An unexplained fever is greater cause for concern in infants and in children than in adults. Call your baby's doctor if your child is:. There's probably no cause for alarm if your child has a fever but is responsive — making eye contact with you and responding to your facial expressions and to your voice — and is drinking fluids and playing. Ask your child's doctor for guidance in special circumstances, such as a child with immune system problems or with a pre-existing illness.
Call your doctor if your temperature is F Seek immediate medical attention if any of these signs or symptoms accompanies a fever:. Fever occurs when an area in your brain called the hypothalamus hi-poe-THAL-uh-muhs — also known as your body's "thermostat" — shifts the set point of your normal body temperature upward.
When this happens, you may feel chilled and add layers of clothing or wrap up in a blanket, or you may shiver to generate more body heat, eventually resulting in an elevated body temperature. Normal body temperature varies throughout the day — it's lower in the morning and higher in the late afternoon and evening.
Although most people consider Sometimes the cause of a fever can't be identified. If you have a fever for more than three weeks and your doctor isn't able to find the cause after extensive evaluation, the diagnosis may be fever of unknown origin. Children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years may experience fever-induced convulsions febrile seizures , which usually involve loss of consciousness and shaking of limbs on both sides of the body.
Although alarming for parents, the vast majority of febrile seizures cause no lasting effects. Most seizures stop on their own. Take your child to the doctor as soon as possible after the seizure to determine the cause of the fever. You may be able to prevent fevers by reducing exposure to infectious diseases. Here are some tips that can help:.
Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. However, sometimes a fever in adults can be a warning signal that something is not right. A high or persistent fever might be a sign of a serious health condition. A fever is normally a short-term rise in temperature that helps your body get rid of illness.
A fever begins when your immune system makes more white blood cells to fight an infection. The increase in white blood cells triggers your brain to heat your body up. This causes a fever. In response, your body tries to cool itself off by tightening up on blood flow to your skin and contracting muscles.
This makes you shiver and may cause muscle aches. You may have a fever if your temperature rises above this. Adults typically have a fever if their body temperature increases to This is called a low grade fever. Most fevers usually go away by themselves after 1 to 3 days. A persistent or recurrent fever may last or keep coming back for up to 14 days. A fever that lasts longer than normal may be serious even if it is only a slight fever.
This is because a recurrent fever might be a sign of a more serious infection or health condition. Common fever symptoms in adults include:. Get medical help if you have any kind of fever for more than three days. Let your doctor know if your symptoms get worse or if you have any new symptoms. Please note, if you link off our website to a 3rd party site of any kind, that website has its own terms and conditions. Set Your Location. Search Physician Referral Menu.
WELL Search Close Search. Schedule Chat. Let us help you find the right doctor for your needs. Explore Your Options. Need Assistance? Call to find a physician or register for an event: 1. If a person feels very unwell in addition to having a fever or they are already immunocompromised due to pre-existing conditions, they should seek medical attention. A person should also see their doctor if they have tried to control their fever at home, but over-the-counter medicines and other treatments are ineffective.
Using a thermometer is the simplest way to tell whether or not a person has a fever, but other at-home methods can also help. Learn about these…. Learn about the possible…. The symptoms of the flu and the coronavirus are similar, but there are differences. A fever is an uncomfortable symptom of infection or illness. Learn about the best home remedies for fever in children and adults here. Normal body temperature is around In this article, we look at normal body temperature ranges in….
When is a fever in adults serious? Medically reviewed by Alana Biggers, M. When is a fever serious? Normal body temperatures.
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