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 (Alcohol-associated hepatitis)
  2. B-cell lymphoma
  3. Burkitt lymphoma
  4. Chronic granulomatous disease
  5. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
  6. Coronavirus infection by race
  7. COVID-19 and pets
  8. COVID-19 and vitamin D
  9. COVID-19 and your mental health
  10. COVID-19 drugs: Are there any that work?
  11. COVID-19 in babies and children
  12. COVID-19 travel advice
  13. COVID-19 vaccines
  14. COVID-19 vaccines for kids: What you need to know
  15. COVID-19 variant
  16. COVID-19 vs. flu: Similarities and differences
  17. COVID-19, cold, allergies and the flu
  18. COVID-19: How can I protect myself?
  19. COVID-19: Who's at higher risk of serious symptoms?
  20. Cutaneous B-cell lymphoma
  21. Debunking coronavirus myths
  22. Dehydration
  23. Different COVID-19 vaccines
  24. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
  25. Fever
  26. Fever: First aid
  27. Fight coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission at home
  28. Flu: When to see a doctor?
  29. Follicular lymphoma
  30. Herd immunity and coronavirus
  31. How do COVID-19 antibody tests differ from diagnostic tests?
  32. How well do face masks protect against COVID-19?
  33. Is hydroxychloroquine a treatment for COVID-19?
  34. Kawasaki disease
  35. Listeria infection
  36. Long-term effects of COVID-19
  37. Lymphoma
  38. Lymphoma FAQs
  39. Mantle cell lymphoma
  40. Mayo Clinic Minute: How dirty are common surfaces?
  41. Mayo Clinic Minute: You're washing your hands all wrong
  42. Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C)
  43. Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD)
  44. Pregnancy and COVID-19
  45. Safe outdoor activities during the COVID-19 pandemic
  46. Safety tips for attending school during COVID-19
  47. Sex and COVID-19
  48. Small lymphocytic lymphoma
  49. T-cell lymphoma
  50. Thermometers: Understand the options
  51. Toxoplasmosis
  52. Treating COVID-19 at home
  53. Unusual symptoms of coronavirus
  54. VEXAS syndrome
  55. What is lymphoma? An expert explains
  56. X-ray