If an individual has a fever, their body temperature will rise more than the normal range of 98–100°F or 36–37°C. It is a common telltale sign of an infection. As your body temp increases, you may feel cold until it goes back to normal and stops rising.

People describe this phenomenon as chills. Individual factors, the time of the day, sleeping patterns, exercise, and the food people eat can also affect body temperature. In infections occur, our immune system will launch an attack and try to remove the cause of the infection.

A high temperature is the typical reaction of our body to the process. A fever will usually die down on its own. But if the temperature is too high, it might be a sign or symptom of severe infection and may need medical treatment. In this case, a physician may recommend drugs or medication to help reduce it.

Symptoms

When an individual is febrile, they also:

Have difficulty concentrating

Feel sleepy and lack energy

Have increased pain sensitivity

Show signs of moderate to severe dehydration

Have trouble eating because of low appetite

Sweating profusely

Feels cold and shiver when nobody else does

If an infant has a fever, they may:

Be clammy and sweaty

Have flushed cheeks

Feel hot all over the body

With a high fever, babies might also be very irritable, confused, and can experience delirium or seizure.

CoViD-19 Symptoms

If an individual febrile, partnered with a dry cough, that individual may have symptoms of Corona Virus Disease-19. The CDC or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urge everyone with these symptoms to stay away from other people and stay at home. People with CoViD-19 symptoms should also face shields or masks if other people are around them. In most cases, the symptoms will help improve without treatment help from medical professionals or specialists.

Visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronavirus_disease_2019 to know more about CoViD-19.

Taking body temperature

To take your body temp, most people use digital thermometers. Medical professionals do not recommend using a thermometer made of glass since it can break and very dangerous. Some even use forehead strips, but they can be less accurate.

Treatment

A mild or light fever is part of our immune system’s response to viruses, bacteria, and other dangerous pathogens. It helps our body fight off the infection. But it can be pretty uncomfortable, and severe fever can sometimes lead to different complications. Because of this, physicians usually recommend drugs that have antipyretic properties to lower body temperature.

These medications include NSAIDs or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen, like Tylenol, which can help reduce the fever. Aspirin can also help, but it is not advisable for kids and people are taking blood thinners to take this drug.

 

Treating the cause of the fever

It is a sign or a symptom and not an illness. Physicians may wish to test the patient to identify the cause of the symptom. If the fever is because of bacterial infections, they can prescribe antibiotics. If it is from a viral infection, they may recommend using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to help relieve the fever.

Antibiotics cannot stop viruses, and physicians can’t prescribe them for viral infections and vice versa. Medications cannot help if the temperature spike is caused by sustained strenuous activity or because of hot weather.

In these cases, it is vital to cool the individual down. If they are unconscious or confused, they may need immediate medical attention. To find out more about fever detection, check out relevant medical websites, or click the right link to avoid confusion since treating this symptom is easy but pretty complicated.

Causes

A fever can result from different factors, including:

Infections like influenza, strep throat, pneumonia, chickenpox, rheumatoid arthritis, sunburn or overexposing to sunlight, heatstroke because of high ambient temperature or strenuous activity, dehydration, silicosis (a lung illnesses caused by regular exposure to silica dust), alcohol withdrawal, amphetamine abuse, different medications, or Corona Virus Disease-19.

When to see a physician

Usually, an infant or a kid who has seizures needs to see a medical expert. Physicians suggest controlling their temp with Tylenol and making sure that they ingest a lot of fluids with electrolytes. If necessary, doctors can also prescribe anticonvulsants like clonazepam or sodium valproate.

Summary

Fevers are usually a sign or a symptom of infections in our body. It is often not a cause for concern, but the underlying disease or illness needs immediate medical attention. Usually, it will resolve without the help of a doctor or medical professional.

But if an older adult, child, or infant is febrile, has other worsening or severe symptoms, or have a weakened immune system, they should immediately seek medical attention. If an individual is febrile and with a dry cough, they may have Corona Virus Disease-19 or COVID-19. If they start experiencing difficulty in breathing, they need to call 911 and ask for medical help.