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Fever Chills Body Aches Headache Fatigue No Cough

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What Causes Cold Chills Without Fever

5 ways to stop a cold before it starts

Chills are your bodyâs way of warming you up, oftentimes to a feverish level. During this process, as suggested by the word âchills,â we feel cold and want to crawl underneath a pile of blankets. Unfortunately, this will help that fever build! One blanket is fine to help find some comfort for you or your kiddo but donât go overboard.

Chills are not concerning and are just our bodyâs way of fighting through a virus. We can let our temps creep up as high as 102 F before we treat with medication â it helps us get through the illness that much faster!

What Else Should I Ask My Healthcare Provider

If you have a sore throat and headache, ask your healthcare provider:

  • Do I need any tests?
  • Could these symptoms be a sign of an infection?
  • What can I do to feel better?
  • What should I do if the symptoms dont go away in a week?
  • What medications can I take to help?
  • Do I need a strep test?
  • Will antibiotics help?

Sore throat and headache are common symptoms. Often, theyre signs of a viral or bacterial infection. For a viral infection, you most likely wont need medications. The virus will clear up on its own in about a week. Make sure to drink plenty of fluids. You can take over-the-counter pain relievers to feel better. Your healthcare provider may want to check for signs of strep throat or meningitis, which need treatment. If you have a sudden high fever, neck stiffness or other worrying symptoms, see your healthcare provider.

Whats The Outlook For People With Sore Throat And Headache

A sore throat and headache can usually go away within a week. Most of the time, you wont need medical treatment. There are usually no long-term complications.

If you do have strep throat, make sure to take the full course of antibiotics. These drugs treat the infection and prevent complications, including rheumatic fever.

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Reaction To Extreme Physical Activity

This response can happen in any type of weather but may be more likely to occur in very cold or very hot temperatures:

In both instances, other symptoms you might experience include:

  • fatigue
  • nausea and vomiting

You can avoid chills from exercise by remaining hydrated and dressing appropriately for your workouts. Consider avoiding exercise during the coldest or hottest times of day and also limiting the duration of time spent in intense activity.

Hydrating and getting your temperature back into a normal range are usually enough to eliminate your symptoms.

In some instances, though, you may require IV fluids to treat the condition.

When To Contact A Doctor

Headache Body Aches Fatigue Chills No Fever

It is important to contact a doctor if:

  • A person develops any symptoms of a serious illness, such as meningitis. These symptoms may include a stiff neck, confusion, or sensitivity to light.
  • Symptoms of a milder illness continue to worsen or do not go away after a few days.
  • A newborn under 3 months old has a fever.
  • A person with a serious illness or a weak immune system gets a fever.
  • A person has chronic, unexplained fevers.
  • A person develops a fever after taking a new medication.

Often, the best strategy for preventing fevers is to prevent the infections that cause them. The following tips may help:

  • Stay home when sick, and do not send sick children to daycare or school.
  • Know that treating a fever does not prevent it from spreading. If a person still has a fever despite taking medications, they may still be contagious.
  • Get all recommended vaccines.
  • Practice regular hand-washing with soap and warm water, especially before eating, before touching the face, and after touching someone else.
  • Try to avoid people who are sick. If doing so is impossible, wear a mask and frequently wash the hands.
  • Practice safer sex to reduce the spread of sexually transmitted infections.
  • In crowded areas where COVID-19 rates are high, wear a mask indoors.
  • Practice safe food preparation, including using different utensils for different foods, heating food according to the manufacturers instructions, and washing the hands before and after touching raw meat.

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You Have A Viral Or Bacterial Infection

When chills are accompanied by other symptoms, such as fever, body aches or fatigue, theyre more likely associated with a systemic infection, such as flu or pneumonia.

Chills boost your bodys core temperature when your immune system attempts to fight off infection, Taroyan explains. Your body temperature increases, even though you might feel cold. If you have a viral infection, you will usually notice other symptoms along with chills, such as sore throat, cough, headache, fatigue and muscle aches. Most of the time, it can be self-limiting and will resolve within 2 weeks. Its important to get plenty of rest and increase your fluid intake.

Head To The Er If Your Kiddo Or Loved One:

  • Has difficulty breathing
  • Has a seizure
  • Has a fever > 105 F

Keep in mind that body aches and chills are side effects of a virus. The achiness will go away as the virus goes away, so hang in there. Avoid the urge to bundle up, drink plenty of fluids, and get some extra rest. Hopefully this remains at aches and chills and youâre able to move on! If you are ever concerned about other symptoms or worry they are carrying on too long, always call your doctor. Or check on those other symptoms through your Kinsa app and prepare to receive more advice from me, Nurse Blake!

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Sudden Or Excessive Fatigue

Shorter days and reduced sunlight can make you feel tired. Theres a difference between being tired and experiencing extreme fatigue.

Sudden, excessive fatigue is one of the earliest symptoms of the flu. It may appear before other symptoms. Fatigue is also a symptom of the common cold, but its usually more severe with the flu.

Extreme weakness and tiredness may interfere with your normal activities. Its important that you limit activities and allow your body to rest. Take a few days off from work or school and stay in bed. Rest can strengthen your immune system and help you fight the virus.

When To Call The Doctor

Warning Signs: Seasonal Flu

Try treating your cold at home first. Call your provider right away, or go to the emergency room, if you have:

  • Difficulty breathing
  • Sudden chest pain or abdominal pain
  • Sudden dizziness
  • Severe vomiting that does not go away

Also call your provider if:

  • You start acting strangely
  • Your symptoms get worse or do not improve after 7 to 10 days

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Reduce The Risk Of Illness

So, youve decided you want to avoid all of the above.

How do you protect yourself from COVID-19?

  • Wear a face mask when you go out in public
  • Wash your hands often with soap and clean, running water for at least 20 seconds.
  • If you dont have access to soap and water, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer often. Make sure it has at least 60% alcohol.
  • Dont touch your eyes, nose, or mouth unless you have clean hands.
  • As much as possible, dont touch high-touch public surfaces such as doorknobs. Dont shake hands.
  • Clean home and work surfaces often with disinfectant.
  • Cough or sneeze into a tissue, then throw the tissue into the trash. If you dont have tissues, cough or sneeze into the bend of your elbow.
  • Stay away from people who are sick.
  • Stay informed about COVID-19 in your area. Follow local instructions about being in public. Be aware of events in your community that may be postponed or canceled, such as school and sporting events. You may be advised to not attend public gatherings and to stay about 6 feet from others as much as possible. This is called social distancing.
  • Check your home supplies. Consider keeping a 2-week supply of medicines, food, and other needed household items.
  • Dont share eating or drinking utensils with sick people.
  • Clean surfaces often with disinfectant.

How do you prevent the common cold?

And how do you prevent the flu?

And what about allergies?

Theres not much to do to prevent allergies, but you can help prevent the symptoms by:

No Symptoms Means You Feel Your Best

Defined by the CDC as when a person is infected with a virus and will never feel any symptoms at all, asymptomatic has become a catchall phrase for those who feel fine and arent exhibiting any of the common markers of Covid-19 lack of taste or smell, dry cough, fever but still test positive and appear to be capable of spreading the virus.

In the age of omicron, when symptoms can be almost imperceptible, asymptomatic means absolutely no sniffles, coughs, or aches of any kind. Asymptomatic means you feel in your best shape ever, says Jorge Salinas, an assistant professor of medicine and hospital epidemiologist at Stanford University. You are doing great. You feel amazing, nothing bothers you.

Because community transmission is so high right now, its best to assume youve been exposed to someone who has Covid-19 if youve been to a public place recently, Salinas says. Everyone should act as though theyve come in contact with the virus and are potentially infected, and if anything feels off beyond your normal aches and pains , you should consider it a symptom.

Tolerance for pain or illness varies from person to person what one person considers a mild cold might feel like a more disruptive flu to another and a little throat tickle may not ping as sick to you in ordinary circumstances. But these arent ordinary circumstances. No matter the severity, any cough, sneeze, headache, or body ache should be viewed as a symptom.

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Fever And Headache Pain

A fever is a rise in your body temperature. This can happen when your body is fighting an infection. Viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites can cause infections.

Other illnesses and inflammation can also trigger a fever. You might have a fever if your body temperature is higher than 98.6°F . A fever can lead to changes in your body that may lead to a headache.

Make Sure You Know What Covid

Fever, Chills, Coughing Up Blood, Exotic Bird?

Knowing the signs of Covid-19 is crucial to monitoring your own symptoms, or lack thereof. According to the CDC, symptoms of Covid-19 include fever, shortness of breath, cough, loss of taste or smell, fatigue, body aches, headaches, sore throat, congestion, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea. Omicron symptoms tend to stray slightly, with data out of South Africa indicating that people with omicron experience a scratchy or sore throat, nasal congestion, dry cough, and muscle pain, including low back pain. Other experts have said to look out for a runny nose and/or headache.

Its also wise to take note of the overall number of symptoms youre experiencing. The more symptoms you have, the more likely its a respiratory infection, Salinas says. A combination of sore throat, headache, and sniffles is likely not a coincidence.

While monitoring how you feel day-to-day can help you catch symptoms as they emerge, ironically, by thinking too much about how youre feeling, you could start tricking yourself into manifesting symptoms. The combination of anxiety and overthinking can lead you to magnify every little ache and pain, Salinas says. The only way to know for sure is to get tested if youve already tested positive, the best way to gauge your symptoms is to re-test five days after first testing positive.

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What Tests Will I Need

Most of the time, your healthcare provider will diagnose you based on your symptoms and a physical exam. You may need a throat swab to diagnose strep throat. Your healthcare provider uses a stick with a cotton swab at the end to take a throat sample. They analyze the sample for bacteria to see if you have an infection.

You may need other tests, such as a blood test or imaging scans, to rule out other infections.

What Are The Symptoms Of Sore Throat And Headache

When you have a sore throat, you may have:

  • Pain or scratchiness in your throat.
  • Pain thats worse when you speak or swallow.
  • Hoarse voice.
  • Swollen lymph nodes in the neck .
  • Red or swollen tonsils with white spots on them.

Your headache symptoms may include pain that:

  • Comes on slowly.
  • Feels dull and aching.
  • Affects both sides of your head.

Its also not unusual to have fatigue with sore throat and headache. Fatigue, chills and muscle aches are all symptoms of viral and bacterial infections.

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How To Treat The Common Cold At Home

Colds are very common. A visit to your health care provider’s office is often not needed, and colds often get better in 3 to 4 days.

A type of germ called a virus causes most colds. There are many types of viruses that can cause a cold. Depending on what virus you have, your symptoms may vary.

Common symptoms of a cold include:

  • Fever and chills
  • Headache, sore muscles, and fatigue
  • Cough
  • Nasal symptoms, such as stuffiness, runny nose, yellow or green snot, and sneezing
  • Sore throat

Mild symptoms of COVID-19 may be similar to those of the common cold. Always check with your health provider if you are at risk for COVID-19.

Emergency Warning Signs Of Severe Covid

COVID-19 Symptoms PSA

If you or someone in your family is experiencing any of these symptoms, call 911 or your local emergency room right away and let the operator know that you are calling for someone who might have COVID-19:

  • Difficulty breathing
  • Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
  • New confusion
  • Inability to wake up or stay awake
  • Bluish lips or face

There are other possible symptoms of COVID-19: Call your doctor or health care center for any symptoms that are severe or concerning to you.

Is Coronavirus Airborne?

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Muscle Aches Extreme Fatigue: Coronavirus Symptoms Go Beyond Fever And Cough

Fever, cough, shortness of breath.

Those are the three symptoms prominently listed on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website under coronavirus symptoms.

But as case counts continue to rise in the United States and across the world, it’s clear that COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, causes a much wider range of symptoms. The more detailed descriptions of the illness that are emerging show how doctors and researchers are still learning about the disease, which was first reported just three months ago, in real time.

COVID-19 can begin in similar ways among patients, regardless of a person’s age or health status.

Very often, extreme fatigue hits first.

Hedy Bauman, 74, was so weak she could barely make it home from a short walk to the store. Reading a few pages of the newspaper was exhausting.

“My bathroom is maybe 15 steps from my bed,” Bauman, of Silver Spring, Maryland, told NBC News. “I wasn’t sure I could get from the bathroom to my bed.” She developed chills, but no fever.

Bauman’s doctor said her symptoms were consistent with what physicians are learning about other coronavirus cases, though they are still waiting for the results from Bauman’s COVID-19 test.

Download the NBC News app for full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak

Brendan McLaughlin, 28, felt lightheaded and weak before the fever, chills and body aches began.

“I’d been healthy,” McLaughlin said. “I try to eat right. I take care of myself.”

What Are Symptoms Of Coronavirus

The most common symptoms are:

  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Muscle or body aches
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Diarrhea
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Congestion or runny nose

Some of these symptoms are very common and can occur in many conditions other than COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS CoV-2 coronavirus. If you have any of them, contact a doctor or health care provider so they can assess your risk and help you determine next steps.

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When Can I Go Back To Work Or School

If you have a sore throat or headache, wait until you have been symptom-free for at least 24 hours before returning to work. Your child should stay home from school or day care until they have been symptom-free for 24 hours.

If you have strep throat, you can usually return to work or school once the fever is gone and you have taken antibiotics for at least 24 hours.

Cold Flu Allergies Or Covid

Stuffy Nose Drainage Sore Throat

This article was updated June 26, 2020, to reflect new information from the CDC.

There are many similar symptoms of cold, flu, allergies and novel coronavirus .

Sometimes, it may be difficult to determine what ailment you may be experiencing.

So how can you know whether you are dealing with allergies, a common cold, the flu or COVID-19?

The biggest difference is the shortness of breath associated with COVID-19. The flu or cold does not cause shortness of breath unless it progresses to pneumonia. Other symptoms of COVID-19 are fever and dry cough. On April 27, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded the list of symptoms to include chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and new loss of taste or smell. On June 25, 2020, the CDC, again added three new symptoms to the list. The complete list of symptoms are:

  • Fever or chills
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea

A cold, which could be triggered by more than 200 different viruses, can make you miserable but is relatively harmless. It usually clears up by itself after a period of time, although it can sometimes lead to a secondary infection, such as an ear infection. Common cold symptoms include sneezing, stuffy nose, sore throat and mild to moderate chest discomfort and cough.

Despite some overlap, the typical symptoms of COVID-19 are more similar to the flu than the common cold or allergies.

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