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When to worry about a fever ?

When to worry about a fever in adults

What is a fever?

A fever is abnormal rise in normal body temperature level.

In general, you are said to have fever when your body temperature is above 100.4ºF (38ºC). But this reading can vary slightly depending on how you take your temperature – oral (mouth), armpit, ear, forehead, or rectal.

Best way to take temperature: Armpit, ear, and forehead temperatures are easier to measure than rectal or oral temperatures, but they are very not as accurate.

Right way to take an oral temperature:

  • Wait at least 30 minutes after eating or drinking anything hot or cold.

  • Clean the thermometer.

  • Place the tip of the thermometer under the tongue toward the back. Hold the thermometer with lips, not teeth.

  • Keep lips closed around the thermometer. A glass thermometer takes about 3 minutes to work. Most digital thermometers take less than 1 minute.

During fever, height of the temperature is less important than how sick you feel.