Fever is one of the common problems encountered throughout the year and people know very less about it. Fever is not something to be fearful of. When body gets to meet something unwanted or something unusual comes up with it’s response to external stimulus and one of such responses is Fever also known as Pyrexia. Fever is nothing but unusual rise in body temperature than the normal temperature 98.2( +_ .7)degree Fahrenheit. There is normal one degree variation of body temperatures with evening temperatures typically 1degrees higher than morning temperatures. So real fever is basically fever more than 98.9 F in morning and more than 99.9 F in evening Fever in a way is useful for body because rise in body temperature is important to kill unwanted bacteria or viruses growing inside the body and most of such fevers end at their own without any medical attendance. But for unusual high fever, medical attention ,evaluation of cause and treatment is warranted. SYMPTOMS OF FEVER – Some general symptoms observed in patient suffering from fever are – Shivering Feeling unusual cold Loss of appetite Confusion and depression in severe cases Lethargic Sweating Dehydration Headache and body pains Unusual skin rash in some cases Vomiting and pain in abdomen Seizure and irritability in few cases CAUSES OF FEVER- There can be usual causes to fever like eating disorders, exercise, dehydration, sleeping and at times certain part of day in particular. For many people their normal body temperature is slightly higher or lower than the conventional one thus it can not be designated as fever. Abnormal Causes of fever are Infection like – Chicken Pox, Pneumonia, Sore throat, flu . In case of Autoimmune Disorders like Rheumatoid Arthritis Side effects of medication Pregnancy Over exposure to sun like in Heat stroke Disease like silicosis Drug abuse like amphetamine Alcohol withdrawal CLASSIFYING FEVERS- On basis of severity- Low grade fever – 100.5 – 102 degree F Moderate grade fever- 102 – 104 F High grade fever – 104 – 106 F GENERAL TREATMENT AND PREVENTION As mentioned above earlier, fever does not require specific medical attention until unless some other unusual characters are observed. Generally it can be treated by following these steps. Maintain hygiene- most of fevers are caused due bacterial or viral infection. Maintaining good hygiene can prevent a number of dread diseases likes dengue. Since the cause of fever is unknown till treatment, healthy people must avoid being in much contact with infected person. Take adequate amount of rest. Resting the body helps in quicker recovery especially in cases of viral fever like Dengue Stay hydrated- One of the cause and symptoms of fever is dehydration. Thus to avoid any complication in future ,take enough of fluids. Atleast 4-5 litres of fluids in the form of water,juices,ORS,soups can be taken . Take bath in lukewarm water. It will inculcate feeling of coolness, freshness and will make the individual feel a little energetic.Bathing is not forbidden in cases of fevers NSAIDs like paracetamol can help to lower down the fever.Avoid taking more than 2gms of paracetamol per day If fever is due to strenuous exercise then patient should be asked to cool down and relax rather than using NSAIDs directly. WHEN TO SEE DOCTOR ? In case of infants: Irritability,vomiting, fever lasting more than 3 days, making poor eye contact. In case of adults experiencing- Severe headache Chest congestion Red rose spots and rash Confusion Abdominal pain Diarrhea Fever isn’t a hoax until unless something unusual is accompanied. Stay healthy!