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Fever: First aid

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 (36.1 C) and 99 F (37.2 C) or more. Your body temperature can vary by how active you are, your age or the time of day. Most often, older people have lower body temperatures than younger people have.

These thermometer readings are thought to be a fever:

For a baby who’s less than 3 months old and has a fever, get medical help right away.

Also, seek emergency medical care for a child who has any of these symptoms after being left in a hot car. These may be symptoms of a heat-related illness.

The main goal of treatment is to improve comfort and help you or your child rest.

Infant and child

Children with fevers may not look or act sick. Treating a fever depends on how uncomfortable they are. If your child is uncomfortable or restless, these home care strategies may help:

Adult

Adults with fevers of 103 F (39.4 C) or higher will most often look and act sick. To treat a fever:

Seek medical care if a child of any age shows any of the following:

Seek medical care for an adult with a fever and any of the following:

Fahrenheit-Celsius conversion table
Fahrenheit Celsius
105 40.6
104 40.0
103 39.4
102 38.9
101 38.3
100 37.8
99 37.2
98 36.7
97 36.1
96 35.6

Always use a digital thermometer to check someone’s temperature. Types you can get include:

Because of the dangers of being exposed to mercury, don’t use a glass mercury thermometer.

No matter which type of thermometer you use, do the following when using it:

Rectal temperature (for infants)

Oral temperature

Temporal artery temperature

Armpit temperature

Ear temperature

© 1998-2024 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved.

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