When is a fever for a 15 year old too high?!

When is a fever for a 15 year old too high?

I took my son to the Dr. this morning explaining my son had 102 last night and I gave him Nuprin. He said everything hurt him and he felt weak. She said oh, its probably alergies. I am not stupid, I know when my son is sick, but because he had no fever when the Dr. saw him she gave him a throat culture and said its probably a virus and there is nothing that can be done. Well, tonight, his fever went to 103.5 with the Nuprin in his system. What to do?? I'm worried.

A fever is a high body temperature. A temperature of up to 102° (38.9°) can be helpful because it helps the body fight infection. Most healthy children and adults can tolerate a fever as high as 103° (39.4°) to 104° (40°) for short periods of time without problems. Children tend to have higher fevers than adults.

The degree of fever may not indicate how serious the illness is. With a minor illness, such as a cold, you may have a temperature, while a very serious infection may cause little or no fever. It is important to look for and evaluate other symptoms along with the fever.

If you are not able to measure your temperature with a thermometer, it is important to look for other symptoms of illness. A fever without other symptoms that lasts 3 to 4 days, comes and goes, and gradually reduces over time is usually not a cause for concern. When you have a fever, you may feel tired, lack energy, and may not eat as much as usual. High fevers are not comfortable, but they rarely cause serious problems.

Oral temperature taken after smoking or drinking a hot fluid may give you a false high temperature reading. After drinking or eating cold foods or fluids, an oral temperature may be falsely low. For information on how to take an accurate temperature, see the topic Body Temperature.