Fever what is normal temperature

If you have a fever for more than three weeks and your doctor isn't able to find the cause after extensive evaluation, the diagnosis may be fever of unknown origin.

Children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years may experience fever-induced convulsions febrile seizures , which usually involve loss of consciousness and shaking of limbs on both sides of the body. Although alarming for parents, the vast majority of febrile seizures cause no lasting effects. Most seizures stop on their own. Take your child to the doctor as soon as possible after the seizure to determine the cause of the fever.

You may be able to prevent fevers by reducing exposure to infectious diseases. Here are some tips that can help:. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version.

Overview A fever is a temporary increase in your body temperature, often due to an illness. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Goldman L, et al. Approach to fever or suspected infection in the normal host.

In: Goldman-Cecil Medicine. Philadelphia, Pa. Accessed April 5, Merck Manual Professional Version. If you're concerned about coronavirus COVID , be mindful of our ibuprofen advice on the coronavius page.

Most fevers will improve of their own accord in a few days. However, there are a number of things you can do to help the uncomfortable feelings associated with a fever. Fever affects people of all ages, however it often affects babies and younger children in response to minor illnesses such as:. Find out more about fever in children.

Return to Symptoms. Next Review Date:. Home Illnesses and conditions Infections and poisoning Fever in adults. Fever in adults. Only phone if your symptoms are severe. You can find out if you have a fever by using a thermometer to take your temperature. What causes a fever? Learn how we develop our content. To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.

Fever Temperatures: Accuracy and Comparison. Topic Overview You can take a temperature using the mouth oral , anus rectal , armpit axillary , or ear tympanic. Generally, the correlation of temperature results are as follows: The average normal oral temperature is A rectal temperature is 0.

An ear tympanic temperature is 0. An armpit axillary temperature is usually 0. A forehead temporal scanner is usually 0.

Hoffbauer G, Schaenzler N. Reinbek: Rowohlt; Feverish illness in children: assessment and initial management in children younger than 5 years. May Pschyrembel W. Berlin: De Gruyter; Ward MA. Fever in infants and children: Pathophysiology and management. In: UpToDate.

March 24, In this Page. Informed Health Links. Related information. PubMed Links to PubMed.