A fever has to be the commonest symptom of illness. You know something is not right when you feel your skin burning up and your temperature rises higher than normal. In this article, we will discuss details on fever and fever urgent care.
A fever is an elevation of body temperature above normal which is 36.5°C -37.5 °C or (97.7°F -99.5°F). It is a body response to infection. When an infection comes in, the body launches an immune response to counter it. An elevated body temperature is part of this response. Normally, a fever will resolve on its own after some time. A fever that refuses to go is a sign that you need urgent care in 77494. Your doctor will recommend drugs that can help treat the underlying infection that led to the fever. However, you should also know that body temperature varies according to some factors. These include eating, exercise, sleep, and time of the day. Let us see what types of fever there are.
Types of Fever
Fever can be classified based on the duration and height of the fever. Based on duration, an acute fever lasts less than a week. It is seen in viral infections and malaria. A subacute fever can last up to 2 weeks as seen in Typhoid fever. A chronic fever lasts beyond 2 weeks as seen in tuberculosis. Visit urgent care in Katy for a fever that lasts more than 2 days without any improvement after treatment at home.
Based on height, a low-grade fever falls between 100.5-102.2°F. Anything that goes beyond this means you need to go to the Katy urgent care center. A moderate grade fever is from 102.2-104.0°F. A high-grade fever is from 104.1-106.0. Hyperpyrexia refers to fever greater than 106°F. This is very dangerous.
Symptoms of Fever
Fever is a symptom on its own. It is felt via physical touch and confirmed by a thermometer. However, certain symptoms can accompany fever. Some people will feel cold and shiver while sweating profusely. This is known as chills. Some people have a low appetite, show signs of dehydration, and high pain sensitivity. A very high fever can come along with symptoms like confusion, irritability, and seizures.
Visit urgent care in Katy with a fever that comes with ear pain, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, and sore throat. If you also experience chest pain, stiffness, light sensitivity with a fever, visit urgent care in 77494.
How to Use a Thermometer
Use a digital thermometer to take the temperature at home. You should have one for this purpose. A thermometer is an objective way to measure fever. A person can put a thermometer under their armpit or in their mouth. Before you use one, clean the tip using cold water and soap, then rinse. Turn on the device and place it under the tongue or towards the back of the mouth. Next, close the mouth. Placing it under the armpit works fine too. Wait until the thermometer beeps or there is a flash. Now, read the temperature.
Note that normal armpit temperature will be 0.5 to 0.9ºF (0.3 to 0.5°C) lower than an oral temperature.
Treatment of Fever
A fever is part of the body’s normal response to fighting infections. Hence, the ideal thing is to let the fever take its course and break. However, a high fever is uncomfortable and can lead to unwanted complications. This is why doctors prescribe antipyretics to break this kind of fever. A person that sweats a lot needs a lot of fluid and should be given at will.
Treating fever alone is often not the solution to the problem. You can treat the fever to make a person comfortable but it can recur. Fever is a symptom of an infection. A doctor will try to identify the type of infection and treat it. This will resolve the fever too. If it is a bacterial infection, antibiotics will be prescribed. Viral infections require a different approach because they do not respond to antibiotics. Fever due to hot weather or strenuous exercise will not respond to drugs. Rather, the person needs to cool down in a well-ventilated environment. If they are confused or unconscious, get them to fever urgent care right away.