Read more about fever in children. They need to monitor the effects of the fever on your baby. Older infants, children and adults will not usually need any medical treatment for mild fever, especially if you are otherwise well. Fever is usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection. Fever is your body's way of fighting infection. Raising the temperature inside your body helps to kill the virus or bacteria causing the infection.
Adults should not take paracetamol before or after getting a vaccine. It may make the vaccine less effective. Medication is not needed for mild fever, but you can use paracetamol if you also have a headache, pain or distress. Page last reviewed: 18 March Next review due: 18 March Read our cookies policy to find out more about our cookies and how we use them. Fever in adults. A fever is usually caused by your body fighting a viral or bacterial infection.
Symptoms Mild fever 38 to High fever 39 to 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. Most fevers go away within a few hours to days as your body defeats an infection.
Help yourself feel better with these at-home flu remedies :. Over-the-counter medications can help ease your fever and symptoms, like headaches and muscle pain:. You may need treatment from your doctor for more serious causes of a fever. The treatment depends on the cause. Your doctor may prescribe medications to treat serious infections:. Get emergency medical attention by going to the ER or calling an ambulance if you have any of these symptoms:.
A fever in adults is usually not harmful on its own. It is a sign that your body is dealing with an infection or other illness. In some cases a high or long-lasting fever can be a sign of a serious illness. Call or other emergency services now. Sometimes people don't want to call They may think that their symptoms aren't serious or that they can just get someone else to drive them.
But based on your answers, the safest and quickest way for you to get the care you need is to call 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 fever. In the early stages, you may be able to correct mild to moderate dehydration with home treatment measures.
It is important to control fluid losses and replace lost fluids. If you become mildly to moderately dehydrated:. Rest and take it easy for 24 hours, and continue to drink a lot of fluids.
Although you will probably start feeling better within just a few hours, it may take as long as a day and a half to completely replace the fluid that you lost. Do not 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. Do not 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 pyjamas or a light undershirt. Do not wear very warm clothing or use heavy bed covers. If you are not able to measure your temperature, you need to look for other symptoms of illness every hour while you have a fever and follow home treatment measures.
Talk to your child's doctor before switching back and forth between doses of acetaminophen and ibuprofen. When you switch between two medicines, there is a chance your child will get too much medicine. Be sure to check your temperature every 2 to 4 hours to make sure home treatment is working. Call your doctor if any of the following occur during home treatment:. The best way to prevent fevers is to reduce your exposure to infectious diseases.
Handwashing is the single most important prevention measure for people of all ages. Immunizations can reduce the risk for fever-related illnesses, such as the flu. For more information, see the topic Immunizations. To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment. You can help your doctor diagnose and treat your condition by being prepared to answer the following questions:.
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All rights reserved. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. Overview Fever is the body's normal and healthy reaction to infection and other illnesses, both minor and serious. Fever temperatures A fever is a high body temperature. Causes of fever Viral infections , such as colds and influenza flu , and bacterial infections , such as a urinary tract infection or pneumonia , often cause a fever.
Treating a fever In most cases, the illness that caused the fever will clear up in a few days. Low body temperature If a low body temperature is your only symptom, it is not something to worry about. Check Your Symptoms Do you think you may have a fever or chills? How old are you? Are you male or female? Why do we ask this question? The medical assessment of symptoms is based on the body parts you have. If you are transgender or non-binary, choose the sex that matches the body parts such as ovaries, testes, prostate, breasts, penis, or vagina you now have in the area where you are having symptoms.
If you have some organs of both sexes, you may need to go through this triage tool twice once as "male" and once as "female". This will make sure that the tool asks the right questions for you. Are you pregnant? Yes, you know that you're pregnant.
No, you're not pregnant, or you're not sure if you're pregnant. Have you had surgery in the past 2 weeks? Do you have symptoms of shock? The symptoms in an adult or older child are different than the symptoms in a young child. Do you think you may be dehydrated? Are the symptoms severe, moderate, or mild?
Are you having trouble drinking enough to replace the fluids you've lost? Little sips of fluid usually are not enough. You need to be able to take in and keep down plenty of fluids. Are you having trouble breathing more than a stuffy nose? Would you describe the breathing problem as severe, moderate, or mild? The symptoms in an adult or older child are different than the symptoms in a young child or baby.
Is your ability to breathe:. Getting worse? Staying about the same not better or worse? Getting better? Are you suddenly drooling and not able to swallow? Do you have symptoms of a serious illness? Is there any pain? How bad is the pain on a scale of 0 to 10, if 0 is no pain and 10 is the worst pain you can imagine?
Signs of pain in an adult or child are different than signs of pain in a baby or toddler. Do you have a health problem or take medicine that weakens your immune system? Do you have shaking chills or very heavy sweating? Shaking chills are a severe, intense form of shivering.
Heavy sweating means that sweat is pouring off you or soaking through your clothes. Besides fever, do you have other symptoms of a more serious infection?
Have tiny red or purple spots or bruises appeared suddenly? Do you have a rash that looks like a sunburn? Did you take your temperature? How high is the fever? The answer may depend on how you took the temperature. Mild: How high do you think the fever is? Mild or low. How long have you had a fever? Less than 2 days 48 hours. At least 2 days but less than 1 week.
Do you think that a medicine or a vaccine may be causing the fever? Think about whether the fever started soon after you began using a new medicine or a higher dose of a medicine. Or did it start after you got a shot or vaccine? These include: Your age. Babies and older adults tend to get sicker quicker. Your overall health. If you have a condition such as diabetes, HIV, cancer, or heart disease, you may need to pay closer attention to certain symptoms and seek care sooner.
Medicines you take. Certain medicines, such as blood thinners anticoagulants , medicines that suppress the immune system like steroids or chemotherapy, or natural health products can cause symptoms or make them worse. Recent health events , such as surgery or injury. These kinds of events can cause symptoms afterwards or make them more serious. Your health habits and lifestyle , such as eating and exercise habits, smoking, alcohol or drug use, sexual history, and travel.
Try Home Treatment You have answered all the questions. Try home treatment to relieve the symptoms. Call your doctor if symptoms get worse or you have any concerns for example, if symptoms are not getting better as you would expect.
You may need care sooner. For example: You may feel tired and edgy mild dehydration , or you may feel weak, not alert, and not able to think clearly severe dehydration. You may pass less urine than usual mild dehydration , or you may not be passing urine at all severe dehydration. Severe dehydration means: Your mouth and eyes may be extremely dry. You may pass little or no urine for 12 or more hours. You may not feel alert or be able to think clearly.
You may be too weak or dizzy to stand.
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