Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 2: Determine if you have a fever
• Method 2 of 2: Basic treatment for fever
• Tips
• Warnings

Fever is your body's natural response to a virus, infection, or other illness. By raising your body temperature, your body usually gets rid of pathogens within a few days. This article will help you determine if you have a fever and give you advice on what to do if the fever leads to a more serious condition.

To step

Method 1 of 2: Determine if you have a fever

1. The best way to determine your temperature is with a thermometer. If your temperature is 39.5 ° C or less, try treating the fever at home. If your temperature rises above 39.5 ° C, call your doctor (or, on weekends, the GP post) for advice. In an emergency, go to the emergency room; you may need immediate medical attention.
2. Try to feel for an increase by touching the person's skin. If you temperature yourself in this way, it will be difficult to tell if you have a temperature of 38 ° C or 39 ° C. In that case you can check if you have other symptoms of a fever (see below).
   • If you want to find out if someone else has a fever, compare your temperature with that of the other person: touch your own skin first, then immediately touch the other person's. If your skin is much cooler, the other person could have a fever.
   • How accurate is this way of temperature? One study found that when people temperature this way, they think they have a fever far too often (up to 40% more often).
3. Beware of dehydration. If your body wants to deal with harmful infections, viruses or other illnesses, your body will turn up the internal thermostat. Fever is our natural defense mechanism. A consequence of this higher body temperature is that patients become very thirsty or dehydrated.
   • Symptoms of dehydration include:
     
     • Dry mouth
     • Thirst
     • Headache and fatigue
     • Dry skin
     • Blockage
   • Dehydration can be made worse by vomiting or diarrhea. If you're dealing with this, make sure you drink enough to make up for the fluid loss.
4. Watch for muscle pain. Often muscle pain is related to dehydration, but if you have a fever it can be extra annoying. AttentionIf your fever is accompanied by stiff muscles in the back, call your doctor immediately, as this may indicate bacterial meningitis (inflammation of the brain), which can lead to brain damage.
5. Be on the lookout for severe fever symptoms. If you have a fever of more than 40 ° C, you may experience the following symptoms in addition to dehydration, headache, muscle pain and a feeling of weakness. If you experience this, or if you think your fever is higher than 40 ° C, see a doctor immediately:
   • Hallucinations
   • Being confused or irritated
   • Convulsions or convulsions
6. When in doubt, see a doctor. If you think your child has a fever and it has a temperature above 39.5 ° C, contact your doctor. Usually it is fine to get sick from a mild fever at home; sometimes the underlying reason for the fever is so serious that you need appropriate medical care.

Method 2 of 2: Basic treatment for fever

1. Doctors recommend that you simply get sick if you have a mild fever. Fever is your body's natural response to a pathogen. If you suppress the fever before your body has mastered the pathogen, you run the risk of staying ill for longer or camouflaging fever-related symptoms.
2. Use an over-the-counter pain reliever drug or supermarket. An anti-inflammatory pain reliever can help relieve the side effects of a fever. Often a low dose of these types of painkillers gives a good result.
   • Aspirin should only be used by adults. Childhood aspirin use has been linked to the potentially deadly Reye's Syndrome.
   • Paracetamol (Panadol) and ibuprofen (Advil) are a great replacement for aspirin and are suitable for all ages. If you are taking the recommended dose and your fever does not go down, do not increase the dose on your own, but call your doctor.
3. Drink enough. If you have a fever, you can quickly become dehydrated. Avoid dehydration by drinking enough. It is a very important means of fighting a fever. Especially drink water. Soda and tea can help soothe the stomach, but drink it in moderation. Soup or broth are a good addition to solid foods when you have a fever.

Tips

• When you have a fever, you may feel hot one minute and then shivery. This could be a sign of the flu.
• Chills are often a symptom of a fever, but they can also be a symptom of a more serious condition such as hypothermia or meningitis. If you are experiencing chills, contact your doctor to find out what the underlying reason is. Severe chills can have serious side effects such as brain damage, dehydration, seizures and shock.
• When you have a fever, you feel warm and your cheeks may look a little redder as a result. If you have a cooling element at home, it is nice to put it on your face or forehead to cool down a bit.
• Make sure to drink all day long. Take a variety of hot and cold drinks, they will do your body good and keep your water levels up.
• Take vitamins. Vitamin C is the best way to fight your cold, so take it even if you are healthy. It is good for your resistance, so that you have less chance of getting sick.
• Feel your cheeks. If they feel hot, it usually means you have a fever.

Warnings

• If you have a fever of 39.5 ° C for more than 24 hours and the fever is not going down, see your doctor.
• If you have a fever for more than 48 hours, see your doctor.