According to the Cleveland Clinic a fever is when your body temperature rises higher than normal. A fever itself isn’t an illness. Rather, it’s a symptom of a wide range of health conditions. When your body temperature rises a few degrees above normal, it can be a sign that your immune system has been activated, often to fight an infection.
What’s a Fever?
A “normal” body temperature is generally around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius), but that doesn’t mean everyone’s temperature is exactly the same. A person’s baseline can vary by a degree or more. It also tends to fluctuate throughout the day—usually lower in the morning and a bit higher in the evening. Temperature can also go up during certain points in the menstrual cycle or after physical activity.
Infants and young children usually run a little warmer than older kids and adults, so what’s considered a fever for them may be slightly higher.
There aren’t any hard-and-fast rules for what counts as a fever, since body temperature can change based on the individual, the time of day, and how it’s measured. That said, most healthcare providers consider 100.4°F (38°C), taken orally, to be the general threshold for a fever.
Temperature readings can also vary depending on the device used. Rectal and ear thermometers typically show readings about 1.0°F (0.6°C) higher than oral ones, while forehead (skin) thermometers tend to read about 1.0°F (0.6°C) lower.
What’s a Low-grade Fever?
A low-grade fever means a body temperature slightly above normal. This type of fever can be a sign your immune system has been mildly activated. There’s no standard low-grade fever range. But many healthcare providers consider a body temperature between 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit (37.5 degrees Celsius) and 100.3 degrees Fahrenheit (37.9 degrees Celsius) to be a low-grade fever.
Fever Symptoms?
In addition to an elevated temperature, you may experience the following symptoms:
- Chills, feeling cold, shivering and shaking
- Body aches and headaches
- Fatigue (tiredness)
- On and off or constant sweating
- Flushed complexion or hot skin
- Faster heart beats
Fever symptoms in babies and children may include:
- Lack of appetite — not eating and drinking well
- Earache or pulling at their ears
- High-pitched crying
- Fussiness
- Paleness or flushness
- Excessive thirst
- Decreased urination
Fever is a common symptom in many illnesses. It serves as a critical indicator of the symptoms of a wide range of health conditions. Therefore, monitoring body temperature regularly is essential for early detection and management.
Using a reliable and user-friendly thermometer like the Exergen Temporal Artery Thermometer ensures accurate readings, which is crucial for timely medical intervention. Checking body temperature twice daily can help individuals to detect fever early and take appropriate actions.
Sources,
- Cleveland Clinic, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/10880-fever
EXERGEN P/N 850817, Rev 1