Viral Fever – Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment

About 98.6°F is your body’s normal temperature. Any degree extending beyond this is considered a fever. Most commonly, fevers are an intimation of your body fighting against any kind of bacterial or viral infection. Anytime your immune system detects the presence of disease-causing pathogens, it will respond to the threat by increasing the body temperature. If this fever is caused owing to an underlying viral illness, it is called a viral fever.

Several viral infections can afflict humans, right from a common cold to the flu. This is especially the case with a low-grade viral fever that can be the symptom of several viral infections. Certain viral infections, such as dengue fever, however, can lead to a high fever. Let’s take a look at some normal viral fever symptoms.

Knowing the normal viral fever symptoms can help you get the right treatment and keep your condition from worsening. Here are the signs of viral fever you must watch out for:

• Chills
• Sweating
• Headache
• Dehydration
• Loss of appetite
• Weakness after viral fever and also during the illness
• Muscle pains and aches

In addition to the aforementioned, individuals may even experience particular symptoms such as runny nose, redness of the eyes, viral fever rash, etc. Fortunately, with prescribed viral fever antibiotics, an individual can reduce the impact of these viral fever symptoms.

As mentioned earlier, fever is your immune system attacking the pathogens that have entered your body. Here are the most common causes of viral fever:

• Inhalation: If you inhale the airborne droplets of an individual who is infected, you may also contact their illness. We learned during the COVID-19 infection that when an infected person coughs, talks, or sneezes near you, without covering their mouth, you are likely to also get infected. In addition to the importance of masks, the pandemic also reiterated the importance of a medical insurance plan with COVID-19 coverage.

• Indigestion: Viruses can also contaminate the food and drinks you consume. Naturally, you may develop an infection when you eat these contaminated food items. It is therefore advised to be cautious when you eat out and ensure that you carefully clean the fruits and vegetables you consume.

• Mosquito Bites: Malaria and dengue are infamous for being among the leading cause of viral fevers, particularly during the monsoons. The bone-break fever for dengue that causes severe bone muscle and joint pain can be especially harrowing. You must check if your health insurance covers illnesses such as dengue and malaria, particularly if you are older.

• Exchange of Body Fluids: An exchange of bodily fluids with someone who is infected with a viral illness may also cause a transfer of the illness. Illnesses such as HIV and hepatitis B are common examples of diseases that blood transfusions can transfer. Illnesses can also be sexually transmitted.

The types of viral fever are classified based on the area in which you are infected. The following are the types of viral fever:

• Respiratory Viral Fever: When the virus affects your respiratory tract – typically the upper or lower section, it can be classified as a respiratory viral disease. Some common respiratory viral infections include the common cold, flu, viral bronchitis, etc. The SARS-Cov-19 infection caused by the novel coronavirus also belongs under this category.

• Viral Gastroenteritis: An infection affecting your digestive tract falls under this category. It is essentially an inflammation of the inside lining of your gastrointestinal tract and is commonly known as stomach flu. Some common gastrointestinal virus infections are rotavirus, norovirus, astrovirus, etc.

• Viral Exanthems: Viral infection affecting the skin while also leading to a fever belongs under this category. Common infections causing a viral fever rash include chickenpox, measles, roseola, etc. Infections such as these cause visible skin eruptions and rashes that may stay for a few days. Eventually, they subside and heal through scab formations.

• Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers: These are a group of diseases that are caused by varied distinct families of viruses. Some of these viruses can lead to life-threatening situations through bleeding manifestations. The condition negatively affects many of the organ systems of the body. They can harm the walls of tiny blood vessels, causing them to leak. It may hamper the blood's ability to clot. Yellow fever, Ebola, etc., belong to this category.

• Neurologic Viral Fever: Any virus specifically influencing the central nervous system is a neurotropic virus that can cause neurological infections. Illnesses such as HIV, Rabies, etc., belong to this category.

While some of these viral fevers can be common and bearable, there can be some fevers that can be acutely distressing. It is, therefore, important to take care of your health by following preventive measures such as maintaining hygiene and strengthening your immune system.

Symptoms alone are not adequate tellers of whether an individual is suffering from viral fever. Several methods of diagnosis are required to verify viral fever. Both bacterial and viral infections may have similar symptoms. Therefore, to diagnose viral infections, doctors first try to rule out bacterial infections. Typically, doctors do this by analysing the patient’s symptoms and medical history. Sometimes, the doctor may ask the patient to share blood, urine, and septum samples. If the samples are free from the presence of any bacteria, then it can be concluded that the individual could be diagnosed with a viral fever. The presence of viruses can also be detected with tests such as rapid influenza diagnostic tests, as well as blood, sputum, and urine tests.

Common seasonal fever symptoms can be relieved with some home remedies. With that said, while fevers are not usually something to worry about, if they persist or if your fever is high, you need to consult your doctor. Not doing so can worsen your condition.

Here are some remedies to relieve seasonal fever symptoms:

• Drink fluids such as coconut water, soups, and broth, because fever can cause dehydration
• Get plenty of rest
• Try over-the-counter viral fever antibiotics such as ibuprofen, paracetamol, etc.

All these remedies can also help in speedy recovery from weakness after viral fever.

Fever is the immune response to attack the pathogen that has invaded the body. When you are suffering from viral fever, there are several ways to maintain the energy levels in your body. However, because health ailments can complicate your life at any point, it is important to secure yourself with comprehensive health insurance.

The medical insurance plan by Tata AIG comes with COVID-19 coverage to secure individuals against a host of health ailments, including the novel coronavirus. A medical insurance plan accommodates the changing lifestyle and the illnesses associated with them. The benefits of health insurance go beyond just covering the rising medical cost but also come with features such as tax benefits, coverage for pre-existing illnesses, cashless treatments, etc.