, which can cause bouts of recurring fever or typhoid fever.
Heat stroke — which includes fever without sweating as one of its symptoms. Drugs — some people may be susceptible to fever as a side effect of particular drugs. Malignant tumours. Self-treatment suggestions for fever Suggestions to treat fever include: Take paracetamol or ibuprofen in appropriate doses to help bring your temperature down. Drink plenty of fluids, particularly water. Avoid alcohol, tea and coffee as these drinks can cause slight dehydration.
Sponge exposed skin with tepid water. To boost the cooling effect of evaporation, you could try standing in front of a fan. Avoid taking cold baths or showers.
Wrong, because the brain knows when the body is too hot. While these are "high" fevers, they also are harmless ones. Fevers that don't come down to normal can be caused by viruses or bacteria. The response to fever medicines tells us nothing about the cause of the infection. It's normal for fevers with most viral infections to last for 2 or 3 days.
When the fever medicine wears off, the fever will come back. It may need to be treated again. The fever will go away and not return once the body overpowers the virus. Most often, this is day 3 or 4. If the fever is high, the cause may or may not be serious. If your child looks very sick, the cause is more likely to be serious. How your child looks and acts is what's important. The exact temperature number is not. Oral temperatures between These temperatures are normal. The body's normal temperature changes throughout the day.
Not having a spleen. Petechiae say "puh-TEE-kee-eye" : Are tiny, flat red or purple spots in the skin or the lining of the mouth. Do not turn white when you press on them. Range from the size of a pinpoint to the size of a small pea and do not itch or cause pain. May spread over a large area of the body within a few hours. Are different than tiny, flat red spots or birthmarks that are present all the time. May be in one area or all over. Is different than the bruising that happens after you bump into something.
Symptoms of serious illness may include: A severe headache. A stiff neck. Mental changes, such as feeling confused or much less alert.
Extreme fatigue to the point where it's hard for you to function. Shaking chills. Pain in adults and older children Severe pain 8 to 10 : The pain is so bad that you can't stand it for more than a few hours, can't sleep, and can't do anything else except focus on the pain. Moderate pain 5 to 7 : The pain is bad enough to disrupt your normal activities and your sleep, but you can tolerate it for hours or days. Moderate can also mean pain that comes and goes even if it's severe when it's there.
Mild pain 1 to 4 : You notice the pain, but it is not bad enough to disrupt your sleep or activities. Pain in children under 3 years It can be hard to tell how much pain a baby or toddler is in. Severe pain 8 to 10 : The pain is so bad that the baby cannot sleep, cannot get comfortable, and cries constantly no matter what you do. The baby may kick, make fists, or grimace. Moderate pain 5 to 7 : The baby is very fussy, clings to you a lot, and may have trouble sleeping but responds when you try to comfort him or her.
Mild pain 1 to 4 : The baby is a little fussy and clings to you a little but responds when you try to comfort him or her. Symptoms of a more serious infection may include the following: Skin infection: Pain, redness, or pus Joint infection : Severe pain, redness, or warmth in or around a joint Bladder infection : Burning when you urinate, and a frequent need to urinate without being able to pass much urine Kidney infection : Pain in the flank, which is either side of the back just below the rib cage Abdominal infection : Belly pain.
These include: Passing out losing consciousness. Feeling very dizzy or light-headed, like you may pass out. Feeling very weak or having trouble standing. Not feeling alert or able to think clearly. You may be confused, restless, fearful, or unable to respond to questions.
Being very sleepy or hard to wake up. Not responding when being touched or talked to. Breathing much faster than usual. Acting confused. The child may not know where he or she is. Seek Care Now Based on your answers, you may need care right away. Call your doctor now to discuss the symptoms and arrange for care. If you cannot reach your doctor or you don't have one, seek care in the next hour.
You do not need to call an ambulance unless: You cannot travel safely either by driving yourself or by having someone else drive you. You are in an area where heavy traffic or other problems may slow you down. Seek Care Today Based on your answers, you may need care soon. Call your doctor today to discuss the symptoms and arrange for care.
If you cannot reach your doctor or you don't have one, seek care today. If it is evening, watch the symptoms and seek care in the morning. If the symptoms get worse, seek care sooner. Call Now Based on your answers, you need emergency care. Make an Appointment Based on your answers, the problem may not improve without medical care.
Make an appointment to see your doctor in the next 1 to 2 weeks. If appropriate, try home treatment while you are waiting for the appointment.
If symptoms get worse or you have any concerns, call your doctor. Fever or Chills, Age 11 and Younger. Home Treatment It's easy to become dehydrated when you have a fever. Adults and children age 12 and older If you become mildly to moderately dehydrated: Stop your activity and rest.
Drink a rehydration drink, water, juice, or sports drink to replace fluids and minerals. Drink 2 L 2 qt of cool liquids over the next 2 to 4 hours. You should drink at least 10 glasses of liquid a day to replace lost fluids. You can make an inexpensive rehydration drink at home. But do not give this homemade drink to children younger than Measure all ingredients precisely.
Small variations can make the drink less effective or even harmful. Mix the following: 1 L 1 quart purified water 2. Medicine you can buy without a prescription Try a non-prescription medicine to help treat your fever or pain: Acetaminophen , such as Tylenol Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs : Ibuprofen, such as Advil or Motrin Naproxen, such as Aleve Aspirin also a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug , such as Asaphen or Entrophen Talk to your child's doctor before switching back and forth between doses of acetaminophen and ibuprofen.
Safety tips Be sure to follow these safety tips when you use a non-prescription medicine: Carefully read and follow all directions on the medicine bottle and box. Do not take more than the recommended dose. Do not take a medicine if you have had an allergic reaction to it in the past.
If you have been told to avoid a medicine, call your doctor before you take it. If you are or could be pregnant, do not take any medicine other than acetaminophen unless your doctor has told you to. Do not give aspirin to anyone younger than 18 unless your doctor tells you to.
Do not give your child naproxen such as Aleve to children younger than age 12 unless your child's doctor tells you to. Symptoms to watch for during home treatment Call your doctor if any of the following occur during home treatment: Level of consciousness changes. You have signs of dehydration and you are unable to drink enough to replace lost fluids.
Signs of dehydration include being thirstier than usual and having darker urine than usual. Other symptoms develop, such as pain in one area of the body, shortness of breath, or urinary symptoms.
Symptoms become more severe or frequent. Prevention The best way to prevent fevers is to reduce your exposure to infectious diseases. You can help your doctor diagnose and treat your condition by being prepared to answer the following questions: What is the history of your fever?
When did you fever start? How often do you have a fever? How long does your fever last? Does your fever have a pattern? Are you able to measure your temperature? How high is your fever? Have you had any other health problems over the past 3 months? Have you recently been exposed to anyone who has a fever? Have you recently travelled outside the country or been exposed to immigrants or other nonnative people?
This causes a fever. In response, your body tries to cool itself off by tightening up on blood flow to your skin and contracting muscles. This makes you shiver and may cause muscle aches. You may have a fever if your temperature rises above this. Adults typically have a fever if their body temperature increases to This is called a low grade fever. Most fevers usually go away by themselves after 1 to 3 days. A persistent or recurrent fever may last or keep coming back for up to 14 days.
A fever that lasts longer than normal may be serious even if it is only a slight fever. This is because a recurrent fever might be a sign of a more serious infection or health condition. Common fever symptoms in adults include:. Get medical help if you have any kind of fever for more than three days. Let your doctor know if your symptoms get worse or if you have any new symptoms.
If you have serious fever symptoms, let your doctor know if you have recently traveled to a different country or attended an event that had lot of people. This may help your doctor find out the cause. Some adults may have a higher risk of getting a fever.
If you have a chronic health condition or have been treated for a severe illness, you may be more likely to get a serious fever. A fever is not normally harmful on its own.
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