Dear Reader,
Even when you’re well, your body temperature varies, and that variation is normal. Doctors usually consider 98.6 F a healthy body temperature. But your normal temperature may differ by a degree or more. In the morning, your temperature is generally lower, and in the afternoon it’s somewhat higher.
Often, a fever isn’t anything to worry about, but sometimes a fever should be evaluated, especially if it’s accompanied by other severe symptoms.
Contact a doctor in any of the following situations: - A child or adult with a temperature of more than 103 F
- A child or adult with a temperature of more than 101 F for more than three days
- An infant younger than 3 months with a rectal temperature of 100.4 F or higher
- An infant older than 3 months with a temperature of 102 F or higher
Seek emergency medical care if any of these signs or symptoms accompany a fever: - Severe headache
- Severe swelling of the throat
- Unusual skin rash
- Unusual eye sensitivity to bright light
- A stiff neck and significant neck pain when you bend your head forward
- Confusion or severe drowsiness
- Persistent vomiting or abdominal pain
- Difficulty breathing or chest pain
- Extreme listlessness, irritability or poor eye contact
- A seizure
- A bulging soft spot on a baby's head
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