Viral fever is an infectious disease caused due to a viral infection in the body. The significant symptoms of viral fever are increased body temperature, nausea, burning eyes, etc. This disease is caused by a collection of viral infections and affects people with weak immune systems the most. That’s why it commonly targets young kids and elderly adults, as they have slightly lower immunity.

The fever during this condition ranges between 99° & 103°F, according to the underlying virus.

Although the patient feels a low-grade fever in most viral infections, few accompany dengue and cause a high fever. Check out this article for important information about viral fever, including available treatments, symptoms, and causes.

What are the Major Viral Fever Symptoms?

The human body is susceptible to a huge variety of viral illnesses that generally take 3-4 days to go away. The majority of them raise the body temperature of the body. Have a look at a few common viral fever symptoms below:

  • Muscle Aches
  • High Fever
  • Severe Headache
  • Burning Eyes
  • Hunger Loss
  • Joint Pain
  • Dehydration
  • Sore Throat
  • Skin Rashes
  • Body weakness
  • Frequent Chills

If these symptoms persist for more than 3-4 days, it is likely a high-level infection that may accompany dengue or flu.

What are the causes of viral fever?

As we have already discussed, this disease is caused by viruses in the form of small infectious agents. When they enter the body, our immune system reacts to fight against them to cause lots of symptoms.

A handy portion of these viruses is sensitive to the body which causes a sudden rise in the body temperature. Have a look at a few mechanisms for causes of viral fever in detail below:

  • Food Indigestion

There are many instances when we consume contaminated foods that can easily cause a virus contraction. Eating items that get infected by viruses and getting eaten to create indigestion is quite common.

Common Examples: viral gastroenteritis, enteroviruses, norovirus, and staph.

  • Air Droplets Inhalation

When we inhale the air droplets of an infected person, it can cause infection in the body. Most viral fever symptoms in adults are spread through sneezing and coughing of an infected person around a healthy one.

Common Examples: influenza, common cold, adenovirus, and pneumococcal diseases.

  • Body Fluids

If we exchange body fluids with a person infected by a viral infection, it comes under this category. There are plenty of infections that transfer to the body through liquids. Studies show plenty of cases where accidental exposures cause lots of issues in health workers. Many of them cause symptoms of viral fever in their body.

Common Examples: Hepatitis B virus, human immune deficiency virus, CMV infection, and glandular fever.

  • Bites

The virus also gets transmitted to the body when insects and animals bite the body. Many of them carry a wide range of infections that can be dengue, malaria and chikungunya.

How to prevent from Viral Infections?

  • Maintaining Healthy Habits

A healthy body has an immune system that functions properly and easily fights the infections like colds. It can be getting adequate sleep or having a healthy diet; everything counts as habits that affect the body. Have a healthier lifestyle to stay away from viral infectious diseases.

  • Receiving a Yearly Flu Shot

The next suitable method to avoid viral fevers is getting a flu shot every year. It greatly reduces the chances of the body getting infected with the surroundings. Physicians believe it acts as a shield against viruses.

  • Social Distancing

Social distancing is something that has attained lots of popularity in the covid-19 era, but doctors have recommended it for decades. If you are sick or have someone in your circle with such infections, performing this act is strongly recommended. The majority of common viral fever symptoms are spread by getting in close contact with an infectious individual.

  • Wearing a Mask

Another thing that has become extremely normal during the past two years is wearing a mask. A mask creates a physical shield for viruses to spread. It is very useful for preventing the transmission of an infectious virus. There are many instances when masks are used to prevent problematic respiratory droplets from the air.

Although causes for viral fever vary according to the situation, prevention is always the key. If we maintain good habits regularly, viral fever can be prevented to a certain level. It will keep you and your loved ones in a healthy condition.

What are the common viral fever symptoms?

Are you wondering what it feels like to have a viral fever? It isn’t right to simply rely on checking by placing a hand on the forehead. It can never give an accurate idea of how your body has been affected by viral fever symptoms.

You should take the temperature with the help of a thermometer. Have a follow at what you will experience while having a viral fever below:

  • Excessively Warm Touch

Fever can increase the body’s temperature, making the touch warm. You might feel hot and sweaty skin during the winter due to this. Warm skin is an extremely common condition in individuals with a fever.

  • Feeling Chills

While many people sweat due to symptoms of viral fever, some feel shivering due to this condition. It is simply the response by body’s immune system to generate extra heat for dealing with viruses.

  • Sick Feeling

The next one is one of the most frequent viral fever symptoms in adults that accompany glassy eyes and a flushed face. It is a sign that you might have to check your body temperature.

  • Frequent Body Aches and Pain

A very common thing that body feels while having a viral fever is aches and joint pain. It may be accompanied by headaches in a few cases, depending on the situation.

How to diagnose viral fever?

A viral fever looks very similar to a variety of bacterial fever infections, making diagnosing difficult. Also, there are many instances where patients got a secondary infection due to bacteria after the viral fever symptoms. In that case, the physicians need to ask a few questions to understand the timeline and level of symptoms.

It ranges from assessing the patient’s history of viral fever to their health status and requirement for additional testing. Additionally, the doctor may recommend a few diagnostic tests after evaluating the causes of viral fever, like swab tests, blood tests, specific viral antigens or urine tests. In severe cases, the physicians might ask WBC count test to evaluate the condition completely.

If the infection doesn’t go away within a few days, the possibility of Malaria or Dengue can’t be ruled out. The doctors might advise for a chest X-ray or CT scan to rule out further infection.

To sum up, the diagnosis work purely based on the symptoms of viral fever. It is strongly suggested to report the correct details regarding the health condition to the doctors.

FAQs

Q. What is viral fever

A. Viral fever is an infectious condition caused by a virus rather than a bacterial infection. It can affect any body part, from the airways to the intestines and lungs.

Q. Is headache a symptom of viral fever?

A. Yes. Headache happen as a part of generalised body ache and can easily be relieved with help of paracetamol in most cases. 

Q. Is the loss of taste a symptom of viral fever?

A. Loss of taste is a symptom of many other conditions, like sore throat, gland infection, sinus infection, and the common cold. However, it is also common with people dealing with viral fever, but we can’t take it solely as a sign of this condition.

Q. Is viral fever a symptom of Corona?

A. Although there are few cases where covid-19 patients don’t show any symptoms, viral fever is an extremely common sign that over 70% of patients experience. So, testing yourself for a possibility of COVID-19 is strongly recommended when the fever stays for more than 3-4 days.

Q. Does a viral infection cause fever?

A. The viral infection comes from fever along with a great number of symptoms, like cough, sore throat, runny nose, and nasal congestion.

Q. Can viral fever last more than 5 days?

A. Yes, there are many instances where symptoms of viral fever can last up to 10 days. However, it is a sign of extreme viral infection, like dengue and chikungunya.

When should you see a Doctor?

Most cases of viral fever resolved within 3-5 days. Taking good amount of sleep and rest with plenty of liquids help you to recover fast.  However, it is ideal to contact a doctor when the body temperature increases to 103 degrees or higher or the fever doesn’t go away after 4-5 days.

On the other hand, it needs to understand that viral fever symptoms in adults are different than in babies. The doctors should be called straightaway if a baby has a temperature of 100.4 degrees F or higher.

On top of that, there might be a need to consult with your physician when the following symptoms accompany fever:

  • Feeling pain in the chest
  • Highly severe headache
  • Pain in the abdominal area
  • Stiffness in neck
  • Breathing issues
  • Rashes keep getting worse
  • Seizures

In Conclusion

Viral fever is considered a condition that mainly results from a viral infection. It is one of the most common diseases during the monsoon season due to instant changes in the weather. The majority of times this condition resolves within one or two days, but there are few cases of severe nature that ask for medical treatment.

In that case, the doctor will suggest treatment according to the situation. You can also take online doctor consultation. It is strongly recommended to take preventive measures to keep yourself away from viral fever symptoms.

Do you have any queries related to this article or any related prospect? Feel free to write about it in the comment section!