Are you feeling sick but can’t see a doctor right away? There are things you can do in the meantime. Here’s how to tell if you have a fever with no thermometer.
Around 8% of Americans get sick from the flu every year. Combined with the number of people who get ill from the common cold, and that’s a lot of sicknesses floating about.
For many people, they have a thermometer in their medicine cabinet so they can tell if they have a fever at any given time.
Am I Sick? How to Tell If You Have a Fever With No Thermometer
But what if you keep forgetting to buy one? Or what if your only thermometer broke recently? How can you tell if you’re feverish now?
Are you wondering how to tell if you have a fever with no thermometer? Then keep reading. Here are some ways to do so.
Possible Symptoms of Fever
A great way to tell if you have a fever or not is to look out for the typical symptoms that come with it. Take a look below to see what they are.
Headache
One of the main signs of fever is a headache. This can happen for several reasons.
First of all, being ill can trigger migraine attacks. Also, it can cause cluster headaches that can make you get to feel even worse.
Fevers that come with the cold or flu can also cause you to get congested. Fluid can build up in your sinuses, leading to pressure in your head. As a result, you’ll get headaches.
Fatigue
You might also feel tired and run down; this is because your body is trying very hard to fight off infection. That takes a lot of hard work!
If you haven’t done much in the day but feel incredibly exhausted, there’s a good chance you may be sick.
Chills
While a fever causes your body’s temperature to go up, you start feeling very cold. Your muscles will contract and relax to create those chills you feel.
Your body thinks it’s cold because the fever’s raised your base body temperature. So by shivering, your body’s working to raise its temperature.
Sore Muscles
Because your immune system is busy fighting off a fever, you might feel sore all over. This is because your white blood cells are deployed all over your body, which can then result in inflammation. This inflammation can make your muscles sore and even stiff.
This, combined with dehydration, can cause things like your eyeballs to feel sore as well.
Flushed Appearance
The higher body temperature can cause your face to become flushed. Not only that, but you might also feel clammy and sweaty.
How to Tell If You Have a Fever With No Thermometer
So maybe you have a few of the symptoms on the list, but you’re still not sure if you’re feverish or not. Then here are some more ways to tell if you have a fever.
Feel With the Back of Your Hand
Have a non-feverish person place the back of their hand on your forehead. If your forehead feels unusually warm to them, then this may be a sign that you have a fever.
Pinching the Back of Your Hand
Because you sweat so much when you have a fever, you might become dehydrated. A good way to see if you are indeed dehydrated is the pinch the back fo your hand.
If it quickly snaps back into place, then you’re well hydrated. However, if your skin is slow to resume its original position, then you’re probably dehydrated.
Do note that you’re not always dehydrated when you’re feverish, so even if your skin snaps back quickly, you still may have a temperature.
See If You Have Dark Urine
Darker urine is another sign that is more indicative of dehydration rather than fever. However, since you often become dehydrated when feverish, this can be a good sign to look out for.
When you go to the bathroom, take a look at your urine. If it’s a darker yellow or orange color and not as clear as it usually is, then you might have a fever.
The same goes for if it smells more pungent than usual. A heavier odor and more noticeable color to your urine are signs you’re dehydrated.
How to Get Rid of a Fever Quickly
Think you have a fever after reading all that? Then you’ll want to know how to break a fever.
The most important thing you need to do is to rest. If you try to do too much, you’re going to take away energy from your immune system, which is working hard to rid your body of the infection or fever.
Take a day or two off and stay in bed. While resting, you should also keep drinking water to stay hydrated. Even though you’re not doing anything, you’ll probably be sweating a lot, so you need to make sure to replenish your body’s water to keep your immune system up.
If you know you don’t have any adverse reactions to aspirin and acetaminophen, you can take these to drive your fever down. You’ll get some temporary relief from symptoms.
Should your fever stay high or increase in temperature, even more, then you must seek medical help promptly.
Take Care of Yourself and Feel Better Soon
Now you know how to tell if you have a fever with no thermometer. So if you don’t feel so well but don’t have anything around, you can at least get a general idea of whether or not you’re feverish.
If you think you have a fever, it’s important not to overexert yourself and to drink plenty of fluids. Rest up, and hopefully, your fever will break soon! If not, then make sure you speak to a medical professional quickly.
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