Articles
Fever: First aid
Content
Overview
When to seek emergency care
Treatment
Infant and child
Adult
What to avoid
When to call your doctor
How to take a temperature
Rectal temperature (for infants)
Oral temperature
Temporal artery temperature
Armpit temperature
Ear temperature
Overview
When to seek emergency care
Treatment
Infant and child
Adult
What to avoid
When to call your doctor
How to take a temperature
Rectal temperature (for infants)
Oral temperature
Temporal artery temperature
Armpit temperature
Ear temperature
Adult
Adults with fevers of 103 F (39.4 C) or higher will most often look and act sick. To treat a fever:
- Drink plenty of fluids.
- Dress in light clothing.
- Use a light blanket if you feel chilled, until the chills end.
- Take acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others). Follow the directions on the label. If you have other health problems or take medicine for them, check with your healthcare professional before using fever medicines.
