Viral Fevers: Let’s Separate Myths From Facts

Viral fever is any fever that is caused by an underlying viral infection. From the flu to the common cold, several types of viral diseases/infections can affect humans. Some viral infections, such as dengue fever, rabies, and HIV can cause severe disease and require medical intervention. Although there is a lot of advice based on reliable and evidence-backed information presently, ‘conventional wisdom’ is still believed widely across the globe for treating patients with common viral fevers. Hence, it is necessary to separate the facts from myths to ensure that patients with viral fevers receive proper and effective care.

Bursting Myths and Facts About Viral Fever

Myth

Fever is quite dangerous, especially for kids

Fact

Fever is the immune system’s response when it is fighting an infection. Moreover, fever is a symptom rather than a disease and thus, it is not harmful to children as well as adults. However, it can cause a great deal of stress and fatigue, especially in geriatric patients and children. Therefore, consult a top hospital for viral fever treatment in Goa immediately to avoid any complications. 

Myth 

Fever causes meningitis.

Fact

One of the most widely believed misconceptions about viral fever is that it causes brain damage, negatively impacts the neurological development of children or leads to meningitis (the inflammation of the membranes covering the brain). In reality, meningitis causes fever but every fever does not mean that there is meningitis.

Myth

Fever can cause seizures in children.

Fact

• Seizures occur in around 2-4% of children with fever and the key factor is how high the fever is and the genetic predisposition of the child. Children who have a family history of seizures are highly sensitive to any rise in body temperature.

•  Children who suffer from ‘simple’ febrile seizures are not at a higher risk of mental disability or neurological development problems in the future, even though the incidence of epilepsy is marginally higher in such children.

Myth

High fevers are very dangerous.

Fact

Sometimes, a common cold is accompanied by a very high fever(temperature above 103 F), while at other times, a slight fever is a symptom of a serious illness. Hence, high fevers are not necessarily dangerous if they are not occurring as a symptom of a serious disease or are not accompanied by other symptoms, such as rapid breathing, breathing difficulty, skin spots, vomiting and bloodshot eyes. However, a fever of any degree can be dangerous if the patient has underlying cardiac or brain disease.

Myth

A cold or warm shower brings the fever down.

Fact

• Extreme Hot or cold showers should always be avoided by people with a high fever as these baths can cause a sudden change in temperature, which can, in turn, affect the body’s ability to recover its thermal balance.

• Showering with lukewarm water can help in reducing fever. 

Myth

Medication is necessary to bring a fever down.

Fact

It is not necessary to consume medicines to bring a fever down because a fever is a sign that the body’s immune system is fighting the infection. Instead of taking medications, people suffering from a fever must take proper rest, drink ample amounts of water (to prevent dehydration), wear comfortable and loose-fitting clothes and consume a balanced diet. Bringing the fever down with medicines like aspirin or paracetamol can actually be harmful if the fever is less than 101 F. 

Myth

Mercury thermometers are not reliable.

Fact

In recent years, the use of mercury thermometers has been discouraged as these thermometers can easily end up in water sources, such as rivers, lakes and seas, and pollute them if they are not disposed of properly. When the mercury from the thermometers comes into contact with water, it gets converted into methylmercury, which is often absorbed by fish. However, the mercury in thermometers doesn’t directly affect patients who use them for checking their temperature. These thermometers are as reliable and safe as digital and electronic thermometers. 

Myth

You need antibiotics for viral fever.

Fact

Antibiotics can kill bacteria but not viruses. Antivirals are available against very few viruses and in general, antiviral medicines reduce the duration and severity of illness. So don’t pressurise your pharmacist and pop in Azithromycin for every running nose/sore throat episode.

*The matter in the article is applicable to otherwise healthy and active individuals. If you have any chronic/specific medical condition, kindly contact the best internal medicine specialist in Goa, if you get a fever.