What People Get Wrong About Treating Fevers

CLEVELAND - Whether you have a fever or your little one does, it can be easy to assume you need to treat it with medication.

But that may not always be necessary.

“Fever is a normal, healthy response that your body is making towards that infection or inflammatory process. It’s nothing to be scared of unless there are concerning signs or symptoms. For instance, if you've got a child with a fever who's running around, jumping and playing, acting like themselves, probably they're okay,” said John Hanicak, MD, family medicine physician at Cleveland Clinic. 

Dr. Hanicak said fever medication should only be used if the person is uncomfortable or in pain.

In most cases, supportive care at home is recommended.

That can include drinking plenty of water, getting rest and wearing cool, comfortable clothing.

He said while fevers can be harmless, it’s important to know when to take it more seriously.

For example, if it reaches 103 degrees or higher, it lingers for more than three days, or if the person has a chronic disease or a weakened immune system.

“Babies who are under three months old who have a fever are considered an emergency. We need to see them right away because of the chances that there might be something serious going on. In that situation, a fever would be categorized as a temperature that's 100.4 or higher or 38 degrees Celsius,” he said.

Dr. Hanicak said for adults and children, any kind of thermometer is fine to use, but with babies, a rectal thermometer is considered the most reliable.