Fever treatment: Quick guide to treating a fever

By Mayo Clinic Staff

A fever is a common sign of illness. But that doesn't always mean it's a bad thing. In fact, fevers may help fight infections. So should you treat a fever or let the fever run its course? Here's help knowing what to do.

These suggestions are for people who don't have serious health issues. That means they don't have a suppressed immune system, aren't taking chemotherapy medicines and haven't recently had surgery.

Listed in the table below are temperatures taken with rectal and oral thermometers. These thermometers give the best measure of core body temperature.

Other types of thermometers include ear thermometers, called tympanic membrane thermometers, and forehead thermometers, called temporal artery thermometers. They're easy to use, but they don't measure temperature as well.

Infants and toddlers
Age Temperature What to do
0-3 months 100.4 F (38 C) or higher taken rectally Call your child's healthcare professional, even if your child doesn't have other symptoms.
3-6 months Up to 102 F (38.9 C) taken rectally Have your child rest and drink fluids. Your child doesn't need medicine. Call your child's healthcare professional if your child seems more cranky than usual, has little energy or isn't comfortable.
3-6 months Above 102 F (38.9 C) taken rectally Call your child's healthcare professional, who may suggest that you bring your child in for an exam.
6-24 months Above 102 F (38.9 C) taken rectally Give your child acetaminophen (Tylenol, others). If your child is age 6 months or older, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) is OK too. Read the label to be sure to give the right dose. Don't wake your child to give fever medicine. Don't give aspirin to an infant or toddler. Acetaminophen and ibuprofen don't have aspirin in them. Call your child's healthcare professional if the fever doesn't respond to the medicine or lasts longer than one day.
Children
Age Temperature What to do
2-17 years Up to 102 F (38.9 C) taken rectally for children ages 2-3, or taken orally for children older than 3 Have your child rest and drink fluids. Your child doesn't need medicine. Call your child's healthcare professional if your child seems very cranky, has little energy or complains of great discomfort.
2-17 years Above 102 F (38.9 C) taken rectally for children ages  For discomfort, give your child acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others). Read the label to be sure to give the right dose. Be careful not to give your child more than one medicine that has acetaminophen, such as some cough and cold medicines. Don't give aspirin to children or teenagers. Don't wake your child to give medicine for fever. Call your child's healthcare professional if the fever doesn't respond to the medicine or lasts longer than three days.
Adults
Age Temperature What to do
18 years and up Up to 102 F (38.9 C) taken orally Rest and drink fluids. You don't need medicine. Call your healthcare professional if there's also a bad headache, stiff neck, shortness of breath or other symptoms.
18 years and up Above 102 F (38.9 C) taken orally For discomfort, take acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or aspirin. Read the label to be sure to take the right dose. Be careful not to take more than one medicine with acetaminophen, such as some cough and cold medicines. Call your healthcare professional if the fever doesn't respond to the medicine, stays at 103 F (39.4 C) or higher or lasts longer than three days.

From Mayo Clinic to your inbox

Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. Click here for an email preview.

We use the data you provide to deliver you the content you requested. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, we may combine your email and website data with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, we will only use your protected health information as outlined in our Notice of Privacy Practices. You may opt out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the email.

Feb. 04, 2025 See more In-depth

See also

  1. Alcoholic hepatitis
  2. Burkitt lymphoma
  3. COVID-19 and vitamin D
  4. Chronic granulomatous disease
  5. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
  6. COVID-19: How can I protect myself?
  7. Herd immunity and coronavirus
  8. COVID-19 and pets
  9. COVID-19 and your mental health
  10. COVID-19, cold, allergies and the flu
  11. COVID-19 drugs: Are there any that work?
  12. COVID-19 in babies and children
  13. Coronavirus infection by race
  14. COVID-19 travel advice
  15. COVID-19 vaccines for kids: What you need to know
  16. COVID-19 vaccines
  17. COVID-19 variant
  18. COVID-19 vs. flu: Similarities and differences
  19. COVID-19: Who's at higher risk of serious symptoms?
  20. Debunking coronavirus myths
  21. Dehydration
  22. Different COVID-19 vaccines
  23. Excessive sweating
  24. Fever
  25. Fever: First aid
  26. Fight coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission at home
  27. Flu: When to see a doctor?
  28. Follicular lymphoma
  29. Headache
  30. How do COVID-19 antibody tests differ from diagnostic tests?
  31. How well do face masks protect against COVID-19?
  32. Is hydroxychloroquine a treatment for COVID-19?
  33. Kawasaki disease
  34. Long-term effects of COVID-19
  35. Mantle cell lymphoma
  36. Mayo Clinic Minute: You're washing your hands all wrong
  37. Mayo Clinic Minute: How dirty are common surfaces?
  38. Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C)
  39. Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD)
  40. Post COVID syndrome
  41. Pregnancy and COVID-19
  42. Safe outdoor activities during the COVID-19 pandemic
  43. Safety tips for attending school during COVID-19
  44. Sex and COVID-19
  45. Thermometers: Understand the options
  46. Toxoplasmosis
  47. Treating COVID-19 at home
  48. Unusual symptoms of coronavirus
  49. X-ray