Viral Fever

A viral infection is induced by spreading small germs from one person to another, resulting in viral fever. When you develop a viral fever, your body's immunity system goes to work battling the infection. Viral fever temperature causes the body temperature to rise from its typical threshold of 98.6°F to as high as 103°F. Fever is your body's immunological response to microorganisms that cause disease, including bacteria and viruses. Once your immune system recognises foreign particles invading your body, it activates an immunological response that raises your body's temperature.

While normal viral fever temperature is low, severe viruses such as the Dengue Virus can induce a high fever of up to 103°F. Antibiotics cannot be used to treat viral infections, unlike bacterial infections. Depending on the severity, a viral fever’s duration can range from 3 to 7 days.

You have a fever whenever your body's immunity system retaliates against invading infections. For example, when hazardous pathogens such as viruses and bacteria find their entry into your body, your immunity system feels compelled to fight back. When this behaviour is triggered, the body's temperature rises dramatically. However, the following are the most common viral fever causes:

• Food- Multiple viruses infiltrate drinks and food products if you ingest such contaminated foods. Viral fever is caused by infected food products, which you should stay away from at all times.

• Body Fluids- It is possible to get infected by a blood transfusion, a prick of a contaminated needle or any other transfer of bodily fluids from an infected person to a healthy person. Passing on body fluid can cause viral fever, HIV or Hepatitis B.

• Mosquito Bites- The monsoon season is when mosquitos reproduce and multiply, causing an upsurge in malaria and dengue fever. These infections caused by mosquito bites are also examples of viral fever.

• Inhalation of Air Particles- Inhaling the air particles of infected individuals sneezing or coughing near you without shielding their mouth and nose can cause an infection.

Viral fever symptoms overlap with the symptoms of many other diseases, making detecting them difficult. But the most common viral fever symptoms are :

• Sneezing
• Headaches
• Body ache
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Chills
• Dehydration
• Moderate fever
• Sweating
• Reduced appetite.

Now that we have tackled what the symptoms of viral fever are, let us delve into viral fever treatment.

In most cases, throughout the viral fever duration, no particular treatment is required. A viral fever should be allowed to run its course and work itself out of your body. They are not like bacterial infections and thus do not respond to medication. While you may not have any medicines to cure you of your viral fever, in some cases, you can use medicines to alleviate your symptoms. These medicines include paracetamol, muscle relaxers, ORS and antivirals if necessary. What may also help is staying hydrated, getting lots of rest and having cold baths.

In some extreme cases, you may be required to go to the hospital for immediate intervention. This will only be required if you have a temperature over 103°F, seizures, confusion or quickly building rashes.

Being sanitary is the single-most essential preventive step against viral fever. It is critical to observe regular hygiene procedures since an infected person can transmit a viral infection. Regular hand washing, wearing facemasks and sterilising surfaces, using hand sanitisers, and maintaining distance from an infected individual are just a few common and simple methods to keep an infection at bay. Another way to prevent a viral infection is by taking immunity boosters and maintaining good physical health. Healthy people are often the last to get a viral infection.

Thus, viral fever is not anything to worry about in most cases. It will leave you a little weak, but once it has run its course, you should not feel its effects for too long. But if we have learned anything from the last two years, we must be safe rather than sorry. An illness can escalate rather quickly, especially if you have comorbidities. This is why it is always better to have a health insurance policy you can rely on.