Is the person an infant (less than 1 year) or child?
Does your fever come and go and does your temperature stay between 97° and 102°F?
Have you had a fever for weeks, along with tiredness and a sore throat?
Do you have a fever between 101°F and 103°F?
Do you have a sore throat and headache, but no cough?
Do you have a sore throat, a dry cough, tiredness, mild headaches, or muscle aches?
Do you have aches, chills, nausea, vomiting, cramps, or watery diarrhea?
Are you short of breath and do you have a cough that produces red, yellow, green, or tan mucus?
Have you lost weight unintentionally, and do you have a fever that comes and goes, night sweats (drenching your bed sheets or bedclothes), or swollen lymph nodes?
Do you have stomach pain, nausea, and/or vomiting?
Do you have a rash that’s red, tender and warm, or a red streak on your arm or leg?
Do you have an earache?
Have you been outside under high temperatures and are you feeling nauseous or faint?
Have you recently started taking a new medicine?
Is your temperature consistently above 103°?
Are you short of breath or are you coughing up mucus or blood?
Are you experiencing pain or burning when you urinate, or do you have back or abdominal pain, along with nausea/vomiting?
Do you have a severe headache, neck stiffness, drowsiness, and vomiting, and are your eyes sensitive to light or are your ears sensitive to sound?
Have you been outside in extremely hot weather, and are you hot but not sweating, possibly feeling faint or having some confusion?
Take anti-fever medicines, such as acetaminophen and/or ibuprofen to reduce the fever.
Diagnosis
You may have MONONUCLEOSIS (also known as MONO), which is a viral infection that can lead to swollen glands in your neck and a swollen/tender spleen (an organ in your abdomen).
Self Care
See your doctor.
Diagnosis
You may have a bacterial infection, such as STREP THROAT.
Self Care
Get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids, and take cold and fever-reducing medicines, such as acetaminophen and/or ibuprofen. If you don’t feel better in 48 hours, see your doctor. A quick test can determine whether you have STREP THROAT. Antibiotics are effective in treating the bacteria that causes this infection.
Get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids. Over-the-counter- medicines may help relieve your symptoms. See your doctor if your symptoms become severe. Prevent the FLU by getting the flu vaccine in the fall.
Diagnosis
You may have GASTROENTERITIS, an intestinal infection commonly called the STOMACH FLU.
Self Care
Get plenty of rest. Stop eating and drinking for a few hours to let your stomach settle. Ease back into eating gradually and start with bland foods (e.g., bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast). Take small, frequent sips of water or clear liquids to avoid dehydration. See your doctor if you have BLOODY DIARRHEA, if you’ve been vomiting for more than 2 days, or if you’re vomiting blood.
Get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids and take an over-the-counter cough medicine. Bronchitis usually clears on its own in a few days. If your symptoms persist, if you have a high fever (higher than 101.5°F) or are coughing up blood, see your doctor.
You may have a severe medical problem, such as APPENDICITIS, DIVERTICULITIS, PANCREATITIS, HEPATITIS, or COLITIS. Each of these involve infection and/or inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract or organs in your abdomen.
Self Care
EMERGENCY See your doctor, go to the closest emergency room right away, or call an ambulance.
Diagnosis
You may have an infection of the skin or lymph system, such as CELLULITIS or LYMPHANGITIS.
Self Care
Both conditions need to be treated with antibiotics. See your doctor right away.
Diagnosis
You may have a middle ear infection (OTITIS MEDIA) or an outer ear infection (SWIMMER’S EAR or OTITIS EXTERNA).
Self Care
While these will likely resolve on their own, some of the infections may require treatment. See your doctor if your ear pain is severe, if your symptoms worsen, or if symptoms fail to improve within 48 hours of starting.
Drink cool liquids and rest in a cool location. Lay down and elevate your legs above the level of your heart. You can also get into a cold bath or even ice water bath. Recheck your temperature often until it has returned to normal. If your temperature goes higher, have someone take you to the emergency room.
Get out of the sun and go somewhere shady or with air conditioning. Have someone take you to the closest emergency room right away or call an ambulance.
Self Care
For more information, please talk to your doctor. If you think the problem is serious, call your doctor right away.