Therapy
Among the alarm symptoms for which a visit to a doctor is advisable are the strength and severity of the fever or headache. If the fever rises above 40.5°C, the medical term for this is extreme fever or hyperpyrexia. Such very high temperatures should be clarified professionally.
In the case of headaches, attention should be paid to the intensity of the pain, its course and localization: If the pain became increasingly severe over several days, this indicates a progressive process and should be clarified by a doctor in any case. Even if the headache is accompanied by stiffness in the neck and limbs, professional help should be sought, as this may be an indication of meningitis. If this is suspected, one should test the freedom of movement of the neck and also try to see if one can move one knee towards the chest in a supine position without pain in the area of the spine.
Special features for children
In children – just like in adults – fever is first of all a defensive reaction to an infection or, in far rarer cases, to poisoning. The basic measures can also be copied from feverish adults. Many of these measures are also recommended for headaches, such as drinking plenty of water or sugar-free tea and keeping the patient on bed rest.
Calf compresses, antipyretic suppositories or paracetamol can be used to reduce fever. It should be remembered that fever is a useful protective measure and should not be lowered immediately. The maximum daily dose of paracetamol must also be observed.
However, if the fever lasts longer than one day or rises above 39°C, a pediatrician or family doctor should be consulted. Medical help should also be sought if severe diarrhea or vomiting occurs. A skin rash should also be seen as an alarming symptom, as it may indicate an infectious childhood disease.
In preparation for this, the above-mentioned methods can already be used to try to lower the fever on your own, and a temperature profile can also be established with the help of regular measurements. More about this:
- Measles
- Mumps
- Rubella
- Chickenpox
- Baby fever
When fever and headache together with the possibly accompanying symptoms disappear depends largely on their cause. An infection should at least subside after a few days, if not disappear completely. If the trigger is a long-term hormone disorder, recovery is unlikely to occur any time soon – in this case, a specialist must usually be consulted to identify the responsible hormone imbalance and to treat it appropriately. In principle, a doctor should be consulted at the latest when the symptoms persist continuously for more than three days, become worse or more intense, or if there are indications of meningitis.