How do you define a fever. What are the different types of fevers. When should you seek medical attention for a fever. How can you treat fevers at home. Which thermometer readings are most accurate for measuring body temperature.

Understanding Fevers: Your Body’s Natural Defense Mechanism

A fever is more than just an uncomfortable symptom; it’s a crucial part of your body’s immune response. When your immune system detects an invader, such as bacteria or a virus, it raises your body temperature as a defensive strategy. This elevation in temperature creates an environment where your immune system functions more effectively, while simultaneously making it harder for pathogens to thrive.

While fevers may feel unpleasant, they play a vital role in helping your body combat infections and restore health. Understanding this process can help alleviate some of the anxiety associated with elevated body temperatures.

What constitutes a fever?

Normal body temperature typically ranges from 97 to 99°F (36.1 to 37.2°C). A fever is generally defined as a temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher. However, the severity of a fever can vary depending on age and other factors.

• For infants younger than one month: Any temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher is considered serious and requires immediate medical attention.
• For infants older than one month and children: A temperature above 102°F (38.9°C) is considered a more serious fever.
• For adults: A temperature above 103°F (39.4°C) is classified as a more serious fever.

When to Seek Medical Attention for a Fever

While most fevers don’t require immediate medical intervention, certain symptoms accompanying a fever warrant professional attention. It’s crucial to recognize these signs in both children and adults to ensure timely and appropriate care.

Concerning symptoms in children with fever:

• Seizures
• Listlessness
• Inconsolable irritability
• Refusal to drink fluids
• Cessation of urination
• Persistent vomiting
• Fever lasting longer than 3 days

Concerning symptoms in adults with fever:

• Seizures
• Severe headache
• Stiff neck
• Sensitivity to light
• Mental confusion
• Persistent vomiting
• Difficulty breathing
• Chest pain or shortness of breath
• Pain when urinating

Is a fever always harmful? Generally, fevers themselves don’t cause lasting damage. Even febrile seizures, which are convulsions in children caused by rapid temperature spikes, rarely result in long-term issues. However, the underlying infection causing the fever can potentially lead to serious complications. For instance, meningitis, which can trigger sudden high fevers, may cause brain injuries or even be life-threatening if left untreated.

Accurate Temperature Measurement: Choosing the Right Method

Selecting the appropriate method for temperature measurement is crucial for obtaining accurate readings and making informed decisions about fever management.

Which thermometer type provides the most reliable results?

1. Oral thermometers: These are considered the best choice for home use. Oral readings are both accurate and easy to obtain. However, when using an oral thermometer in the armpit, the reading will be slightly less accurate and typically about 1 degree lower than a mouth reading.
2. Rectal thermometers: While highly accurate, there’s a risk of injury, especially with infants. It’s generally recommended to leave rectal temperature measurements to healthcare professionals.
3. Forehead thermometers: These no-touch devices are convenient and fast but are the least accurate among the options.

Home Treatments for Fever Management

It’s important to note that treating a fever isn’t always necessary, especially if it’s below the threshold for more serious fevers as outlined earlier. Fevers are a natural part of your immune response, and lowering your body temperature with medication can potentially limit your immune system’s ability to fight off infections.

However, if symptoms become intolerable, there are effective ways to manage a fever at home:

Medication options for fever reduction:

• Children 1-6 months old: acetaminophen
• Children 6 months or older: acetaminophen or ibuprofen
• Adults: acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or other over-the-counter NSAID medications

Non-medicinal remedies to increase comfort:

• Lowering the room temperature
• Using a fan for air circulation
• Reducing the number of blankets on the bed
• Drinking soothing honey or lemon teas
• Consuming cold beverages to alleviate sore throat
• Using a humidifier to ease coughing

What are the most important factors in managing a fever at home? Above all, staying hydrated and getting plenty of rest are crucial. These simple measures can significantly aid your body’s natural healing process.

Fever in the Context of COVID-19

In the current global health landscape, it’s important to note that fever is one of the primary symptoms of COVID-19. If you’re experiencing a fever, especially if it’s accompanied by other COVID-19 symptoms, it’s crucial to take appropriate precautions.

How should you proceed if you have a fever during the COVID-19 pandemic?

If you develop a fever, particularly if it’s accompanied by other symptoms such as cough, fatigue, or loss of taste or smell, it’s advisable to get tested for COVID-19 before returning to work or other public places. This step is essential not only for your health but also for the safety of those around you.

The Importance of Primary Care in Fever Management

While many fevers can be managed at home, having a primary care doctor is invaluable for overall health management, including fever-related concerns. A primary care physician can provide personalized advice, monitor your health over time, and intervene quickly if a fever becomes concerning.

How does a primary care doctor contribute to fever management?

• They can assess your overall health and risk factors
• They’re familiar with your medical history, allowing for more informed decisions
• They can provide guidance on when home treatment is sufficient and when further intervention is necessary
• They can coordinate with specialists if complications arise

Establishing a relationship with a primary care doctor ensures that you have a trusted medical professional to turn to when fever or other health concerns arise.

Recognizing High-Risk Situations During Illness

When you’re dealing with a fever or any illness, it’s crucial to be aware of situations that might put you or others at increased risk. This is particularly important in the context of highly contagious diseases like COVID-19.

How can you identify potentially risky situations when you’re ill?

1. Assess the ventilation of your environment
2. Consider the proximity to others, especially those who may be vulnerable
3. Evaluate the duration of potential exposure to others
4. Think about the activities involved (e.g., talking, singing, or physical exertion can increase risk)
5. Be aware of the prevalence of illness in your community
6. Consider your vaccination status and that of those around you
7. Assess your own symptoms and their severity

By being mindful of these factors, you can make informed decisions about your activities and interactions while ill, helping to protect both yourself and others.

Accurate Temperature Taking: A Crucial Skill

Knowing how to accurately measure body temperature is an essential skill for managing fevers and monitoring overall health. Different methods of temperature measurement can yield slightly different results, so it’s important to understand the nuances of each technique.

What are the key considerations for different temperature-taking methods?

• Rectal temperature: Considered the most accurate, especially for infants, but requires care to avoid injury
• Oral temperature: Reliable for older children and adults, but can be affected by recent food or drink consumption
• Axillary (armpit) temperature: Less accurate but non-invasive; typically about 1°F (0.6°C) lower than oral temperature
• Ear temperature: Quick and convenient, but not accurate for infants under 6 months
• Forehead temperature: Non-invasive and quick, but can be less accurate than other methods

Remember, regardless of the method used, it’s crucial to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your specific thermometer to ensure the most accurate readings.

Understanding fevers, knowing when to seek medical attention, and being able to manage them effectively at home are crucial skills for maintaining health and well-being. By staying informed and prepared, you can navigate fever episodes with confidence, ensuring the best care for yourself and your loved ones.

Fevers 101: How to treat them, and when to get help

 
A fever is your immune system’s way of changing the battleground to help itself fight. When your body recognizes an invader (like bacteria or a virus), your immune system raises your body temperature as a defense. Your immune system works much better in hotter temperatures, while invaders do worse. Fevers may feel terrible to you, but they help your body destroy invaders and get back to its healthy self.

Fevers defined

Normal body temperatures sit between 97 to 99° F. A fever is a temperature of 100.4° F or higher. There are low-grade fevers and more serious fevers, depending on the sick person’s age.

A serious fever is hotter than:

•    100.4° F in infants younger than one month – go to the ER if this happens
•    102° F in infants older than one month on up to children
•    103° F in adults

For infants one month and younger, a temperature of 100.4° F or higher requires immediate medical attention. From one month of age and older, most fevers – even serious fevers – do not require immediate medical attention. If your feverish child is making eye contact, responding to your voice, drinking fluids and voiding normally, there’s no need to worry.

When to get medical attention

Most fevers don’t require medical attention. However, any of these symptoms in children or adults, along with a fever, means it’s time to see a doctor. Download the new Nebraska Medicine mobile app to make an appointment, or call 800.922.000.
 

In general, fevers don’t cause harm. Even febrile seizures – convulsion in a child caused by a spike in body temperature – rarely cause any lasting damage. However, the infection triggering the fever certainly can cause long-lasting damage. For example, meningitis can cause very sudden high fevers. Meningitis can cause brain injuries or even death. That’s why it’s important to monitor the symptoms associated with the fever to see if you need medical help.

Which thermometer reading is best

• Mouth: The best choice for home use. Oral readings are accurate and easy to take. Placing an oral thermometer in the armpit is less accurate (and will be about 1 degree lower than a mouth reading) 
• Rectal: Highly accurate, but there’s a risk of injury, especially with infants. Best to leave rectal thermometers to health care professionals
• Forehead: Used for their convenience and speed, no-touch forehead thermometers are the least accurate

Home treatments for fevers

You don’t have to treat a fever, especially if it’s lower than the more serious fevers (listed above in Fevers defined).

A fever is part of your normal immune response. Lowering your body temperature with medication can limit your immune system’s fighting power. However, if you or your child’s symptoms are intolerable, these medications effectively treat a fever:

• Children one to six months old: acetaminophen
• Children six months or older: acetaminophen or ibuprofen
• Adults: acetaminophen, ibuprofen and any other over-the-counter NSAID medications

Other at-home remedies can make you feel more comfortable and help with accompanying symptoms:

• Decreasing ambient room temperature
• Using a fan
• Fewer blankets on bed
• Soothing honey or lemon teas
• Cold beverages for sore throat
• Humidifier for cough

Above all, stay hydrated and get plenty of rest. A fever is one of the symptoms of COVID-19. Be sure to get tested for COVID-19 before returning to work or other public places.

Why do I need a primary care doctor

There are many benefits to having a primary care doctor. Learn more about the role of a primary care doctor and why you should have one.

Read More

7 steps to identify risky COVID-19 situations

We have received many questions about the risk levels associated with various activities. To help you decide, we put together an infographic ranking the risk level of common activities, and outlined some steps you can take to recognize if you’re in a risky COVID-19 situation.

Read More

How to Take the Temperature

When Does Your Child Have a Fever ?

• Average body temperature is around 98.6° F (37.0° C)
• A fever is an elevated body temperature with these readings:
• Rectal, Forehead or Ear temperature: 100.4° F (38.0° C) or higher
• Oral (mouth) temperature: 100° F (37.8° C) or higher
• Under the arm (armpit) temperature: 99° F (37.2° C) or higher
• Caution: Ear temperatures are not accurate before 6 months of age

Where to Take the Temperature

• Rectal temps are the most accurate. Forehead temps are the next most accurate. Oral and ear temps are also accurate if done properly. Temps done in the armpit are the least accurate. Armpit temps are useful for screening at any age.
• Age under 3 months old (90 days old). An armpit temp is the safest and is good for screening. If the armpit temp is above 99° F (37.2° C), re-check it. Use a rectal reading. Reason: If young babies have a fever, they need to see a doctor now. New research shows that forehead temps may also be accurate under 3 months of age.
• Age 3 months to 4 years old. Rectal or forehead temps are accurate. An ear thermometer can be used after 6 months old. An armpit temp is good for screening if it is taken right.
• Age 4 years and older.
  Safe to take the temp orally (by mouth). Ear and forehead thermometers are also good.
• Digital (electronic) thermometers are easily found in stores. They do not cost very much. They can be used for rectal, armpit and oral temps. Most of them give an accurate temp in 10 seconds or less. The AAP suggests you replace any glass thermometer in the house with one of these products.

Rectal Temperature: How to Take

• Age: Birth to 4 years old
• Have your child lie stomach down on your lap. Another way is on the back with the legs pulled up to the chest.
• Put some petroleum jelly on the end of the thermometer and the anus.
• Slide the thermometer gently into the anus no more than 1 inch. If your child is less than 6 months old, put it in no more than ½ inch. That means until you can no longer see the silver tip.
• Be gentle. There should not be any resistance. If there is, stop.
• Hold your child still. Leave a digital thermometer in until it beeps (about 10 seconds).
• Your child has a fever if the rectal temp is above 100.4° F (38° C).
• Warning: do not take rectal temperatures in young children with leukemia or other cancers. Also avoid in other children with weak immune systems such as organ transplant, HIV or sickle cell disease.

Armpit Temperature: How to Take

• Age: Any age for screening
• Put the tip of the thermometer in an armpit. Make sure the armpit is dry.
• Close the armpit by holding the elbow against the chest. Do this until it beeps (about 10 seconds). The tip of the thermometer must stay covered by skin.
• Your child has a fever if the armpit temp is above 99.0° F (37.2° C). If you have any doubt, take your child’s temp by rectum or forehead.

Oral Temperature: How to Take

• Age: 4 years and older
• If your child had a cold or hot drink, wait 30 minutes.
• Put the thermometer under one side of the tongue towards the back. It’s important to put the tip in the right place.
• Have your child hold the thermometer with his lips and fingers. Don’t use the teeth to keep in place. Keep the lips sealed until it beeps (about 10 seconds).
• Your child has a fever if the temp is above 100° F (37.8° C).

Ear Temperature: How to Take

• Age: 6 months and older (not accurate before 6 months)
• This thermometer reads the heat waves coming off the eardrum.
• A correct temp depends on pulling the ear backward. Pull back and up if over 1 year old.
• Then aim the tip of the ear probe between the opposite eye and ear.
• Parents like this thermometer because it takes less than 2 seconds. It also does not need the child to cooperate. It does not cause any discomfort.
• Caution. Being outdoors on a cold day will cause a low reading. Your child needs to be inside for 15 minutes before taking the temp. Earwax, ear infections and ear tubes do not keep from getting correct readings.

Forehead Touch Temperature: How to Take

• Age: Any age
• This thermometer reads the heat waves coming off the temporal artery. This blood vessel runs across the forehead just below the skin.
• This is the one most used in hospitals and doctors’ offices.
• Place the sensor head at the center of the forehead touching the skin.
• Slowly slide the thermometer across the forehead toward the top of the ear. Keep it in contact with the skin.
• Stop when you reach the hairline.
• Read your child’s temp on the display screen.
• Note: some newer forehead thermometers don’t need to slide across the forehead. Follow the box directions on how to take the temp.
• Used in more doctor’s offices than any other thermometer.
• Parents like this thermometer because it takes less than 2 seconds. It also does not need the child to cooperate. It does not cause any discomfort.
• Caution: forehead temperatures must be digital. Forehead strips are not accurate.

Forehead No-Touch Temperature: How to Take

• Age: any age
• Aim the thermometer at the center of the forehead.
• Stay less than 1 inch (2.5 cm) away. Do not touch the forehead.
• Do not move the thermometer.
• Press the measurement button.

If your child’s illness or injury is life-threatening, call 911.

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Last Reviewed: 06/12/2023

Last Revised: 01/26/2023

Copyright 2000-2023 Schmitt Pediatric Guidelines LLC.

Temperature and its role in our life

Temperature is a value that characterizes the thermal state of the body. The temperature is accepted as a quantity that varies in proportion to the average kinetic energy of the translational motion of molecules. The numerical value of the temperature is determined by the selected temperature measurement scale. In technology, it is customary to measure temperature using degrees Celsius. The 100 degree scale is taken as a basis, according to which, at normal atmospheric pressure, the state of melting ice corresponds to a temperature of 0 degrees Celsius, and the boiling point of water is -100 degrees Celsius. In thermodynamics, it is customary to use a scale of absolute temperatures called the Kelvin scale. The zero of the absolute temperature scale corresponds to a temperature of -273.15 degrees Kelvin.

First of all, we associate temperature with subjective sensations of “warmth” or “cold” depending on whether the body absorbs heat or gives it away. It should be noted that for the normal functioning of any living organism, an appropriate level of temperature, a certain strict cyclicity and stability of its change are necessary, since the life cycles and biorhythms of all living beings are inextricably linked with certain temperature conditions. Violation of these conditions is fraught with irreversible changes in the physiology and normal life of all living beings, including humans. Of course, most organisms contain certain mechanisms for controlling the temperature of their own body and adequately responding to these changes, however, a person still needs a structured numerical assessment of the thermal state of his body.

In addition, temperature is the most important parameter of any technological process. The need to control the temperature of critical mechanisms, working fluids (liquids, gases), as well as permissible temperatures during the operation of engines, generators, drive equipment, transformers, etc. leads to the use of high-tech solutions in terms of temperature measurement. It is also no secret that modern digital systems of whatever type are sensitive to temperature. This is due to the fact that in semiconductor elements, when the permissible temperature is exceeded, thermal breakdown occurs, as a result of which the entire system may fail or be out of control, which is fraught with serious material costs and industrial injuries.

Since temperature is such an important parameter that it often determines human health and safety, there are many tools and technical solutions for its control. In industry, as a rule, temperature sensors are used – thermocouples and thermal resistances, which provide unified signals (both analog and digital) to the controller, thus forming an automatic control system for this process. However, we will focus on indicating instruments – thermometers.

Mercury thermometers or “thermometers” are still the most common thermometers for measuring body temperature. It is believed that a mercury thermometer shows body temperature more accurately than the others, in addition, it is more than affordable for purchase. The possibility of complete disinfection makes it indispensable in medicine. However, the use of mercury as a substance that reacts to temperature changes and a fragile glass case are serious disadvantages, forcing us to look for other means of measuring temperature.

Digital thermometer is designed to measure temperature in the widest range, and is very convenient both in technology and in everyday life. One of the advantages of such thermometers is that they are ready to work immediately from the moment they are turned on, unlike mercury thermometers, they are distinguished by the accuracy of their readings and the convenience of their perception. Digital thermometers have a more durable housing, which greatly expands their scope and greatly simplifies their transportation. A small number of elements, ease of operation and transportation make them indispensable in a number of cases where accurate and fast temperature data is needed. Moreover, the use of digital electrical circuits in the work made it possible to carry out computer processing of measurement results, the significance of which is difficult to overestimate.

Infrared thermometers or pyrometers are designed for non-contact temperature measurement at a distance. In other words, these are optical instruments designed to measure the surface temperature of opaque bodies. They are widely used in the control of temperature processes and equipment diagnostics, which is especially important for hard-to-reach places. The pyrometer is small, light and easy to use, you just need to point it at the object and press the trigger – the display will show the surface temperature of the object. This is the fastest, easiest and safest way to measure temperature.

All types of thermometers are available

Normal CPU and GPU temperatures in games

It’s always worth remembering that a gaming PC needs regular maintenance. Many of us have learned this truth from our mistakes, especially those who started playing at an early age and knew almost nothing about computer hardware. And when we encountered that eerie blue screen of death, it was almost certainly caused by overheating.

It’s common these days to take care of your expensive gaming machine, and the best way to know if your PC is getting hotter than usual is to monitor component temperatures with built-in sensors.

That’s what we’re going to talk about in this article: how to monitor the temperature of the processor and video card, what is the optimal temperature for gaming, and what may be the reason for the increase in temperature.

Optimal Temperatures for Gaming

Temperatures today are slightly cooler than they once were, largely due to the more sophisticated manufacturing techniques of today’s processors. These levels differ depending on the manufacturer and even the specific model, so it is simply impossible to specify one exact value for the ideal temperature for games.

Next, we will look at the allowable temperature ranges for the various components.

Processors

Currently, most gamers are faced with a choice between two series of processors: the Intel Core and AMD Ryzen lines.

According to manufacturers, the maximum safe operating temperature is 95 and 100 degrees Celsius for Ryzen and Core processors, respectively, but you are unlikely to encounter such values ​​if the cooling system is working and the processor has not been overclocked beyond the cooler’s capabilities.

Even with a heavy load, the temperature of Ryzen or Core processors should not exceed 85 degrees with a standard cooler without overclocking. If it is higher, this is a sign of some problems, but we will talk about them later.

Video cards

There are also two main manufacturers of video chips. This is NVIDIA and again AMD. However, these companies only develop and manufacture video processors themselves (not counting the reference video cards from NVIDIA), and most video cards are made by other companies, such as Asus, Gigabyte, EVGA, MSI or Sapphire. They implement their own cooling solutions.

But this does not change the maximum safe temperature setting for NVIDIA GeForce and AMD Radeon cards. In both cases, the upper limit is around 95 degrees, although Radeon cards can withstand higher temperatures due to AMD’s more robust video chip architecture.

Like processors, most video cards should not get hotter than 85 degrees even under heavy load. Of course, as mentioned above, the quality of the coolers used by the video card manufacturer will affect the average temperature, and cheaper models with the same video chip usually heat up more than more expensive ones.

There are two main types of air cooling for video cards:

• Fan – is the most common type of cooling for video cards, in which one, two or three fans drive air through an open heatsink. Efficiency is greatly enhanced by good air circulation in the case and the presence of case fans to help expel hot air from the case.
• Turbine – is found on most reference models and is not as popular. In this case, the video card is completely closed, and the only fan sucks in cold air and blows hot air out through the holes in the back of the card. These cards typically run hotter than fan-cooled models and are only really preferred when space is limited inside the case and/or air circulation is poor.

But there’s another caveat here: most, if not all, modern karts use adaptive ventilation technology. What does it mean?

In fact, when using this technology, the fans do not turn on until the temperature reaches a certain threshold, most often around 40-50 degrees. This was done to reduce power consumption and fan noise when the card is not under load. Therefore, when the fans are turned off, the card may seem hotter than it should be.

As in the case of processors, a non-overclocked card with working fans should practically not heat up above 80 degrees.

For Nvidia graphics cards, the temperatures listed as the maximum safe on the respective official pages of the Nvidia website.

The values ​​given for AMD cards are average temperature levels for heavy workloads and can be used as a fairly reliable approximation of how hot your graphics card is when working hard.

How to monitor the temperature of components

With a huge number of sensors built into processors, graphics cards and motherboards, you can see exactly how hot each element is. But what programs are best for this?

Motherboard BIOS

The easiest way to check the temperature and other current parameters is through the BIOS. Just restart your PC and enter the BIOS by pressing Delete during boot.

However, the obvious disadvantage of using the BIOS is the need to restart the PC. In addition, for obvious reasons, it will not be possible to monitor the temperature directly under load. However, if regular monitoring is not required, this method is the most convenient, since it does not require any additional programs.

Processor and graphics card utilities

Intel, Nvidia, and AMD have handy utilities for working with processors and graphics cards.

For processors, these are Intel Extreme Tuning Utility and Ryzen Master Utility . Both programs allow you to find out a wide variety of parameters, easily overclock the processor and, most importantly, see the current temperature of the processor.

As for graphics cards, there are overclocking utilities for them that can also be used for temperature monitoring: MSI Afterburner, Asus GPU Tweak, Gigabyte Aorus Graphics Engine, etc.

Third party programs

There are many different programs for temperature monitoring, but we recommend one of these two: OpenHardwareMonitor and AIDA64.

• OpenHardwareMonitor – is a completely free utility that allows you to monitor many important parameters: temperature, voltage, fan speed and many others.
• AIDA64 – is a very popular and incredibly powerful utility with outstanding functionality including temperature tracking. But it’s not free, so you’ll have to buy it or use the trial version.

Does temperature affect performance?

You are probably wondering if your computer runs faster at lower temperatures and vice versa, slower at high temperatures.

If the temperature is kept within an acceptable range, you will not experience performance drops. But at high temperatures, the so-called throttling begins: the processor (CPU or GPU) resets its frequencies to lower the temperature, and this, of course, affects its performance. So, if you want to achieve maximum performance of iron, take care of cooling.

What to do in case of overheating?

Overheating of the processor and video card can be caused by several reasons:

• Dirty heatsink
• Poor air circulation in housing
• High ambient temperature
• Malfunction of the cooler, power supply or the processor / video card itself

Here’s what you can do:

Clean the heatsink(s)

If you’ve had your computer for over a year and never cleaned it, a lot of dust can build up inside. You can easily get rid of it yourself, with a brush and a vacuum cleaner.

Check air circulation

One reason for excessive heat build-up in components can be poor air circulation – when the CPU and GPU coolers are not getting enough cool air to move through the heatsink. If this is indeed the reason, the motherboard sensors will also show a higher temperature. Also, check your CPU cooler and make sure it’s clean.

The best way to improve air circulation is to set case fans for intake and exhaust. But before that, you should familiarize yourself with the principles of air circulation in order to create optimal airflow inside the case.

If you can’t or don’t want to buy additional fans, you can always keep the case open. This will significantly reduce the heat.

Check the ambient temperature

This problem is mainly for those who live in hot climates, although even residents of more temperate regions may experience it during warm summers.