Viral Fever

The phrase "viral fever" is used to refer to all fevers brought on by different viral infections. The typical body temperature of an adult is 98.4°F (37.1°C). Any temperature reading above this norm is typically regarded as a fever. A few illnesses can cause low-grade viral fever (below 100°F), and others, like dengue, can cause high-grade viral fever (over 100°F).

Typically, viral fever is acute and more prevalent with seasonal changes, such as the monsoon. The average viral fever lasts three to five days, however, some viral infections can cause fever to last up to fourteen days.

Although it is a sign or consequence of an underlying viral infection, viral fever is typically not regarded as a disease or illness. Fever is a sign of viral infection and is also typical in children and individuals with weakened immune systems. It is caused by your body battling viral antigens. Viral fever can occasionally go untreated and cause serious problems. If you have a fever, you should not ignore it and seek medical attention to determine the infection. If you have a fever, we advise you to speak with our team of medical professionals.

 

What are the symptoms of viral fever?

The signs and symptoms of a viral fever might differ based on the type of viral infection as well as from person to person. The following are typical viral fever symptoms common to the majority of viral infections:

A severe fever that can reach 103–104°F

Headache (moderate to severe) (mild to severe)

Unwell throat

Congestion or a runny nose

Mild to severe joint pain (arthralgia) and muscle discomfort (myalgia)

Dehydration

Both diarrhea and/or stomach ache

Vomiting and nauseous

Fatigue

Dizziness

Chills

Eyes that are burning or are red

Swelling of the face

Skin rashes Lack of appetite

Of note, bacterial fevers also exhibit the majority of the aforementioned symptoms. If neglected, viral fever affects the immune system and can result in opportunistic or secondary illnesses.

 To avoid any adverse effects on the body's processes, severe symptoms such as a high-grade fever (103-104°F) must be treated right away by a doctor.

 Viral fever is often self-limiting, and once the virus' life cycle closes, the symptoms usually go away or get better on their own. Nonetheless, you should speak with your doctor and seek treatment if the symptoms worsen or continue. For more information on viral fever symptoms and suggestions on how to properly manage them, you may speak with our medical professionals.

 

What causes viral fever?

The body produces pyrogens as a defense mechanism against viral antigens, which are what cause viral fever. Depending on the type of virus invading the body, there are several causes of viral fever.

Coming into close contact with a host (someone who has an active viral infection) or a carrier can result in the transmission of viral fever from one person to another (the one who might not have the symptoms of the viral fever but is carrying the virus).

Inhaling virus-carrying droplets from an infected individual can also spread viral fever. The most typical cause of viral fever is seasonal flu.

Viral fever can also be spread by consuming food or beverages from someone who is virally sick.

Viral fever can also be caused by contaminated water, especially in young children.

The virus that causes viral fever in humans can be spread to people through the bites of insects (such as mosquitoes and ticks) and rodents (such as mice). The viral diseases Zika, Chikungunya, Dengue, and yellow fever are spread by animals or insects.

Viral fever can also result from the exchange of blood with an infected person while abusing drugs.

How is a viral fever diagnosed?

It could be difficult to rule out a bacterial illness due to the similarity between viral fever and bacterial fever symptoms. A secondary infection to a viral fever could also be a bacterial illness. As a result, your doctor would ask you a few straightforward questions to determine the date and degree of your symptoms. These queries would assist the physician in determining the history of the viral fever, the current state of health, improvement or deterioration of symptoms, and the necessity of additional tests.

Also, he could request diagnostic tests such as blood, urine, sputum, swab, or tests for specific viral antigens or antibodies, as well as other assays. To confirm the diagnosis of viral fever, you would likely be asked to have a test done on your white blood cell (WBC) counts.

To rule out illnesses like Dengue, Malaria, Typhoid, or Chikungunya, the doctor might also advise being tested. If the infection is serious, the doctor could also suggest getting a chest X-ray or CT scan to rule out any additional infections.

In general, a diagnosis is made based on symptoms, thus it's important to give accurate details about your health. You can speak with one of our specialists, who will provide a professional medical diagnosis with the fewest number of necessary lab tests.

How are viral fevers treated?

The type of viral infection and the severity of the symptoms affect viral fever treatment. For low-grade viral fever, doctors frequently try to provide medications like Arsenicum album, Belladonna, Bryonia alba, Eupatorium perfoliatum, Ferrum phosphoricum, Gelsemium, and Nux vomica. Muscle aches, weariness, diarrhea, and other symptoms can also be treated with lukewarm baths and electrolyte solutions.

In order to stop any secondary bacterial infections, your doctor may also prescribe some antibiotics. These medications must be taken according to the recommended dosage, frequency, and duration.

To treat their own symptoms, people frequently turn to over-the-counter (OTC) viral fever medications. Yet, self-medication can be risky because it may result in serious problems or the use of the wrong prescription. For an accurate diagnosis and the most suitable course of therapy, you should see a doctor as soon as possible. Also, we advise you to get in touch with our medical consultants for the most effective viral fever treatment choices.

Dos & Don’ts During Viral Fever

Dos

Get enough rest.

Keep your electrolyte balance and avoid dehydration by drinking enough of fluids.

To prevent pain or discomfort, take your fever or painkiller prescription as directed.

To reduce the virus load, strictly follow the directions on your antiviral medication.

Consume nutritional, light meals that are healthy and easy to digest.

Include immunity-boosting foods in your diet, like vitamin C, zinc, honey, and others.

Be sure to keep your personal hygiene up and your surroundings tidy.

Dispose of discarded tissues containing your secretions in a proper manner.

Don’t

Self-medication should not be done without sufficient medical knowledge of the medications and dosages, since this can have negative effects and make the sickness worse.

Use antibiotics only if your doctor has recommended them. Antibiotic resistance is caused by overuse, which means the next time you contract an infection you may need stronger antibiotics.

Avoid staying in temperatures that are too hot or too cold since extremes increase physical sensitivity and create sweating or chills.

If you start to get cold, avoid wearing too many layers of clothing or blankets.

By not sharing your handkerchief, clothing, towels, food, or beverages, you can prevent the virus from spreading to anyone who comes into contact with you.

 

How to prevent viral fever?

The adage "prevention is better than cure" is also true with viral fever. You can avoid getting a viral infection and hence avoid getting a viral fever by avoiding viral infections.

The most important preventative tip is to practice good hygiene. This entails regularly washing and disinfecting your hands, refraining from touching your face or nose, changing your clothes each day, throwing away old tissues, etc. To stop the virus and viral fever from spreading, refrain from giving other people your food, drinks, and personal items.

As viruses like to flourish at cold or average temperatures, eating wholesome, warm food will help reduce the likelihood of contracting a viral fever. Also, you can strengthen your defenses against viral infections by supplementing your diet with immunity boosters and nourishing foods.

Annual flu shots are another crucial preventive precaution to guard against contracting the virus and ensuing viral illness.

You may avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes that could spread diseases like dengue and other viruses by using mosquito repellents, mosquito netting, and clothing that covers your entire body.

Since early diagnosis and treatment improve viral fever control, you should seek medical attention as needed. For additional advice on prevention, you can speak with our group of medical professionals who specialize in treating viral fever.

 

When Should I see a doctor?

Most viral fevers are self-limiting and don't come with high fevers or other serious symptoms. Nonetheless, you should get medical attention and visit a doctor if the temperature is higher than 103°F.

In a similar vein, if a baby's rectal fever exceeds 100.4°F, medical attention should be sought. Also, even if the symptoms are moderate, you should see a doctor if a viral fever in babies persists for longer than two weeks. This can be a sign of an extremely serious underlying infection.

Also, you should seek medical assistance and consult a doctor if you or your child exhibits any of the symptoms listed below:

Dyspnea (breathing difficult)

Chest pain

Terrible headache

Intense stomach discomfort

Often throwing up or having loose motions

Improvement of rashes

Convulsions or seizures

Confusion

The rigidity of the neck

Extremely dehydrated

It is best to avoid making assumptions and self-medicating. You should have your symptoms properly identified so that a targeted course of therapy can be administered as needed. A delayed diagnosis or clinic visit could have serious financial consequences and have noticeable negative repercussions. The best course of action would be to visit a doctor as soon as the first symptoms show up in order to have a prompt diagnosis and appropriate therapy. We advise you to speak with our group of medical professionals for the most accurate diagnosis and suitable courses of action.

 

Types of viral fever

The classification of viral fevers into different subtypes depends on a number of variables, including the method of transmission, the disease's intensity, the body organ affected, etc. The type of viral infection will also determine the type of fever. Viral fever can generally be categorized as:

Respiratory viral fever: This viral infection causes fever, body aches, sore throat, cough, and other flu-like symptoms. Adenovirus, respiratory syncytial virus infection, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus, COVID-19 virus, and parainfluenza virus infection are a few examples of viral fevers produced by viruses.

Viral gastroenteritis: This viral illness is accompanied by gastrointestinal symptoms as diarrhea, stomach pain, vomiting, etc. Examples include viral fever brought on by several adenoviruses, rotavirus, norovirus, and arbovirus.

Exanthemata’s viral fever is a viral infection that causes skin eruptions and rashes. Measles, chickenpox, chikungunya, rubella, smallpox, and other diseases are examples.

Hemorrhagic viral fever: The circulatory system can be harmed as a result of this viral illness. Examples include yellow fever, dengue fever, Ebola, Lassa disease, etc.

The viral infection known as "neurologic viral fever" causes harm to the nervous system. Examples include viral meningitis, encephalitis, polio, rabies, and polio.

Most of these viral fevers go away after symptomatic treatment. On kinds, symptoms, causes, prevention, and treatment choices, you can speak with our medical professionals.

Dr. M M Siddiqui