Having a fever or increased body temperature is a sign of underlying illness in the body. Fever is a symptom telling you that something is not right in your body. Fever is not a matter of concern until the temperature is above 102 F for adults. Slight increase in temperature for infants and toddlers should be checked promptly. Generally fever would go away with OTC medications but it is good even if you are simply leaving it untreated. Fever can cause pain and discomfort and tiredness in the body. It is enough it you take rest for a couple of days. Your immune system would swing into action to detect the cause of fever and fight with infectious organisms and destroy them.
Taking A Temperature
You cannot always rely on the skin temperature by touching the forehead or neck. Some people complain of “being feverish” although their temperature is normal. Measurement can be taken on different parts of the body including axillary (under the armpits), oral (inside your mouth) and rectal (inside the rectum). There would be variations in measurement according to the region in which it is taken. And the body temperature may vary up to 0.6 degree Celsius in adults in the course of the day. Often the temperature would be low in the morning and high in the afternoon.
Fever Symptoms
Any variation from the normal body temperature (98.6 F) is considered to be fever. In addition to increase in body temperature fever can cause symptoms like headache, discomfort, shivering, sweating, loss of appetite and fatigue. Many adults feel tired and painful when having a fever. Fever can cause muscle aches and dehydration depending on the cause. Body temperature of 103 F and above can cause serious complications like hallucination, confusion, seizure and dehydration. You need to call the doctor if the body temperature goes above 100.4 F in infants and toddlers. Temperature may vary slightly for newborns and it may go below 98.6 F.