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Fever: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

A fever is a body temperature which is higher than what is considered to be normal. This is also called as high temperature, Hyperthermia, or Pyrexia.

Normal body temperature is 37°C (98.6° F) but it does vary slightly depending on the time of the day and how active you are. 

A temperature of 100.4 or higher is considered a fever.

Causes of fever:

  • Cough and colds
  • Flu
  • Kidney or urinary infection
  • Vaccination
  • Ear infection
  • Chickenpox or whooping cough 
  • Tonsillitis

Symptoms of fever:

Fever is a sign that your body is trying to fight some sort of illness or infection. You may experience the following symptoms if you have a fever;

  • Sweating
  • Headache
  • Feeling weak
  • Being irritable
  • Chills and Shivering
  • Loss of appetite
  • Being dehydrated

When to see a doctor?

If your temperature is 103° F (39.4 ° C) or higher, and if you feel you are experiencing the above symptoms with fever then you should immediately seek medical advice.

Treatments for fever:

Some of the home remedies include:

  • Resting
  • Taking a lukewarm bath
  • Drinking a lot of clear liquids like juices, water, broth, or rehydration drinks
  • Taking paracetamol, aspirins, or ibuprofen (Aspirins shouldn’t be given to anyone under 16 years of age.) 

To help reduce the temperature you should;

  • Drink plenty of water
  • Keep yourself cool
  • Stay in a room temperature of 18° C (65° F) 
  • Take paracetamol or ibuprofen

‘Ask Gogodoc About’ is an educational series providing information on various symptoms, pains and disorders. (*intended for educational purposes only. If you are experiencing symptoms, please reach out to book an online GP consultation with a Gogodoc GP.) Talk to a doctor online at a time that suits you, from home using a phone or video appointment. You can easily book an appointment with GP.

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