A fever is a temporary rise in body temperature. It's one part of an overall response from the body's immune system. A fever is usually caused by an infection. For most children and adults, a fever may be uncomfortable. But it usually isn't a cause for concern. For infants, however, even a low fever may mean there's a serious infection. Fevers generally go away within a few days. A number of ...
A fever is a rise in body temperature. It's often a sign of infection. Fever itself most often is harmless and it may play a role in fighting infection. Most fevers don't need treatment. The average body temperature is 98.6 Fahrenheit (37 Celsius). But typical body temperature can range between 97 F ...
A fever is a common sign of illness. But that doesn't always mean it's a bad thing. In fact, fevers may help fight infections. So should you treat a fever or let the fever run its course? Here's help knowing what to do. These suggestions are for people who don't have serious health issues. That means they don't have a suppressed immune system, aren't taking chemotherapy medicines and haven't ...
Fever of unknown origin When a fever lasts for more than three weeks — constantly or on several occasions — and there is no clear cause, it's usually called a fever of unknown origin. In these cases, you may need to see specialists in one or more medical fields for further evaluations and tests.
Listen to What does a fever actually mean? Read the transcript: Dr. Angela Mattke: Hello, I’m Dr. Angela Mattke, a pediatrician with Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and I specialize in helping parents make sense of medical issues. This episode is about fevers, a topic my guest, Dr. Jay Homme, is pretty familiar with. You put your hand on your kid’s forehead and it’s warm to the ...