How to Break a Fever - Healthline

How to break a fever · Take your temperature and assess your symptoms. · Stay in bed and rest. · Keep hydrated. · Take over-the-counter medications like ... HealthlineHealthConditionsDiscoverPlanConnectSubscribeWhatYouNeedtoKnowAboutBreakingaFeverWrittenbyCoreyWhelanonJune20,2016Weincludeproductswethinkareusefulforourreaders.Ifyoubuythroughlinksonthispage,wemayearnasmallcommission.Here’sourprocess.HowtobreakafeverIfyouorsomeoneyou’recaringforhasafever,followthesestepstobreakthefever:Takeyourtemperatureandassessyoursymptoms.Ifyourtemperatureruns100.4°F(38°C)orhigher,youhaveafever.Stayinbedandrest.Keephydrated.Drinkingwater,icedtea,orverydilutedjuicetoreplenishfluidslostthroughsweating.Butifkeepingliquidsdownisdifficult,suckonicechips.Takeover-the-countermedicationslikeacetaminophenandibuprofentoreducefever.Notetheproperdosage,anddon’tthemusealongsideotherfever-reducingmedications.Youshouldn’tgiveaspirintoyourbabyorchildwithoutconsultingyourdoctor.Infantsunder6monthsofageshouldn’tbegivenibuprofen.Staycool.Removeextralayersofclothingandblankets,unlessyouhavethechills.Taketepidbathsorusingcoldcompressestomakeyoumorecomfortable.Coldbaths,icecubebaths,oralcoholbathsorrubscanbedangerousandshouldbeavoided.Butnomatterwhatthenumberonthethermometerreads,ifyouhaveanyconcernsconsultyourdoctor.Runningafeveristhebody’sresponsetofightinginfectionscausedbyvirusesorbacteria.Feverscanalsoresultfromsunburnorfromgettingimmunizations.Anyonecangetafever,regardlessofage.Peoplewhohavecompromisedimmunesystemsmaytendtohavefeversmoreoftenthanothersdo.Tolearnaboutspecifictreatmentguidelinesbyageandunderstandyoursymptomscontinuereading.HowtoassessthesituationAhealthyadultwithaslightfevermayfeellikethey’vebeenhitwithaMacktruck,butababywithahighfevermaysometimesfeelprettycomfortable.Thereverseofbothscenarioscanalsooccur.Feversaren’tone-size-fits-all,andneitheraretheirsymptoms.Youroverallcomfortlevelandsymptomscanhelpyoudecidehowtotreatafever.Ifyouhaveafever,youmayexperiencethefollowingsymptoms:feelingweakorlightheadedlossofappetiteheadachemuscleachessweatingchillsnauseavomitingrashIfarashaccompaniesyourfever,youshouldconsultwithyourdoctor.It’simportantthatyourdoctordeterminestherootcauseoftherash.Othersymptoms,suchasnauseaorvomiting,mayresolvemorequicklywithmedicalattention.Ifyourfeverisover103°F(39.4°C),youshouldseekimmediatemedicalattention.Thisisespeciallytrueifyou’reexperiencingconfusion,hallucinations,orconvulsions.Temperaturetaking101Mostpeoplehaveabaselinetemperatureof98.6°F(37°C),althoughsomepeoplehaveabaselinethat’sslightlyhigherorlower.Dailytemperaturefluctuationsarealsonormal.Differenttypesofthermometerscanyielddifferentresults.You’reconsideredtoberunningafeverifanoral,rectal,ear,ortemporalartery(forehead)thermometerregisters100.4°F(38°C)orhigher.Ifyouuseanaxillary(armpit)thermometer,thetemperaturereadingwillbearound1°For1°Clower,soanythingover99.4°F(37°C)wouldconstituteafever.Manypediatriciansrecommendusingrectalthermometersforinfantsandbabies.Discusswithyourdoctorwhichtypeofthermometertouse.Youshouldalsobesuretoletthemknowwhatkindofthermometeryouusedtorecordyourchild’stemperature.WhentoseeadoctorHowandwhenyoushouldtreatafeverisgenerallydeterminedbyyourage.Ifleftuntreated,fevercanleadtoseriouscomplicationsinyoungchildren,olderadults,andpeoplewithcompromisedimmunesystems.InfantsandtoddlersInfantsupto3monthsoldshouldbeseenbyadoctoriftheyhaveafeverof100.4°F(38°C)orabove.Theyshouldstillseeadoctoreveniftherearenoothersymptomspresent.Babies3to6monthsoldmaynotrequiretreatmentforfeversupto102°F(38.9°C).Ifyourbabyhasothersymptoms,ortheirfevergoesabove102°F(38.9°C),youshouldcallyourdoctor.Childrenages6monthsto2yearsoldwhohavetemperaturesatorabove102°F(38.9°C)maytakeOTCmedicationsunderadoctor’ssupervision.Letyourdoctorknowifthefeverpersistsformorethanaday,worsens,ordoesn’tcomedownwithmedication.YoungchildrenandadolescentsChildrenages2to17yearsoldgenerallydon’tneedmedicationtoreducefeversunder102°F(38.9°C).Theymaybenefitfrommedicationifthey’reexperiencingsymptomssuchasirritabilityormuscleaches.Iftheirfevergoesabove102°F(38.9°C),medicationmaybeusedtobringitdown.Ifyourchildisveryuncomfortable,oriftheirfeverpersistsformorethanthreedays,youshouldconsultwithyourdoctor.AdultsAdults18andovertypicallydon’tneedmedicationforafeverunder102°F(38.9°C).Feversabovethatnumbermaybereducedbymedication.Ifyourfevergoesabove103°F(39.4°C)ordoesn’trespondtotreatment,acalltothedoctoriswarranted.Adultswithafeverandothersymptoms,suchasastiffneck,severepainanywhereinthebody,orshortnessofbreath,shouldseekimmediatemedicalattention.Feverinadultsoverage65doesn’tautomaticallyrequirespecialtreatment,thoughyoushouldbeonthelookoutforsymptomssuchasshortnessofbreathorconfusion.Ifyou’reexperiencingthesesymptoms,youshouldseekimmediatemedicalsupport.Youshouldalsoconsultwithyourdoctorifyourfevergoesabove102°F(38.9°C)ordoesn’tcomedownwithintwodays.YoucantryOTCmedications,butyoushouldbesuretheywon’tconflictwithanyothermedicationsyou’retaking.OtherguidelinesIfyouhaveacompromisedimmunesystem,youshouldseekadoctor’scare.AcompromisedimmunesystemiscommoninpeoplethathaveHIV,cancer,orautoimmunediseases.Feverisoftenasignofinfection.Sometimes,theseinfectionsarefastmovingorhardtotreat.Soifyouhaveacompromisedimmunesystem,gettingimmediatemedicalsupportforfeverimportant.WhatyoucandonowRunningafeverisusuallynothingtoworryabout.It’simportanttounderstandtheguidelinesfortreatingfever,especiallyforyoungchildren,olderadults,andpeoplewithacompromisedimmunesystem.Ifyouorsomeoneyou’recaringforhasafever,youshould:Checktheageguidelines.Isitsafetotreatthisfeverathome,orshouldyouseeadoctor?Stayhydrated.Everyonecanbenefitfromaddedelectrolytesorwater.Keeptrackoftheduration.Regardlessofyourage,ifyourfeverhasn’tletupinabouttwodays,youshouldseekmedicalattention.Ifyou’reeverunsureofhowtohandleafever,callyourdoctor.Theycanworkwithyoutodeterminethebestcourseofaction.KeepReading:EverythingYouNeedtoKnowAboutYourChild’sFever»WrittenbyCoreyWhelanonJune20,2016Readthisnext4EffectiveFeverRemediesMedicallyreviewedbyPeggyPletcher,M.S.,R.D.,L.D.,CDEREADMOREAreNightSweatsaSignofCancer?MedicallyreviewedbyTimothyJ.Legg,PhD,PsyDPeopleoftenassociatenightsweatswithcancer,butanumberofotherthingscancausethem.Learnmoreaboutthecausesandtreatments.READMOREChoosingtheBestFeverReducerNeedtogetridofafeverfast?Readaboutsideeffects,warnings,andotherfactorstohelpyoudecidewhichfeverreducerisbestforyouoryour…READMOREEarlyFluSymptomsMedicallyreviewedbyStacySampson,D.O.Duringfluseason,havingascratchythroat,bodyaches,orfatiguecansignalthearrivalofthefluvirus.Detectingearlyflusymptomscanhelp…READMOREFeverofUnknownOriginMedicallyreviewedbyGrahamRogers,M.D.Feverofunknownorigin(FUO)referstoelevatedbodytemperatureforwhichacauseisnotfoundafterbasicmedicalevaluation.READMORECommonColdSymptomsMedicallyreviewedbyDebraSullivan,Ph.D.,MSN,R.N.,CNE,COICommoncoldsymptomsappearaboutonetothreedaysafterthebodybecomesinfected.Theshortperiodbeforesymptomsappeariscalledthe…READMORECanFastingFighttheFluorCommonCold?WrittenbyAlinaPetre,MS,RD(NL)Manypeopleclaimthatfastingcanhelpyouhealfrominfections.Thisarticleexploreswhetherfastingisagoodwaytofightthefluorcommoncold.READMOREIsFeveraSymptomofAllergies?MedicallyreviewedbyAlanaBiggers,M.D.,MPHFeverisn’tatypicalsymptomofallergies.Allergysymptomstypicallyincludesneezing,wateryeyes,arunnynose,orevenaskinrash.Ifyour…READMOREWhentoBeConcernedbyRashAfterFeverinToddlersMedicallyreviewedbyKarenGill,M.D.Ifyourchilddevelopsarashafterhavingafever,youmightbeconcerned.Here’salookatcommonrashesintoddlers,likeroseola,aswellas…READMORECanaFeverDuringPregnancyHarmMyBaby?MedicallyreviewedbyKarenGill,M.D.Ahighfeverduringearlypregnancymightbedangerousforyourbaby-to-be.Here’swhyyoushouldseeadoctorfortreatment.READMORE