Causes of Fever continued...
In response to an infection, illness, or some other cause, the hypothalamus may reset the body to a higher temperature.
Although the most common causes of fever are common infections such as colds and gastroenteritis, other causes include:
- Infections of the ear, lung, skin, throat, bladder, or kidney
- Conditions that cause inflammation
- Side effects of drugs
Other causes of fever include:
Diagnosis of Fever
Although a fever is easy to measure, determining its cause can be hard. Besides a physical exam, your doctor will ask about symptoms and conditions, medications, and if you've recently traveled to areas with infections or have other infection risks. A malaria infection, for example, may be have a fever that typically recurs. Some areas of the U.S. are hotspots for infections such as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Sometimes, you may have a "fever of unknown origin." In such cases, the cause could be an unusual or not obvious condition such as a chronic infection, a connective tissue disorder, cancer, or another problem.
Treatments for Fever
Treatments vary depending on the cause of the fever. For example, antibiotics would be used for a bacterial infection such as strep throat.
The most common treatments for fever include over-the-counter drugs such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve). Children and teens should not take aspirin because it's linked to condition called Reye’s syndrome.