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Suggest Treatment For Fever, Chills And Severe Headache
Brief Answer:
Here are some things to think about:
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
The symptoms you are describing may be due to a few different causes, so here are some things to consider.
Influenza (flu) can cause a high fever with chills and headache, but almost always there is a dry persistent cough with flu. You did not mention a cough or nasal congestion so I'll assume he does not have these things?
Pneumonia can cause a high fever, but the cough is prominent and usually productive.
The most concerning possibility is meningitis. But meningitis usually also causes a stiff painful neck, and the knees automatically are brought up toward the body when the neck is bent forward or there is pain in the legs when bent (called Brudzinski sign). Another sign is an inability to straighten the lower legs after the hips have already been flexed 90 degrees (called Kernig sign). Meningitis also usually causes an increased sensitivity to light. And sometimes confusion. If any of these things apply to your son, please take him to the ER immediately.
The most likely cause to consider if your son does not have any of the symptoms I've described previously is that there are viral illnesses that can cause fluish symptoms - high fever, chills, body aches, without the respiratory symptoms. That may be what is going on. They usually take about as long to resolve as a cold.
Give him Tylenol for the fever and headache (follow the dosage guidelines on the bottle). But if he gets overall sicker then do take him in to be seen.
Here are some things to think about:
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
The symptoms you are describing may be due to a few different causes, so here are some things to consider.
Influenza (flu) can cause a high fever with chills and headache, but almost always there is a dry persistent cough with flu. You did not mention a cough or nasal congestion so I'll assume he does not have these things?
Pneumonia can cause a high fever, but the cough is prominent and usually productive.
The most concerning possibility is meningitis. But meningitis usually also causes a stiff painful neck, and the knees automatically are brought up toward the body when the neck is bent forward or there is pain in the legs when bent (called Brudzinski sign). Another sign is an inability to straighten the lower legs after the hips have already been flexed 90 degrees (called Kernig sign). Meningitis also usually causes an increased sensitivity to light. And sometimes confusion. If any of these things apply to your son, please take him to the ER immediately.
The most likely cause to consider if your son does not have any of the symptoms I've described previously is that there are viral illnesses that can cause fluish symptoms - high fever, chills, body aches, without the respiratory symptoms. That may be what is going on. They usually take about as long to resolve as a cold.
Give him Tylenol for the fever and headache (follow the dosage guidelines on the bottle). But if he gets overall sicker then do take him in to be seen.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
he has a dry cough and sore throat
Brief Answer:
Flu or strep throat
Detailed Answer:
If the most prominent feature is the sore throat, this could be strep, which should be treated with penicillin or amoxicillin.
Strep throat usually causes tender lymph nodes in the neck, and a very red throat, usually with white patches.
You can take a flash light and look in his throat for white spots. (Hold your breath or wear a mask when doing this so that you don't pick up the infection he has.)
If the throat is very sore, take him in to a clinic tonight for a throat swab. They can check for both strep and do a rapid flu test too.
Flu or strep throat
Detailed Answer:
If the most prominent feature is the sore throat, this could be strep, which should be treated with penicillin or amoxicillin.
Strep throat usually causes tender lymph nodes in the neck, and a very red throat, usually with white patches.
You can take a flash light and look in his throat for white spots. (Hold your breath or wear a mask when doing this so that you don't pick up the infection he has.)
If the throat is very sore, take him in to a clinic tonight for a throat swab. They can check for both strep and do a rapid flu test too.
Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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