Facts About Fever – Explained By Urgent Care Doctors

A slight variation in the body temperature causes fever. This variation can be due to any reason. Fever can be caused by virus, bacterial infection, heat exhaustion, extreme sunburn and certain inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, malignant tumor.

Some medications are also responsible for fever. It includes medicine used to treat high blood pressure or seizures along with some immunizations such as the diphtheria, tetanus, pneumococcal vaccines. Furthermore, sometimes causes of fever can’t be determined even after an extensive evaluation. In such cases, it is said to be caused by an unknown origin.

It is advised to get immediate medical help if fever gets out of control. In New Jersey, there are many clinics where you can get medical treatment in such case. Usually fever is nothing to be concerned about, unless it has reached 103 F (39.4 C) or higher. However, infants and toddlers are at a high risk, if their fever goes above 100.4 F.

A high temperature can cause severe complications like dehydration, convulsions, hallucinations, and febrile seizure in small children between the age of 6 months to 5 years. In addition, the symptoms of fever are not hard to determine. Rise in body temperature (above 98.6 F) that causes discomfort to an individual is a clear symptom.

Some additional fever signs are –

• Sweating
• Shivering
• Headache
• Dehydration
• General weakness
• Muscle aches
• Loss of appetite

Doctors of a medical care center in New Jersey recommend to seek medical attention if –

• Infant younger than 3 months has a temperature of 100.4 F (38 C) or higher.
• Infant between ages 3 to 6 months has a temperature up to 102 F (38.9 C).
• Infant between ages 6 to 24 months has a temperature higher than 102 F (38.9 C).
• A child above 1 year has a severe headache, stomachache or vomits repeatedly.
• A child whose fever lasts longer than three days.
• Adult whose temperature is 103 F (39.4 C) or higher and has fever for more than 3 days.
• Adults should seek medical attention if they have severe headache, throat swelling, persistent vomiting, muscle weakness, abdominal pain, and seizure.