Adult fever treatment

We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Fevers can also result from sunburn or from getting immunizations. Anyone can get a fever, regardless of age.

A fever is a common side effect of illness like the flu. It happens when there is a temporary rise in body temperature. A fever is usually a sign that your immune system is busy fighting an infection or other illness. In babies and toddlers even a slight fever may be a sign of a serious illness. In adults a fever is not usually serious or life-threatening. However, sometimes a fever in adults can be a warning signal that something is not right.

A fever is when your body temperature rises above its normal temperature range. A normal body temperature is approximately While any temperature above your normal temperature range is considered a fever, there are different levels of fever severity.

When certain pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses, enter the body, the immune system signals the body to increase its temperature in an attempt to destroy them. However, severe illness can cause the mechanisms that maintain a normal body temperature to go awry, and the results can lead to extremely high temperatures that can be life-threatening. Doctors consider this temperature to be a high-grade fever.