When to Go to Urgent Care for a Fever

Fevers are a fact of life. Everyone you know has had multiple fevers, no matter how old they are.

Fevers also have a bad reputation, but they’re not automatically a bad thing. Sometimes a fever just means your body has begun to fight against a threat to your body. Other times, though, a fever warrants medical care. 

Pamela Philllips,Ph.D., FNP-C, and our team at Phillips Family Medical are here to explain when to go to urgent care for a fever.

If your fever is high

We typically think of 98.6 degrees F as the standard body temperature, but in reality, a normal range for adults is anywhere from 97 to 99 degrees. While there may be some variation as the official definition of a fever, most providers say you have a fever when your temperature reaches 100.4 degrees. 

Up to 102 degrees, you can rest, drink fluids, and try acetaminophen or ibuprofen to lower your temperature. If you hit 103 degrees, it’s a good time to head to urgent care for medical attention, especially if it’s not responding to medicine and lasts longer than three days.

These numbers are lower for younger kids. For infants and toddlers, call your pediatrician (or urgent care if their office is closed) if they have a temperature of 100.4 or higher.

For kids 2-17, they should be fine up to 102 degrees, and if they don’t respond to medicine or it lasts longer than three days, come see us.

If your fever is long lasting

We mentioned this briefly above, but another warning sign that you should be seen for a fever is its duration. If your fever doesn’t start coming down after three days, especially if you’ve been taking medicine, your body is struggling to fight the infection and may need some extra help, so a visit to urgent care is in order.

If you have additional symptoms

Fevers are generally accompanied by chills, body aches, fatigue, and sweating, so these symptoms aren’t concerning, but if you develop additional symptoms such as difficulty breathing, a rash on your skin, seizures, neck stiffness, loss of consciousness, vomiting, or abdominal tenderness, you should come to urgent care as well.

If you’re immunocompromised, you should come in for any fever at all because your body may not be strong enough to fight the infection.

One other note: if infants have a fever of 100.4 or higher or adults have a fever of 104 or higher, especially if you also have difficulty breathing or seizures, you should be evaluated in an emergency room where they can provide a higher level of care as these symptoms can be life-threatening.

If you think you need medical attention for a fever, you’re always welcome to walk in at our office in DeSoto, Texas. You can also call 972-861-1151 to schedule an appointment, or book online today.