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What Causes Severe Headache, Fever, Chills, Body Pain And Muscle Weakness?

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Posted on Wed, 17 Jun 2015
Question: My daughter has a severe headache with 103.5 fever for approximately 4 hours, what should we do? She has the chills, body aches and muscle weakness She is 25 years old.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Vasudha (2 hours later)
Brief Answer:
She needs lowering her high temprature, investigatins /specific treatment

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for your query under HCM forum.
Your 25 years old daughter was treated for viral fever since 5 days. After being somewhat relieved, she has reverted back to symptoms with high fever/ head ache/ muscle weakness , naturally you are worried.I understand your concern.
* Usually the viral fever is self limiting illness,& reverts back with symptomatic treatment like Tylenol/Ibuprofen. The recurrence of fever with shivering & high grade fever indicates presence of infection. It can be upper respiratory tract infection/ urinary infection, malarial fever .. considering her shivers.
* So at this point we should try to relieve her from the fever & also locate the infection site followed by specific treatment.
1. relief from fever.
- Let her take rest. let the room be with comfortable temperature ( Avoid extremes of heat/cold)
- Application of cold water & salt soaked gauge on her forehead would help to bring the temperature down to a comfortable level.( Specially if it's very hot climate)/ cold sponging. would help.
- Cover her well, to stop the shivering ( for shivering itself can raise temperature & cause muscle ache &weakness)
- you can give her Tab. Paracetamol 500 mg ( available over counter)with a glass of warm milk & piece of bread.It will start taking temperature to normal./relieve her head ache.
- Give her a nourishing diet- soups/ juices with sugar & salt & milk/ tea/ coffee / boiled rice with plain dal / Sago pudding- .. to help her out of muscle weakness.
- Keep her well hydrated.
( Muscle weakness can be due to her sufferings from viral fever, shivering)
- In case fever does not settle down within few hours, take her to ER.. for she may need injectable medicines/ Intravenous drip to control the fever.
2. Side by side ,
-consult your family physician for her through physical examination to locate infection.
- Few preliminary investigations like blood ( Hb%, TLC/ DLC, Peripheral smear for MP, Widal test, ), Urine routine & microscopic examination will be ordered as per need, to pin point the cause. He may order for culture & sensitivity test ( throat swab/ urine ) to know bacterial sensitivity.
3 A specific treatment then would be advised with antibiotic, anti allergic, anti inflammatory/ anti pyretic, anti malarial drugs as per need,depending on diagnosis along with Vitamin B complex, Vitamin C, nourishing diet & rest.
* Please don't worry. With a specified treatment after investigations& expert advise ,as well as home care would cure your daughter in few days to normal.
I hope the answer is informative & helpful to you. Any follow up query is welcome.
Thamks.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E
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Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Vasudha

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :1970

Answered : 10395 Questions

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What Causes Severe Headache, Fever, Chills, Body Pain And Muscle Weakness?

Brief Answer: She needs lowering her high temprature, investigatins /specific treatment Detailed Answer: Hi, Thank you for your query under HCM forum. Your 25 years old daughter was treated for viral fever since 5 days. After being somewhat relieved, she has reverted back to symptoms with high fever/ head ache/ muscle weakness , naturally you are worried.I understand your concern. * Usually the viral fever is self limiting illness,& reverts back with symptomatic treatment like Tylenol/Ibuprofen. The recurrence of fever with shivering & high grade fever indicates presence of infection. It can be upper respiratory tract infection/ urinary infection, malarial fever .. considering her shivers. * So at this point we should try to relieve her from the fever & also locate the infection site followed by specific treatment. 1. relief from fever. - Let her take rest. let the room be with comfortable temperature ( Avoid extremes of heat/cold) - Application of cold water & salt soaked gauge on her forehead would help to bring the temperature down to a comfortable level.( Specially if it's very hot climate)/ cold sponging. would help. - Cover her well, to stop the shivering ( for shivering itself can raise temperature & cause muscle ache &weakness) - you can give her Tab. Paracetamol 500 mg ( available over counter)with a glass of warm milk & piece of bread.It will start taking temperature to normal./relieve her head ache. - Give her a nourishing diet- soups/ juices with sugar & salt & milk/ tea/ coffee / boiled rice with plain dal / Sago pudding- .. to help her out of muscle weakness. - Keep her well hydrated. ( Muscle weakness can be due to her sufferings from viral fever, shivering) - In case fever does not settle down within few hours, take her to ER.. for she may need injectable medicines/ Intravenous drip to control the fever. 2. Side by side , -consult your family physician for her through physical examination to locate infection. - Few preliminary investigations like blood ( Hb%, TLC/ DLC, Peripheral smear for MP, Widal test, ), Urine routine & microscopic examination will be ordered as per need, to pin point the cause. He may order for culture & sensitivity test ( throat swab/ urine ) to know bacterial sensitivity. 3 A specific treatment then would be advised with antibiotic, anti allergic, anti inflammatory/ anti pyretic, anti malarial drugs as per need,depending on diagnosis along with Vitamin B complex, Vitamin C, nourishing diet & rest. * Please don't worry. With a specified treatment after investigations& expert advise ,as well as home care would cure your daughter in few days to normal. I hope the answer is informative & helpful to you. Any follow up query is welcome. Thamks.