Having a headache is one of the most common ailments in the world. Just about everyone has had a headache at one point in their life. But when your small headache becomes a full blown fever, it could mean that you have other issues inside your body. You do not have to go to urgent care every time your temperature goes over 96.1, but there are other symptoms to keep in mind when you are trying to decide if you need to drive to urgent care.
Viral Fever
This is the most common type of fever adults will get. You will see other symptoms like a sore throat, cough, diarrhea, and vomiting. This is because your body is trying to fight off an infection like the flu or a cold. Viral fevers and infections cannot be treated with antibiotics and symptoms usually go away on their own within a few days to a week. You can take decongestants to help alleviate the pain, but you should remember to drink lots of fluids as well. If you are not able to keep that down, you should head to urgent care.
Bacterial Fever
If you have a fever due to a bacterial infection, like a lower respiratory system infection, bronchitis or pneumonia, you should head to your local Ashburn urgent care. The symptoms of these infections are similar to the common cold but more severe. Coughing to the point you are throwing up, extreme pain in your lungs, chest pain, and difficulty breathing can all be signs that you have something more serious than a common cold. Bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics.
Other, less common, fevers
Other types of fevers that should get you in the doors of an urgent care include:
- Fungal fevers which can infect any organ. Fungal fevers may require a biopsy to find the infection but this is only after a host of tests and a physical exam.
- Animal exposure fever which can affect people who work with animals and have been exposed to the rare bacteria. You may experience chills and muscle and joint aches.
- Travelers’ fever occurs when you travel and are exposed to new toxins, foods or insects. Many diseases that can cause fever can be prevented by coming into Medics USA and having a travel care physical performed.
- Drug fevers usually start after starting a new medication. If you are taking the drug for a short time, the fever should go away after you stop taking the medication. If you have to be on the medication for a while, talk to your primary care physician at Medics USA.
- A blood clot fever happens when you have a blood clot in your body and you develop a fever because your body is fighting the inflammation.
- Environmental fevers happen when your body becomes overheated. If you believe someone is suffering from hyperthermia they may seem confused, lethargic or worse. You should get them to the ER immediately.
If you think that your fever is more severe than a symptom of a common cold, you should head to your local Ashburn urgent care as soon as you can to make sure it’s nothing severe.