Cold & Flu Symptoms When Is a Fever Too High? And what should you do about it? By Kristina Duda, RN Kristina Duda, RN Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Kristina Duda, BSN, RN, CPN, has been working in healthcare since 2002. She specializes in pediatrics and disease and infection prevention. Learn about our editorial process Updated on September 28, 2022 Medically reviewed by Jordana Haber Hazan, MD Medically reviewed by Jordana Haber Hazan, MD Twitter Jordana Haber Hazan, MD, is board-certified in emergency medicine and currently works as an academic emergency physician. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Why You Get Fevers Causes of a Fever Symptoms/Complications Treatment of a Fever Frequently Asked Questions High-grade fevers involve temperatures above 103 degrees and can be dangerous. They can be dangerous if the temperature is greater than 105 degrees and doesn’t respond to treatment. However, when determining if a fever is a risk to yourself or your child, it's more complicated than just looking at the number—especially in children. For most people, most of the time, a fever isn't dangerous enough to cause brain damage. This may go against what you've been taught. It helps to know what causes a fever, what the potential complications can be, and when to call your healthcare provider or head to the emergency room. It's also important to know what's different about fevers in kids versus adults. This article will discuss fevers and how you know when one is too high. It will also talk about what you should do if you have a low or high fever. Why You Get Fevers Usually, fevers are a good thing. They're one of the ways your body naturally fights off infections. A part of the brain called the hypothalamus acts as a thermostat for your body. Most of the time, it keeps body temperatures around 98.6 degrees. When you get sick, though, the hypothalamus raises the temperature to make it hard for germs to live and multiply in the body. It's great when a fever fights against the germs in your body. But it's not so great when the fever gets so high that it could harm you. Causes of a Fever A lot of things can cause high fevers. Some of the causes typically begin with low-grade fevers that can turn into high-grade ones, such as: VirusesBacteriaFungiToxinsDrugs If you don't receive treatment for your fever or your body doesn't respond to treatment, the fever can become dangerous. Verywell / Jiaqi Zhou Some medical conditions are associated with high-grade fever. These medical conditions include: Intracranial hemorrhage (bleeding inside the brain) Thyroid storm Serotonin syndrome Sepsis Kawasaki syndrome Neuroleptic malignant syndrome Heatstroke Drug overdose Symptoms and Complications of a Fever As your fever rises, it may cause new symptoms. Low-grade fever (pyrexia) symptoms include: Chills Sweats Feeling hot Headache Eyes that are achy or tired Thirst Low appetite Early high-grade fever symptoms may still include those from the list above, plus: Extreme sweating Dizziness and light-headedness Muscle cramps Fatigue Weakness Nausea Persistent or worsening high-grade fever can also cause: Contracted (small) pupilsMild confusionCool, moist, pale skinUpset stomach or vomitingDecreased urine or inability to urinate Longer-lasting high-grade fever or temperatures above 106.1 F can lead to: Extreme confusion Hallucinations Loss of consciousness Shallow, rapid breathing Hot, dry, red skin Weak, fast heartbeat Dilated (large) pupils Seizures Adults who have fevers over 105 degrees need medical attention to prevent serious, long-term consequences. Brain Damage and Death While high fevers, especially those that last a long time, can lead to brain damage and death, this is extremely rare. Brain damage can occur if a fever goes above 107.6. According to a 2016 study, heatstroke is the most deadly heat-related illness. It kills 58% or more of the people it affects. Among survivors, most make full recoveries. But some may have long-term organ damage. Organs that can be damaged by a prolonged high fever include: BrainHeart and cardiovascular systemKidneysLiverIntestines Proper treatment is the key to preventing severe complications of high-grade fevers. Treatment of a Fever If someone has a fever but feels fine for the most part, treatment isn't necessary. In fact, because the fever's job is to help kill an infection, treating a low-grade fever can interfere with the body's efforts to fight germs. When it comes to children who have a fever, a rule of thumb is that if they're playing and have energy, there's no immediate danger. When fever-related symptoms are making you feel lousy or the temperature has crept up near that 103–104 degree mark, an over-the-counter fever-reducing medication like Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Motrin/Advil (ibuprofen) can help you feel better. These medications provide only temporary results. They work for four to eight hours and then wear off. This means your fever may come back, and you'll need to take more. This doesn't mean something is wrong or that it didn't work. Children and teenagers should not be given aspirin for a fever. They run the risk of getting Reye's syndrome, a rare and serious illness that causes brain and liver damage. Rest and plenty of liquids can help your body fight against the fever and underlying illness as well. Other home remedies may help, but you need to know which ones are safe and effective. You also need to know which ones are potentially harmful. Talk to your healthcare provider to learn which home remedies are best. Safe (and Not) Fever Home Remedies Treatment by Temperature For most adults and older children, looking at the symptoms more than the number on the thermometer can help you determine if there's a serious health issue. Still, it's good to keep an eye on how high the fever gets. Adults and Children 4+ Temperatures Degrees in Fahrenheit High-Grade 103 Potentially Dangerous 104 Get Medical Attention 105 and up With children under 3 years of age, and especially with babies, it pays to be more cautious and know what the exact temperature is. Fever in very young children can be a sign that something is seriously wrong, so it shouldn't be ignored. Your pediatrician should have an on-call number so you can get advice at any time. In some cases, you may want to go straight to the emergency room. Babies and Toddlers Temperatures by Age Degrees in Fahrenheit What to Do 0-3 Months 100 oral, 100.4 rectal Call healthcare provider or go to ER 3 Months-3 Years 102.2 Call healthcare provider for advice, even after hours Medical Care If your fever is caused by an infection, it won't go away until the infection is gone or at least improves. Depending on the type of sickness, this may require medical treatment. If your fever doesn't go away or you have additional symptoms that show you have an illness, you should see a healthcare provider. If you go to your healthcare provider's office, urgent care, or the ER for fever treatment, you can expect medications and testing to figure out what's causing the elevated temperature. Summary A fever is one way your body naturally fights against infections. High fevers are 103 degrees or above. A potentially dangerous fever begins when your temperature is at least 104 degrees. If you have a fever that is 105 degrees or higher, you need immediate medical attention. A Word From Verywell Adults are usually able to determine when our symptoms are making us feel so bad that we need to seek medical treatment. But if you aren't sure, learn how to check your cold and flu symptoms, evaluate a fever, and know the situations when you should see a healthcare provider for a fever. When to See a Healthcare Provider for a Fever Correction -March 14, 2022: This article was updated to remove reference to hyperpyrexia. Frequently Asked Questions Can you tell if you have a fever without a thermometer? There are a couple of ways to check for a fever, but they are less accurate than using a thermometer. Chills, sweating, unusually red skin, or a back and chest that feel hot can all be signs of a fever. Touch is considered an inaccurate way of measuring temperature, but these methods might give you an idea of whether a fever is present. How high of a fever does COVID-19 cause? COVID-19 can cause varying levels of fever. Some people can have a low-grade fever, or show no signs of fever at all, while others experience a high fever. Symptoms usually appear two days after exposure to the virus but can sometimes take as long as 14 days to show up. Why does a fever keep coming back? A fever that keeps coming back might be what is known as a recurrent fever. When a recurrent fever appears in a pattern, such as once every couple of weeks, it may be due to a type of Periodic Fever Syndrome. This group of health conditions is known to cause recurrent fever. Less predictable fevers may be due to a viral, infectious, or bacterial cause. Recurrent fevers usually only affect children younger than five years old. 7 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Seattle Children's Hospital. Fever - Myths Versus Facts. Cleveland Clinic. Fever: Symptoms, Causes, Care & Treatment. MedlinePlus. Fever. Walter EJ, Hanna-Jumma S, Carraretto M, Forni L. The pathophysiological basis and consequences of fever. Crit Care. 2016;20(1):200. doi:10.1186/s13054-016-1375-5 National Health Service (NHS). High Temperature (Fever) In Adults. Johns Hopkins Medicine. COVID Symptoms - Frequently Asked Questions. John CC, Gilsdorf JR. Recurrent fevers in children: Differential diagnosis. American Family Physician. 2003;67(4):863. Additional Reading Nemours KidsHealth. Fevers. By Kristina Duda, RN Kristina Duda, BSN, RN, CPN, has been working in healthcare since 2002. She specializes in pediatrics and disease and infection prevention. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? 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