A fever refers to an elevation in the body temperature. The following write-up explains what is considered to be a low-grade fever.
Medically referred to as pyrexia, a fever indicates that your body is trying to fight an infection. The normal human body temperature is 98.6°F (37°C). However, it might vary from person to person. For some people, it might be 1°F (0.6°C) above or below the normal body temperature.
A person is said to have a low-grade fever, when the body temperature is slightly higher than 98.6°F (within the range of 98.6 °F to 100.9 °F), but not too high to be medically significant.
Causes
Low-grade fever is common in infants, one of the common causes in infants being teething. Other contributing factors include infections and conditions like:
Rubella
Measles
Mumps
Chickenpox
Scarlet fever
Hepatitis
Typhoid
Flu
Mononucleosis
Allergies
Boils or abscesses
Inflammatory conditions
Persistently high body temperature that cannot be explained due to the lack of known cause is termed as fever of unknown origin.
Symptoms
The symptoms that may accompany fever include chills, increase in heart rate, malaise, weakness, lethargy, and sleepiness. Other symptoms are related to the disease or condition that leads to elevation of normal body temperature.
Treatment
Treatment is not really required, and most people recover by taking rest for a couple of days. To recover fast, the affected person should stay hydrated at all times. Certain over-the-counter medications can be taken to alleviate the symptoms. Medical help must be sought immediately in case of infants, as their immune system has not yet developed fully.
Though a slight increase in the temperature is not a cause of serious concern, consult a doctor if you experience other symptoms. Seek medical help, if the fever persists for more than 5 days. Medical help must be immediately sought if the body temperature is high, i.e., in the range of 103°F (39.4°C) to 106°F (41.1°C).
Disclaimer: The information provided in this story is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a medical expert.