Fever what is too high

In some cases a high or long-lasting fever can be a sign of a serious illness. You may need urgent medical treatment. Do not ignore a fever. Get plenty of rest and fluids to help your body heal. See your doctor if you have a fever that lasts longer than 3 days or if you have other severe symptoms. If you have a chronic condition or have been treated for a serious illness, let your doctor know if you have any kind of fever.

Essential oils may help soothe fever symptoms. However, they cannot treat illness alone; you may still need medical attention. A high fever during early pregnancy might be dangerous for your baby-to-be. A viral fever is a high body temperature that accompanies many viral infections.

Familial Mediterranean fever is an inherited condition that causes episodes of high fever and other symptoms like stomach, chest, and joint pain…. If you're feeling feverish, but not running a temperature, several factors could be at play. Mental confusion and hallucinations sometimes happen when people have a fever, which can be an uncomfortable experience for them and their caregivers….

Fever symptoms may include more than just an increase in body temperature. In adults and children, a temperature of Although the average body temperature is Fever and sweat tend to go together anyway. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Medically reviewed by Alana Biggers, M. What is a fever? Types of fevers. When is a fever serious? Causes of serious fevers. When to go the ER.

Normal body temperature is Your body temperature can rise naturally throughout the day and is usually higher in the evening. A number of other factors can increase body temperature, but these factors are not considered fever-inducing. Things like physical exertion, heavy clothing, high humidity and heat, strong emotions, and certain medications can trigger your body temperature to rise.

The increased body heat makes it more difficult for bacteria and viruses to survive. Fevers also activate your immune system, which fights off diseases. Also consult a doctor if you have recently been vaccinated, visited another country, or have a serious pre-existing illness.

In most cases, fevers can break on their own or with home remedies. However, high fevers that linger or worsen can cause significant health complications if left untreated, including febrile seizures , brain damage, and even death. You have answered all the questions. Based on your answers, you may be able to take care of this problem at home. You can get dehydrated when you lose a lot of fluids because of problems like vomiting or fever.

Symptoms of dehydration can range from mild to severe. For example:. Symptoms of difficulty breathing can range from mild to severe. Severe trouble breathing means:. Moderate trouble breathing means:. Mild trouble breathing means:. Sudden drooling and trouble swallowing can be signs of a serious problem called epiglottitis. This problem can happen at any age. The epiglottis is a flap of tissue at the back of the throat that you can't see when you look in the mouth. When you swallow, it closes to keep food and fluids out of the tube trachea that leads to the lungs.

If the epiglottis becomes inflamed or infected, it can swell and quickly block the airway. This makes it very hard to breathe. The symptoms start suddenly. A person with epiglottitis is likely to seem very sick, have a fever, drool, and have trouble breathing, swallowing, and making sounds.

In the case of a child, you may notice the child trying to sit up and lean forward with his or her jaw forward, because it's easier to breathe in this position. Many prescription and non-prescription medicines can trigger an allergic reaction and cause a fever. A few examples are:. If you're not sure if a fever is high, moderate, or mild, think about these issues:.

Certain health conditions and medicines weaken the immune system's ability to fight off infection and illness. Some examples in adults are:. Temperature varies a little depending on how you measure it. For adults and children age 12 and older, these are the ranges for high, moderate, and mild, according to how you took the temperature. Oral by mouth temperature.

A forehead temporal scanner is usually 0. Armpit axillary temperature. Sudden tiny red or purple spots or sudden bruising may be early symptoms of a serious illness or bleeding problem. There are two types. Petechiae say "puh-TEE-kee-eye" :. Symptoms of serious illness may include:. It can be hard to tell how much pain a baby or toddler is in. Fever can be a symptom of almost any type of infection.

Symptoms of a more serious infection may include the following:. Shock is a life-threatening condition that may quickly occur after a sudden illness or injury. Adults and older children often have several symptoms of shock. Shock is a life-threatening condition that may occur quickly after a sudden illness or injury.

Babies and young children often have several symptoms of shock. Based on your answers, you may need care right away. The problem is likely to get worse without medical care. Based on your answers, you may need care soon. The problem probably will not get better without medical care. Based on your answers, you need emergency care. 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:. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Learn How this information was developed. To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise. 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?