When do you have a fever? – Everything about the possible cold symptom

In addition to symptoms such as cough, runny nose, sore throat or headache, a cold can also lead to a fever. But when exactly do you have a fever? And what can you do if you have a high fever in adults or an elevated temperature?

What exactly is fever?

Fever is an increase in the temperature of your body. More specifically, the natural body core temperature – usually 37 degrees Celsius – is exceeded. 1 However, you should not confuse fever with an independent illness. For the simple reason that fever is much more common in adults symptom such as a cough or sore throat, which can be triggered by various illnesses such as a cold.

In the case of fever, the temperature usually does not allow any conclusions to be drawn about the cause. In addition, high fever is not necessarily a sign of the severity of an illness. Rather, the decisive factors here are other symptoms and the general condition of the patient. Fever, or an increase in the temperature in the body, supports your organism in fighting diseases. Lots pathogen like bacteria and viruses are adapted to your normal core body temperature. However, surviving is more difficult at over 37 degrees Celsius.

The duration of fever

If you have a fever, its course usually depends on the cause. As soon as the body has left behind a cold or another infection, for example, the fever drops. With other triggers, such as malaria, fever sometimes appears again and again if treatment is not given. Therefore, go to the doctor quickly to determine the underlying illness of your fever and to treat it quickly.

When do you have a fever?

In an adult, the core body temperature – that is, the heat inside the abdomen, head and chest – is usually 37 degrees Celsius. 1 When you have a fever depends on whether this temperature is exceeded. In addition, fever is broken down as follows:

high temperature: 37.5 to 38 degrees Celsius
light fever: 38.1 to 38.5 degrees Celsius
moderate fever: 38.6 to 39 degrees Celsius
high fever: 39.1 to 39.9 degrees Celsius
very high fever: 40 to 42 degrees Celsius 2

The hypothalamus – also called the heat regulation center – is located in the brain. Its job is to ensure that a constant temperature (setpoint) is always maintained in your body. To ensure the setpoint, the hypothalamus causes either the release (e.g. sweating) or the production of heat (e.g. by muscle twitching such as chills) as required.

Penetrated cold triggers can cause the organism to adjust the setpoint, for example to 38.1 degrees Celsius (mild fever), in order to kill pathogens. The result: The heat regulation center now causes the temperature to be adjusted to the new setpoint – the body core temperature increases.

Other hallmarks of fever

In addition to body heat, chills and sweating can also indicate fever. Chills occur when the body tries to produce more heat by twitching muscles to reach the new setpoint. Sweating helps lower the temperature. For example, it is possible to cool a body heated to 39 degrees Celsius to the new setpoint of 38 degrees Celsius.

How do you measure fever?

To find out if you have a fever, you can measure your temperature with a clinical thermometer. There are various models for domestic use, which can be obtained from the pharmacy, among others.

Many patients choose one digital, battery operated thermometer for measuring fever. It determines the temperature via a sensor attached to the upper end. The determined value can be read on the digital display after the measurement. In addition, you can determine your temperature with such a device in several different places. That’s the way it is Can be placed under the tongue and armpit as well as rectally (in the anus). However, note that the rectal measurement result can be 0.5 degrees Celsius higher than that on the armpit. 3 The measurement in the anus provides the more accurate result – the measurement location is somewhat closer to the core of the body.

What to do if you have a fever?

If you’re wondering what to do if you have a fever, the most reliable answer is: Go to the doctor. Especially if you have a high fever above 40 degrees Celsius or if it lasts longer than two to three days. 4 A specialist can determine your temperature exactly and diagnose the fever-causing illness and treat it afterwards.

But what can you do if you have a fever? Many affected people put on drug – tablets, suppositories, juices and Co. Some preparations are over the counter in the pharmacy available. It is best to get advice from your doctor or pharmacist.

Lower mild fever

In addition to medication, fever can also be used Wadenwickel help lower the temperature again. To use it, you need two cloths (e.g. tea towels). Moisten one of them with cold tap water (the water temperature should be about one to five degrees Celsius below the measured fever value) and wrap it around one of your calves. Then put the dry cloth over it. Leave the calf wrap on your leg until it warms up. The process can be repeated two to three times a day. You can also attach a calf wrap to both legs at the same time. 5

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