Sweating Out a Fever: Does It Work and Is It Safe? - Healthline

Fever can return after you've gone through a period of sweating and after you've had a normal temperature reading. In the case of COVID-19, for ... HealthlineHealthConditionsDiscoverPlanConnectSubscribeShouldYouSweatOutaFever?MedicallyreviewedbyKevinMartinez,M.D.—WrittenbyAnnPietrangeloonApril22,2020Doessweatingtreatafever?Isithealthy?SideeffectsSeekingmedicalhelpPotentialcausesSweatingafterfeverSummaryCanyousweatoutafever?Whensomeonesaysthey’retryingto“sweatoutafever,”theyusuallymeanthey’rebundlingup,raisingtheroomtemperature,orexercisingtoencouragesweating.Thethoughtisthatsweatingwillmakethefeverrunitscoursefaster.Afeverisariseinyournormalbodytemperature.Ifyourtemperatureisadegreeormoreover,itcouldsimplybeashort-termfluctuation.You’regenerallyconsideredtohaveafeverwhenyourtemperatureisabove100.4°F(38°C).At103°F(39°C),youhaveahighfever.Childrenareconsideredtohaveafeverwhentheirtemperatureis:above100.4°F(38°C)witharectalthermometerabove100°F(37°C)withanoralthermometer99°F(37°C)measuredunderthearmpitSweatispartofthebody’scoolingsystem,soit’snotunusualtothinkthatsweatingoutafevercanhelp.Wrappingyourselfinextraclothesandblankets,takingasteambath,andmovingaroundaresuretomakeyousweatevenmore.Butthere’snoevidencethatsweatingitoutwillhelpyoufeelbetterfaster.Keepinmindthatafeverdoesn’tnecessarilyrequireanytreatment.It’stheunderlyingcauseofthefeverthatyouneedtoaddress.Feverisusuallyasignofinfection.ExamplesofthisincludeinfluenzaandCOVID-19.Doessweatingmeanfeverisbreaking?Yourbodyhasitsownbuilt-inthermostat.Althoughyourtemperaturefluctuatesduringtheday,itstayswithinafairlysmallrangenearthesetpoint.Thesetpointgoesupwhenyou’retryingtofightoffaninfection.Asyourbodystrugglestomeetthathighersetpoint,youmightgetthechills.Asyoumakeprogressagainsttheinfection,yoursetpointdropsbacktonormal.Butyourbodytemperatureisstillhigher,soyoufeelhot.That’swhenyoursweatglandskickinandstartproducingmoresweattocoolyouoff.Thiscouldmeanyourfeverisbreakingandyou’reontheroadtorecovery.Butmakingyourselfsweatmoredoesn’ttreatthefeveroritscause.Becausesomanythingscancauseafever,thefactthatit’sbreakingdoesn’tmeanthatyou’reoutofthewoods.Fevercanreturnafteryou’vegonethroughaperiodofsweatingandafteryou’vehadanormaltemperaturereading.InthecaseofCOVID-19,forexample,youmayfeelbetterforafewdaysafteryourfeverbreaks,butsymptomscanreturn.Isithealthytosweatoutafever?It’scommontosweatwhenyou’rerunningafever.Feveritselfisn’tanillness—it’saresponsetoinfection,inflammation,ordisease.It’sasignthatyourbodyisfightingoffanillness,butitdoesn’tnecessarilyrequiretreatment.Makingyourselfsweatmoreisn’tlikelytohelpyourecover,thoughit’snotnecessarilyunhealthy.Muchdependsonthecause.PotentialsideeffectsAccordingtoa2014clinicalreviewonfeverinathletes,feverincreases:fluidlossanddehydrationmetabolicdemands,meaningthebodyrequiresmoreenergyandresourcestoraiseitstemperaturedysregulationofbodytemperature,makingitdifficultforyoutomaintainthecorrecttemperaturewhenexercisingFevercausesafewdetrimentaleffectsonthemusculoskeletalsystem,suchasdecreasedstrength,endurance,andfatigue.Theresearchersconcludedthatengaginginstrenuousexercisewithafevercanworsenyourillness.Somesweatingwithafeveristobeexpected.Butifyoutrytosweatmorebyexercisingorcrankinguptheroomtemperature,therearesomepotentialsideeffectstobeawareof:Higherfever.Ifyourfeverisalreadyhigh,sweatingitoutmightactuallyraiseyourtemperature.Youloseheatthroughyourskin,soitmightbebettertoremoveexcessblanketsandclothingonceyou’reoverthechills.Fluidloss.Evenifyou’rejustlyinginbed,fever-inducedsweatingcandepleteyouoffluids.That’swhythestandardadviceforfeveristodrinkplentyoffluids.Tryingtosweatingmorecanraisetheriskofdehydration.Exhaustion.Fightingoffinfectionandhavingahigherbodytemperaturecantakealotoutofyou.Exercisingtoincreasesweatingmightmakeyoufeelweaker.WhentoseeadoctorAlow-gradefeverdoesn’talwayswarrantatriptothedoctor.Butafevercanbeanindicatorofseriousillness,soyou’llwanttotakeafewthingsintoaccountwhendeterminingifit’stimetoseekmedicalattention.InfantsandtoddlersAnunexplainedfevershouldbeacauseforconcern.Callyourdoctorwhen:ababy3monthsoryoungerhasarectaltemperatureof100.4°F(38°C)orhigherababybetween3and6monthshasarectaltemperatureupto102°F(39°C)accompaniedbyirritabilityorlethargyababybetween3and6monthshasarectaltemperatureabove102°F(39°C)atoddlerbetween6and24monthshasatemperatureabove102°F(39°C)withothersymptoms,suchascoughordiarrheaatoddlerbetween6and24monthshasarectaltemperatureabove102°F(39°C)lastingmorethan1day,eveniftherearenoothersymptomsOlderchildrenYoudon’thavetobetooconcernedifyourchildhasalowfeverandisdrinkingfluids,playing,andrespondingnormally.Butyoushouldcallthedoctorwhentheirfeverhaslastedmorethan3daysorisaccompaniedby:diarrheaheadacheirritabilitylistlessnessorpooreyecontactstomachachevomitingMedicalemergencyAfeverafterbeingleftinahotcarisamedicalemergency.Call9-1-1immediately.AdultsGenerallyspeaking,youshouldcalladoctorforafeverof103°F(39°C)orhigherandifyouhave:abdominalpainchestpainconvulsionsorseizurescoughingupbloodlightsensitivitymentalconfusionpainwhenurinatingsevereheadacheshortnessofbreathstiffneckorpainwhenyoutiltyourheadforwardunusualskinrashvomitingMedicalemergencyCall9-1-1ifyouorsomeoneelsehasafever,chestpain,andtroublebreathing.BesuretoreportanyknownexposuretoCOVID-19.Whatcancauseafever?Atanyage,fevercanbedueto:heatexhaustioninflammatoryconditionssuchasrheumatoidarthritismalignanttumorscertainmedications,includingsomeantibioticsandmedicationsthattreathighbloodpressureorseizuressomeimmunizationsYoushouldalsoconsideryourpotentialexposuretoinfectiousdiseases.Thisincludesavarietyofviralandbacterialinfections,someofwhichyoucouldunknowinglybespreadingtoothers,suchas:COVID-19chickenpoxflumeaslesstrepthroatWhattodoifyouthinkyouhavecovid-19?IfyouthinkyoumayhaveCOVID-19,orhavebeenexposedtoit,isolateyourselffromothers.Don’tgodirectlytoadoctor’sofficeorhospital.Callfirst.Adoctormaybeabletoconductaphoneorvideovisit.Ifyouneedhospitalization,arrangementsmustbemadeinadvancetopreventexposingothers.Whatifyou’resweatingafterthefeverisgone?Afterhavingafeverandthechillsforsometime,itcouldbethatyougotinthehabitofoverdressingorkeepingtheroomtoowarm.It’salsopossiblethatyou’veincreasedyourphysicalactivitytooquicklyandneedafewmoredaystoregainstrength.Dependingonthefever’scauseandhowphysicallyactiveyouare,itshouldn’tbetoolongbeforeyougetbacktoyournormallevelofsweating.Somereasonsyoumightdevelopnightsweatsinclude:stressanxietycertainmedications,suchaspainrelievers,steroids,andantidepressantslowbloodsugar(hypoglycemia)menopauseIfyoucontinuetosweatmorethannormaloryou’reconcernedthatyou’renotfullyrecovered,seeadoctor.TakeawayFeverandsweattendtogotogetheralready.Butpurposelymakingyourselfsweatmoreisn’tlikelytoendyourfeversooner.Youcandevelopafeverforavarietyofreasons,soit’simportanttobeawareofyoursymptomsandcalladoctorwithanyconcerns.LastmedicallyreviewedonApril22,2020MedicallyreviewedbyKevinMartinez,M.D.—WrittenbyAnnPietrangeloonApril22,2020ReadthisnextWhatHomeRemediesWorkforanOveractiveBladder?MedicallyreviewedbyDebraRoseWilson,Ph.D.,MSN,R.N.,IBCLC,AHN-BC,CHTYoucanhelpnormalizeyouroveractivebladdernaturallybyavoidingartificialsweeteners,caffeine,andalcohol,losingweight,andperforming…READMOREWhatYouNeedtoKnowAboutBreakingaFeverMedicallyreviewedbyJudithMarcin,MDWhenshouldyoubreakafever,andwhenshouldyouletitrunitscourse?Here'severythingyouneedtoknowaboutwhenandhowtobreakafever.READMORE4EffectiveFeverRemediesMedicallyreviewedbyPeggyPletcher,M.S.,R.D.,L.D.,CDEREADMOREChoosingtheBestFeverReducerNeedtogetridofafeverfast?Readaboutsideeffects,warnings,andotherfactorstohelpyoudecidewhichfeverreducerisbestforyouoryour…READMORECanFastingFighttheFluorCommonCold?WrittenbyAlinaPetre,MS,RD(NL)Manypeopleclaimthatfastingcanhelpyouhealfrominfections.Thisarticleexploreswhetherfastingisagoodwaytofightthefluorcommoncold.READMOREIsItPossibletoSweatOutaCold?MedicallyreviewedbyKevinMartinez,M.D.Youmayhaveheardthatyoucansweatoutacold,butisthisaneffectiveremedy?Learnmorehere.READMORE10Immunity-BoostingBeveragestoDrinkWhenYou’reSickMedicallyreviewedbyNatalieButler,R.D.,L.D.Ahealthydietiskeytoflupreventionandaworkingimmunesystem.Checkouttheseeasy-to-makedrinksthatcontaintheessentialnutrients.READMOREUnderstandingFamilialMediterraneanFeverMedicallyreviewedbyStellaBard,MDFamilialMediterraneanfeverisaninheritedconditionthatcausesepisodesofhighfeverandothersymptomslikestomach,chest,andjointpain…READMOREWhatDoesItMeanifYouAreFeelingFeverishbutHaveNoFever?MedicallyreviewedbyMeredithGoodwin,MD,FAAFPIfyou'refeelingfeverish,butnotrunningatemperature,severalfactorscouldbeatplay.READMOREShouldIWorryAboutFeverHallucinations?MedicallyreviewedbyAlanaBiggers,M.D.,MPHMentalconfusionandhallucinationssometimeshappenwhenpeoplehaveafever,whichcanbeanuncomfortableexperienceforthemandtheircaregivers…READMORE