Emergency Urgent Care: When to Go to an ER: Fever
The normal body temperature is between 97.5 degrees Fahrenheit and 98.9 degrees Fahrenheit as per the gurus over at the highly rated frontlineer.com. A fever occurs when there is an increase in one’s body temperature, higher than the normal levels and usually temporarily and due to illness. A fever is therefore not a disease or an illness in itself but an indication that there is something out of the ordinary going on in your body. It is usually a sign that you may have an illness or an infection in your body that your body is trying to fight off. It can therefore be argued that a fever is actually a good thing, as it is a sign of a healthy immune system and plays an important role in helping your body fight off a number of infections; and while it can be uncomfortable, it is something that in most cases is nothing to worry about. A fever will in most cases go away by itself after a few days with lots of rest and fluids to prevent dehydration, or even over-the-counter medications if necessary. However, there are instances where a fever may be a sign of something more sinister, in both adults and children. This article will look to highlight these instances when you should go to an ER for a fever with the hope that it will a great help to you in helping you get the emergency urgent care you require in such instances.
We are going to start by taking a look at when to go to an ER for fever as far as infants and babies are concerned, as a fever in them is usually to be taken a lot more seriously. As far as infants are concerned, that is babies who are younger than 3 months, you should take them to an ER for fever if they have a fever that is above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit. If you take their temperature reading and their fever is above this threshold, then you should have them take to an ER such as the excellent frontlineer.com as soon as possible for emergency urgent care. Other than the temperature reading, there are also a number of warning signs that you should keep an eye out for if your baby has a fever, and if you notice any of them, you should have them taken to an ER as soon as possible. These red flags include an unexplained rash, vomiting, difficulty breathing and their skin, lips or fingertips are turning blue, difficulty waking up or if your baby is extremely fussy and irritable or is inconsolable and you can’t get them to stop crying. If your baby has a fever as well as any of these symptoms, then you should have them taken to an ER as soon as possible.
Next up we are going to look at when you should take a baby between the ages of 3 months to 36 months to an ER for fever. Here, as per the subject matter experts over at frontlineer.com, if your baby is presenting with a fever with a temperature reading above 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit, then you should have them taken to an ER as soon as possible. As far as babies in this age group are concerned, there are a number of red flags to look out for as well, which also mean that they should be taken to an ER if they are presenting with any of them. These include if your child presents with an unexplained rash, difficulty breathing as explained above, is unable to keep fluids down, is having difficulty waking up, is not urinating, is unable to keep fluids down and is vomiting persistently or if they appear inconsolable and can’t stop crying. If your child has a fever and you notice any of these symptoms, then you should take them to an ER as soon as possible. You should do the same if your child develops a fever and they have not been immunized. Children older than the age of 36 months should be taken to an ER if they develop a fever with a temperature above 102 degrees Fahrenheit which has lasted for more than 2 days. You should also take them to an ER if their fever is accompanied by a rash, difficulty breathing, a stiff neck, abdominal pain, if they are not urinating or have a burning sensation when doing so or if they are vomiting persistently and are unable to keep fluids down.
Finally, we are going to take a look at the instances when adults should go to an ER for fever. If you have a persistent fever that lasts for more than 2 days, then you should head over to an ER as soon as you can as this may a sign of something more sinister. You should also do the same if you have a fever which is accompanied by a severe headache, difficulty breathing, abdominal pain, a stiff neck, persistent vomiting, chest pain, seizures or convulsions, mental confusion, an unusual skin rash which may worsen rapidly, pain while urinating or earache as discussed in detail over at the excellent frontlineer.com. If your fever is accompanied by any of these symptoms, you shouldn’t wait for 2 days before going to an ER but should do so as soon as possible. You should also head to an ER as soon as you can if you are registering a fever with a temperature that is above 104 degrees Fahrenheit. You should also head over to an ER immediately if you have a fever and you have a compromised immune system which may be as a result of having HIV/AIDS, diabetes or any other chronic condition, or have recently had an organ transplant surgery and are on transplant medication. You should also go to an ER if you develop a fever and are undergoing chemotherapy treatment or have recently undergone the same.
As ever, if you are looking for more information on this and other related topics as well as the best emergency urgent care services, then you can access all of this by checking out the highly regarded frontlineer.com
