Fever

What Is a Fever? A A part of Fevers themselves generally aren’t dangerous, but you should check in with your doctor if: • An adult’s temperature is 103 or higher • A very young • A 3-6-month-old has a higher than normal rectal temperature and is also irritable or sleepy (call your doctor right away) • A 3-6-month-old has a 102 or higher rectal temperature • A 6-24-month-old has a fever higher than 102 for more than a day or with other symptoms such as a • A child older than 2 has a fever that comes with • An • Any temperature over 104 in a child, which could cause a • Any fever that starts after someone has been in hot temperatures, which could be a sign of • The fever doesn’t go down after taking over-the-counter • You’ve been in contact with someone who has COVID-19 Fever Symptoms Fevers are signs of some sort of illness or infection. When you have, you may also notice these symptoms: • • • Headache • Feeling weak • Being irritable • Losing your appetite • Being dehydrated Fever Causes A fever can be a sign of several health conditions, which may or may not need medical treatment. The most common causes of fever are infections such as • Infections of the • • COVID-19 • • Conditions that cause • Side effects of medications • • • Autoimmune conditions such as • • • • Teething in babies can cause a mild, low-grade fever (not over 101 degrees) Fever Diagnosis Although a fever is easy to measure with a thermometer, finding its cause can be hard. Besides a Your doctor may ask ...

Overview A fever is a temporary rise in body temperature. It's one part of an overall response from the body's immune system. A fever is usually caused by an infection. For most children and adults, a fever may be uncomfortable. But it usually isn't a cause for concern. For infants, however, even a low fever may mean there's a serious infection. Symptoms Body temperatures vary slightly from person to person and at different times of day. The average temperature has traditionally been defined as 98.6 F (37 C). A temperature taken using a mouth thermometer (oral temperature) that's 100 F (37.8 C) or higher is generally considered to be a fever. Depending on what's causing a fever, other fever signs and symptoms may include: • Sweating • Chills and shivering • Headache • Muscle aches • Loss of appetite • Irritability • Dehydration • General weakness Taking a temperature To take a temperature, you can choose from several types of thermometers, including oral, rectal, ear (tympanic) and forehead (temporal artery) thermometers. Oral and rectal thermometers generally provide the most accurate measurement of core body temperature. Ear or forehead thermometers, although convenient, provide less accurate temperature measurements. In infants, a rectal temperature, if doable, is somewhat more accurate. When reporting a temperature to your health care provider, give both the reading and the type of thermometer used. When to see a doctor Fevers by themselves may not be a cause for alarm...

A fever is a common sign of illness, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, fevers seem to play a key role in fighting infections. So should you treat a fever or let the fever run its course? Here's help making the call. These recommendations are for people who are generally healthy — for instance, those who are not immunocompromised or taking chemotherapy drugs and haven't recently had surgery. The values listed in the table below are for temperatures taken with rectal and oral thermometers. These thermometers provide the most accurate measurement of core body temperature. Other types of thermometers, such as ear (tympanic membrane) or forehead (temporal artery) thermometers, although convenient, provide less accurate temperature measurements. Infants and toddlers Age Temperature What to do 0-3 months 100.4 F (38 C) or higher taken rectally Call the doctor, even if your child doesn't have any other signs or symptoms. 3-6 months Up to 102 F (38.9 C) taken rectally Encourage your child to rest and drink plenty of fluids. Medication isn't needed. Call the doctor if your child seems unusually irritable, lethargic or uncomfortable. 3-6 months Above 102 F (38.9 C) taken rectally Call the doctor; he or she may recommend that you bring your child in for an exam. 6-24 months Above 102 F (38.9 C) taken rectally Give your child acetaminophen (Tylenol, others). If your child is age 6 months or older, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) is OK, too. Read the label carefully for...

Be sure to get out of the tub once the water starts to cool. A cold bath may sound like a good idea if you're burning up, but it can cause shivering that can increase—rather than decrease—core body temperature. And shivering consumes calories, which can make you exhausted if you aren't eating well due to illness. Stay Cool When you have a fever, it can help to stay in a cool environment. Keep the temperature in the room low and wear loose-fitting clothes made of a light, breathable fabric. If you're experiencing chills, it's okay to rest under your bed covers or wrap up in a blanket, but be careful not to overheat. If you're sweating, it's best not to stay in that warmer environment. • Alcohol rubdowns: An isopropylalcohol (a.k.a. "rubbing alcohol"), which provides a cooling sensation as it evaporates. This remedy actually does nothing to reduce fever and may cause shivers. Even worse, the practice can lead to alcohol poisoning as the alcohol is absorbed through the skin. • Overmedicating: Taking high doses of fever medications—or taking them more often than prescribed—does not make them more effective. But, it will increase the • Overlooking product labels: Before using any medication, be sure to read the product label. This is especially true with salicylates, a class of drugs used to reduce • Evans SS, Repasky EA, Fisher DT. Nat Rev Immunol. 2015;15(6):335-49. doi:10.1038/nri3843 • Baran G, Turan E. Int J Caring Sci. 2018;11(1):478-87. • Hekmatpou D, Kia MK. Medsurg Nur...

A fever is when your body temperature is higher than your normal average temp. Most providers say a fever is either 100.0 F (37.8 C) or 100.4 F (38 C). When you have a fever, it’s your body’s normal response to fighting an infection or illness. Fevers usually aren’t a serious concern. They typically go away when the infection passes. Overview What is a fever? A fever is when your body temperature rises higher than normal. A fever itself isn’t an illness. Rather, it’s a symptom of a wide range of health conditions. When your body temperature rises a few degrees above normal, it can be a sign that your What is considered a fever? Common knowledge states that a “normal” body temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius). But your baseline body temperature may vary by a degree or more. It also fluctuates. It’s typically lower in the morning and higher in the evening. It’s higher during certain points of your Infants and young children normally have slightly higher body temperatures than older children and adults. So infants and younger children have slightly higher fever temperatures. There are no strict guidelines for what temperature is a fever, because body temperature varies by person, time of day and method of measurement. But healthcare providers most often say a fever temperature is 100.4 degrees F (38 degrees C) when measured orally (by mouth). Rectal and ear thermometers typically measure temperatures at about 1.0 degrees F (0.6 degrees C) higher than or...

A fever is a rise in body temperature. It's usually a sign of infection. The fever itself is generally harmless and probably helpful. Fevers usually don't need treatment. The average body temperature is 98.6 F (37 C). But normal body temperature can range between 97 F (36.1 C) and 99 F (37.2 C) or more. Your body temperature can vary depending on how active you are or the time of day. Generally, older people have lower body temperatures than younger people have. The following thermometer readings generally indicate a fever: • Rectal, ear or temporal artery temperature of 100.4 (38 C) or higher • Oral temperature of 100 F (37.8 C) or higher • Armpit temperature of 99 F (37.2 C) or higher Should I treat a fever? When you or your child is sick, the main goal is to relieve discomfort and promote rest. Treating a fever neither shortens nor particularly prolongs the course of an illness. Treating fever in a child Children with relatively high fevers may not look or act particularly sick. Treating a fever depends on the degree of discomfort. If your child is uncomfortable or restless, these home care strategies may help: • Encourage your child to drink fluids • Dress your child in lightweight clothing. • Use a light blanket if your child feels chilled, until the chills end. • Don't give aspirin to children or teenagers. • Don't give an infant any type of pain reliever until after you've contacted a doctor and your child has been evaluated. • If your child is 6 months old or older...

You probably always heard that the average human body temperature is 98.6 F. But the reality is that a "normal" body temperature can fall within a wide range, from 97 F to 99 F. It’s usually lower in the morning and goes up during the day. It peaks in the late afternoon or evening, sometimes by as much as 1 or 2 degrees. If you’re healthy, you don’t need to take your temperature regularly. But you should check it more often if you feel sick or if you think you might have come into contact with an illness such as COVID-19. Many who are infected by the The Myth of 98.6 The 98.6 F standard dates to the mid-1800s. German doctor Carl Wunderlich measured the armpit temperatures of about 25,000 people and came up with an average of 98.6 F. Newer research suggests that the number has since gone down. In a recent review, scientists looked at temperature records from three periods between 1860 and 2017. The average oral temperature slowly fell by about 1 degree to 97.5 F. A person’s age, gender, or weight didn’t make a difference, nor did the time of day. Doctors have several ideas about why body temperatures are falling. They include: • Lower metabolic rates. Your body uses energy so all your systems can work the way they should. This creates heat. But people may have lower metabolic rates now because we weigh more than people did centuries ago. The less heat your body makes, the lower your temperature. • Lower rates of infection. In the 19th century, infections such as • Better th...