If your fever is mild (less than 101°F), then no medical treatment is required. These minor fevers may be helpful in reducing the number of microbes causing your illness. Simply make sure that you drink plenty of fluids (not alcohol) – and get plenty of rest. Also keep cool: If you aren’t shivering, dress in light clothing, keep the room temperature cool, and sleep with only a sheet or light blanket.
For higher temperatures, there are many effective ways to getting your fever under control. The most common ways include:
Over-the-counter medications:
In the case of a high fever or a fever that causes discomfort, your care provider may recommend nonprescription medication, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others).
Use these medications according to the label instructions or as recommended by your health care provider. Be careful not to take too much. High doses or long-term use of acetaminophen or ibuprofen may cause liver or kidney damage, and acute overdoses can be fatal.
These medications will usually lower your temperature, but you may still have a mild fever. It may take 1 to 2 hours for the medication to work. Taking a lukewarm bath (around 98°F) may also help bring the body’s temperature down.
NOTE: If you have a child under age 17 who has a fever, DO NOT give the child aspirin. Aspirin in children may cause Reye’s syndrome, a sometime fatal illness.
Prescription medications
A fever is a symptom, not an illness. A doctor may wish to carry out tests to identify the cause. If the fever is due to a bacterial infection, they may prescribe an antibiotic. If it stems from a viral infection, the doctor may recommend using NSAIDs to relieve the symptoms. Treating the underlying cause may lessen signs and symptoms, including fever.
Treatment of infants
Infants, especially those younger than two months old, might need to be admitted to the hospital for testing and treatment. In babies this young, a fever could indicate a serious infection that requires intravenous (IV) medications and round-the-clock monitoring.
COVID-19
A person with symptoms of COVID-19 may not need any medical treatment. However, if they develop severe chest pains and have difficulty breathing, they may need hospital treatment. Some people will need to spend time on a ventilator, which is a device that will help them breathe.