Low-Grade Fever

Fever is, perhaps, the most common of all health conditions diagnosed. Fever is also the first sign that the body sends out to signal an infection or a disease that's coming on. It is the body's thermoregulatory set-point that rises to deal with a faulty mechanism occurring in the body. A fever is generally characterized by bouts of cold, and an increase in shivering, heart rate and muscle tone. A low-grade fever is a mild increase in a person's normal body temperature. A low-grade fever ranges from 100.4^oF to 102.2^oF. Low-grade fever can be persistent in nature. It is important to note that mild elevation in body temperature can also be caused due to environmental factors as well as rigorous physical activity. Here we are going to take a look at some of the causes of low-grade fever.

Causes of Low-Grade Fever

There are several medical conditions in which one of the symptoms can be elevated body temperature. Some probable causes of low-grade fever are given below.

Mumps: Rubella, measles and mumps result in swollen and inflamed salivary glands. It is also a highly contagious disease.

Chickenpox: Chickenpox is a common viral infection characterized by small red rashes, which is accompanied by low-grade fever.

Wound Infection: Any skin wound infection that does not heal well and keeps festering can cause low-grade fever.

Scarlet Fever: Scarlet fever is a streptococcal infection caused as a fallout of the strep bacteria in the body occurring mostly with a sore throat, fever and a rash.

Hepatitis: Hepatitis occurs due to liver inflammation or liver infection and it can cause a rise in body temperature.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID): PID encompasses all infections of the fallopian tubes and other internal reproductive organs. PID occurs only in women.

Mononucleosis: Mononucleosis, also known as glandular fever, is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus.

Leukemia: Leukemia is the cancer of the blood cells, usually white blood cells. One of the early symptoms of leukemia is mild but persistent fever.

Rheumatoid Arthritis: Rheumatoid Arthritis is a progressive form of arthritis, affecting and inflaming the joints of the body.

Typhoid: Typhoid is a gastrointestinal condition caused by bacterial infection.

Sinusitis: Also known as sinus infection, it is a very common condition caused due to inflammation of the sinus cavities behind the nose and eyes.

Flu: Flu is an acute, febrile, highly contagious, viral infection that inflames all organs involving the respiratory tract like nasal mucosa, the pharynx and conjunctiva.

Allergies: Most chronic allergies caused due to infections cause low-grade fever.

Myositis: Myositis muscle disorder that is caused due to chronic muscle inflammation, leading to progressive muscle weakness and deterioration.

Chikungunya: A viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes bites. It is characterized by fever, rash and in severe cases, arthritis. Chikungunya is a very rare infection.

HIV/AIDS: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the cause of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), causes fever that fluctuates very often.

Viral Diseases: Viral diseases are a very common type of infectious diseases, and form the basis of most diseases.

Autoimmune Diseases: Disorders caused by an inflammatory reaction caused by the body's own immune system, when it attacks its own tissues.

Chronic Abscess: Chronic abscess can persistently cause low-grade fever, and is a result of a number of health factors.

Tuberculosis (TB): Tuberculosis, the third most deadly disease in the world, is an infection caused by bacteria whose malignancy causes diseases in the lung.

Dengue fever: Dengue fever is an infectious disease caused by mosquitoes bites and dengue viruses. Its symptoms are persistent fever and rash.

Urinary Tract Infection: Urinary tract infection is a bacterial infection that affects the urinary tract. Besides burning sensation while passing urine another symptom of this infection is low-grade fever with acute shivering.

Treatment of Low-Grade Fever

Antiviral drugs are often prescribed to treat some common viral infections. Some over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen, aspirin (only for adults) or acetaminophen can also be used to treat low-grade fever. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids, when you have fever so that your body stays hydrated. However, it is important to remember that the treatment for low-grade fever also depends upon the type and severity of the disease one has.

If low-grade fever is persistent, it is advisable to get yourself checked rather than treating low-grade fever with over-the-counter medications. Timely check up of a fever will help one diagnose the more complicated health condition in time.