Fever facts: Types and treatment
Do you have fever with a sore throat, a dry cough, tiredness, mild headaches or muscle aches?
Answer: You may have viral fever which accompanies cold or flu like syndrome. Get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids. Sponge your body with water. Over-the-counter- medicines may help relieve your symptoms. Antibiotic is not effective for viral fever. So try to avoid it. Consult with doctor if your symptoms become severe.
Do you have aches, chills, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps or watery diarrhoea?
Answer: You may have gastroenteritis, an intestinal infection commonly called the stomach flu. Get plenty of rest. Stop eating for a few hours to let your stomach settle. Ease back into eating gradually and start with bland foods. Take small, frequent sips of water or clear liquids to avoid dehydration. Visit a doctor if you have bloody diarrhoea, if you have been vomiting for more than 2 days or if you are vomiting blood.
Have you been outside in extremely hot weather, and are you hot but not sweating, possibly feeling faint or having some confusion?
Answer: You may have heat stroke. Call someone take you to the emergency room of a nearby hospital right away. Get out of the sun and go somewhere shady or air-conditioned.
Do you have high fever with severe headache, retro-orbital (behind the eye) pain, severe joint and muscle pain and rash in the skin?
Answer: You may have dengue fever. Getting plenty of bed rest and drink lots of fluids. People with dengue fever are advised not to take aspirin. Over-the-counter pain-reducing medicines are safe for most people. For severe dengue symptoms, including shock and coma, early and aggressive emergency treatment in a hospital with fluid and electrolyte replacement can be lifesaving.
Are you short of breath and do you have a cough that produces yellow, green or tan mucus?
Answer: You may have bronchitis or a more serious infection of lung called pneumonia. Get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids and take an over-the-counter cough medicine. Bronchitis usually clears on its own in a few days. If your symptoms persist, if you have a high fever or are coughing up blood, see your doctor.
Have you lost weight unintentionally and do you have a fever that comes and goes, night sweats or swollen lymph nodes?
Answer: You may have a serious infection Tuberculosis. Consult a physician right away.
Do you have a fever between 101° and 103° or constantly over 103º F?
Answer: Consult your doctor right away for a prescription.
It is not a substitute for medical advice. Always consult a doctor with questions about your individual condition(s) and/or circumstances.
Source: American Academy of Family Physicians
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