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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffTreatment depends on the cause of your fever. Your doctor will likely prescribe antibiotics for bacterial infections, such as pneumonia or strep throat.
Antibiotics don't treat viral infections, such as stomach infection (gastroenteritis) and mononucleosis. There are a few antiviral drugs used to treat some specific viral infections. However, the best treatment for most viruses is often rest and plenty of fluids.
Over-the-counter medications
Your doctor may also make a recommendation about using over-the-counter medications, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) to lower a high fever. Adults also may use aspirin. Don't give aspirin to children, however, because it may trigger a rare, but potentially fatal, disorder known as Reye's syndrome.
The downside of lowering a fever
If you have a low-grade fever, it's not advisable to try to lower your temperature. Doing so may prolong the illness or mask your symptoms and make it harder to determine the cause.
Some experts believe that aggressively treating a fever interferes with your body's immune response. The viruses that cause colds and other respiratory infections thrive at normal body temperature. By producing a low-grade fever, your body may be helping eliminate a virus.
- Manifestations of infection. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec14/ch167/ch167d.html. Accessed April 13, 2009.
- Fever. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec19/ch266/ch266i.html. Accessed April 13, 2009.
- Torpy J. Fever in infants. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2004;291:1284.
- Fever. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/supportivecare/fever/healthprofessional. Accessed April 13, 2009.
- Febrile seizures fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/febrile_seizures/detail_febrile_seizures.htm. Accessed April 13, 2009.
- Richardson M, et al. Assessment and initial management of feverish illness in children younger than 5 years: Summary of NICE guidance. British Medical Journal. 2007;334:1163.
- O'Grady N, et al. Guidelines for evaluation of new fever in critically ill adult patients: 2008 update from the American College of Critical Care Medicine and the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Critical Care Medicine, 2008;36:1330.
- El-Radhi A. Why is the evidence not affecting the practice of fever management? Archives of Disease in Childhood. 2009;93:918.
- Leggett J. Approach to fever or suspected infection in the normal host. Cecil Textbook of Medicine. 23nd ed. W. B. Saunders Company, 2007.
