Change in weather can affect the environmental temperature. When the surrounding temperature rises or falls, it can impact the human body, causing a viral fever. Viral infections are common among children who are yet to develop a fully functioning immune system; however, adults can also catch a viral fever. Keep reading to know more about viral fever, its symptoms and causes and how you can treat it.

The temperature of the human body usually stands at 37°C. Temperature beyond 37°C is considered a fever. Fevers indicate that our body is fighting a viral infection. Thus, viral fever is a fever caused by a viral infection. Common colds and flu are common viral infections that appear in the air when the season changes.

The virus enters the body in several ways. Let’s look at what they are:

• Breathing: A person with a viral infection can release the virus in the air by sneezing or coughing. If you are in the vicinity of an infected person, you may end up breathing in the droplets containing the virus.

• Ingesting: Foods and drinks can get contaminated, especially in unhygienic conditions. If you eat such foods, you can develop infections like norovirus, which can cause diarrhoea and vomiting.

• Exchanging bodily fluids: Blood transfusion with an infected person provides a pathway for viruses to enter your body. Hepatitis B and HIV are examples of viral infections caused through bodily fluid exchange.

• Insect bites: Insects and animals carry viruses. If you get bitten, you can get infected as well. Mosquito bites can cause malaria and dengue fever. Bites from stray, unvaccinated, or infected animals can cause rabies.

• Age: Children and older people have weak immune systems, leading to viral infections.

People with viral fever may experience the following viral fever symptoms that can last for a few days.

• Sweating
• Dehydration
• Headache
• Sudden chills
• Fatigue
• Body pain
• Appetite loss

The viral fever duration is low and usually you can treat a viral infection by:

• Staying hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids
• Avoiding physical activities and taking rest
• Taking a lukewarm bath to bring the body temperature down

However, it is ideal to consult your physician if your fever doesn’t subside and your condition aggravates.

Viral fever can get severe if the symptoms are not diagnosed correctly. Since a fever is the first indication of most illnesses, it can be brushed off as viral. Severe viral fever may require you to be hospitalised. In such cases, a health insurance plan can help you pay for the hospital costs, up to a certain sum insured. You can pay the doctor’s fee, diagnoses, hospital room rent, medication costs, etc., using the insurance policy. A typical health insurance plan can cover several illnesses which otherwise would be expensive to treat.

With technological advancement in the medical sector, rising medical costs are inevitable. You must thus invest in health insurance plans to prevent depleting your life savings. Click here to get started.