Are you feeling achy, warm skin, tired, or just not well? You might have a low-grade fever. Now, you might be wondering, “What is a low-grade fever?” This guide will address everything you need to know about a low-grade fever. Let’s get started!
What Makes Us Feel a Low-grade Fever?
Your body isn’t just a beautiful art of nature. But it is also an intelligent system that constantly works to make you feel your best. This includes maintaining the ideal internal temperature. Your body temperature is subject to brain and hormonal activity and adapts to environmental conditions. The optimal body temperature for your body to work properly is 98.6°F (37°C). However, your body occasionally elevates its temperature to fight off the flu virus or a cold. This is what makes you experience a low-grade fever.
It’s common to experience fevers. But they occur for various reasons, like signaling that the body is working against viruses to protect itself. A fever’s severity level can also vary. Thus, it is often categorized as a low-grade fever, high-grade fever, or regular fever.
What is Considered a Low-grade Fever?
A fever is when your body temperature gets higher than usual, which is 98.6°F (37°C) for most people. As the name says, a low-grade fever is when your body temperature is slightly elevated – between 98.7°F and 100.4°F (or 37.5°C and 38.3°C). It typically lasts for more than 24 hours, making it different from chronic fevers that usually last more than 10 to 14 days.
A fever can signal many different things. However, most mild fevers and low-grade fevers are nothing to worry about. In most cases, an increased body temperature is a natural response to an infection, like the flu or a cold. But if you feel a low-grade fever for more than 3 days, you should visit a doctor. There are some causes of a persistent low-grade fever that only a doctor can diagnose.
What Causes a Low-Grade Fever?
You can experience low-grade fevers for several reasons. Sometimes, it may be accompanied by other symptoms. For instance, fevers are majorly caused by flu and colds. Among these two, people suffering from flu are more likely to experience a fever than those suffering from a cold. Conversely, fevers caused by colds are more likely to be low-grade fevers, whereas flu can also cause severe fevers.
How To Treat A Persistent Low-grade Fever?
Treatment for a persistent low-grade fever generally depends on what causes it. For instance, fevers caused by minor infections often go away on their own by just resting your body.
To improve the symptoms of a low-grade fever at home, you can try over-the-counter medications, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Furthermore, it is important to drink plenty of water and liquids as a fever can cause dehydration.
For infants and children, make sure to consult your doctor before giving them any medication. Treating a low-grade fever in children is essential since they’re more sensitive to temperature changes. For this reason, you can visit Aqeeq Internal Medicine to get high-quality and compassionate care.
Fever and COVID-19
Monitoring fevers is now more important than ever amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A low-grade fever can be an early warning sign of the disease. Though it’s not necessary that you’re sick, it is better to get a COVID test to be sure.
Final Words
You don’t need to worry about most low-grade and mild fevers. However, you should call your doctor if you’re experiencing a low-grade fever for more than 3 days or it is accompanied by troublesome symptoms, like vomiting, rash, throat swelling, chest pain, or a stiff neck.