What should you know about 100 degree fever?

Recheck with a reliable thermometer and watch hydration, breathing, alertness and discomfort. A mild temperature can accompany an infection, recent vaccination, overheating or another inflammatory process.

Temperature varies with the measurement site, thermometer technique, time of day and recent activity. Record the value, the method used and whether the person had just exercised, bathed or been wrapped in heavy clothing.

The number does not identify the cause. The common cold, COVID-19 and other infections can present with fever, yet accompanying features such as cough, rash, painful urination, localised redness or breathing noise provide more useful clinical context.

Encourage fluids, light clothing and rest in a comfortably ventilated room. Food can follow appetite. If fever medicine is being considered, check the label and ask a pharmacist about the correct product for the person's age, weight, health conditions and current medicines.

Write down temperature readings and relevant symptoms instead of checking continuously. Avoid cold baths and alcohol rubs, which can cause shivering or skin irritation without addressing the underlying illness.

Seek emergency help for severe breathing difficulty, blue or grey lips, a seizure, confusion, collapse, a stiff neck with marked illness, or a rash that does not fade when pressed. These warning signs matter even when the measured temperature seems modest.

A very young baby with a raised temperature needs prompt clinical advice. Contact a clinician sooner for poor drinking, reduced urination, repeated vomiting, worsening pain, unusual drowsiness, immune suppression or fever that persists while the person is becoming less well.

Explain how and where the temperature was measured, then ask which associated symptoms should be monitored. Check whether current medical conditions change the threshold for review and which fever medicine, if any, is appropriate.