What to Do If You Have a Fever: The Ultimate Guide

Did you know that a fever is the body’s way of killing off bacteria and viruses? Prolonged high fevers, however, can be dangerous.

For one thing, they can cause seizures. Not only that but there’s also a chance of brain damage.

Fortunately, there are ways to bring your temperature down. For example, there are medications that you can take to reduce a fever.

Are you feeling under the weather? Want to know what to do if you have a fever? If so, you’re at the right place.

We’ll be going over everything that you need to know below. Keep reading to learn more!

The Different Types of Fever

In most adults, an oral temperature above 99.7°F (37.6°C) indicates a fever. There are four main types—intermittent, continuous, remittent, and hyperpyrexia.

Intermittent Fever: This type of fever occurs when your body temperature fluctuates between normal and high over the course of a day. For example, you may have a fever for a few hours in the morning but be fine in the evening.

Continuous Fever: Also known as a ‘sustained’ fever, it’s when your temperature remains above normal throughout a 24-hour period. More often than not, the temperature will fluctuate by about 1°F.

Remittent Fever: The temperature remains above normal throughout the day, with daily fluctuations of around 2°C. These types of fevers are usually associated with infectious diseases such as endocarditis.

Hyperpyrexia Fever: An elevation of body temperature above 106°F. A medical emergency, it requires immediate attention as it can lead to organ damage and even death.

Symptoms of a Fever

A fever may be accompanied by other symptoms. At the end of the day, it depends on what’s causing it. For example, you may also experience a headache, sweating, muscle aches, loss of appetite, dehydration, chills, and shivering.

High fevers (above 103°F) can also cause confusion, convulsions, and hallucinations. Call your doctor right away or go to an urgent care center if it’s been more than three days as it may indicate a serious illness.

Other fever signs that require immediate medical attention include a stiff neck, unusual skin rash, severe swelling of the throat, difficulty swallowing, difficulty breathing, and persistent vomiting.

At-Home Fever Treatment Options

Low-grade fevers don’t usually require treatment. With that said, it can make you feel uncomfortable. Here are a few ways to reduce your temperature at home.

Take Over-the-Counter Medications

Over-the-counter medications such as NSAIDs can help relieve the symptoms of a fever. Not only will they lower your temperature, but they can also help with the pain. Generally speaking, their effects last between 4 to 8 hours.

For example, you can take acetaminophen or ibuprofen (both can be used in children). Don’t give aspirin to those under the age of 18 as it can cause a life-threatening complication called Reye’s syndrome.

Increase Your Fluid Intake

Fever is often accompanied by sweating and that can cause fluid loss and dehydration—that’s why it’s so important to stay hydrated when you’re sick. For example, you can drink water, broth, or juice.

If you’re drinking water, you can add a little bit of sea salt to replenish some of the electrolytes that have been lost. There are also oral rehydration solutions (e.g. Hydralyte) that are designed to treat dehydration.

Take a Bath

Taking a bath can help lower your temperature. However, you don’t want it to be a cold bath—that can actually cause you to shiver, which will increase your body temperature.

Take a slightly warm, not cool, bath instead. The water will help your body release heat, which will reduce your fever.

Another option is to take a sponge bath. Basically, instead of getting into a tub of water, you want to clean yourself with a wet sponge. As the water evaporates, your temperature will go down.

Use Ice Packs

Placing an ice pack on your head can make you feel better when you have a fever. Don’t place it directly on your skin, though. You want to wrap it with a towel so that you won’t burn yourself.

If necessary, you can also place ice packs in high-heat areas such as your armpits and groin area.

Get Plenty of Rest

A fever is often a sign that your body is fighting an infection. Given that, you want to rest as much as possible. Take it easy during the day and aim for at least 8 hours of sleep at night (the more the better).

It’s also a good idea to hold off from your regular workout. You don’t want to exert yourself when you have a fever as it can raise your temperature further.

Not only that, but it can actually weaken your immune system. In other words, it’ll take longer for you to get better.

Knowing What to Do If You Have a Fever

And there you have it—a guide on what to do if you have a fever. As you can see, there are various ways that you can bring down your temperature, from using ice packs to taking over-the-counter medications.

Was the information in this article helpful? For more guides like this, check out some of the other posts in our health and fitness section!