Patient resources

Check Your Symptoms

Find what you are feeling, learn what is safe to do at home, and see the signs that mean you should not wait.

Chest pain, trouble breathing, sudden weakness on one side, a fit or heavy bleeding needs help now, not an appointment.

112Any emergency108Ambulance102Pregnancy and newborn
Check a symptomManage a conditionHealth calculatorsFirst aid

1Find what you are feeling

Common
General and whole body

Fever

Also called fever, bukhar, temperature, high temperature, body hot

What it meansSafe at homeDo not doSee a doctorWarning signs

What this means

Fever means your body temperature is higher than normal. It is usually a sign that the body is fighting an infection, and on its own it is often not dangerous.

Safe to do at home

  • Rest and drink plenty of fluids like water, soups and nimbu paani
  • Wear light clothing and keep the room comfortable
  • Use tepid sponging with normal water if you feel very hot
  • Monitor your temperature and note how long the fever lasts

Please do not do this alone

  • Do not start antibiotics on your own, as most fevers are viral and antibiotics will not help
  • Do not combine several fever medicines together
  • Do not ignore a high fever in a baby, an elderly person or anyone with other illnesses

Book a consultation if

  • Fever lasts more than three to four days or keeps rising
  • Fever returns again and again
  • You also have a rash, severe weakness or are unable to keep fluids down

Get help immediately if

  • Fever with a stiff neck, severe headache, confusion or a rash that does not fade on pressing
  • Fever with breathlessness or chest pain
  • Very high fever with fits, especially in children

The right doctor for this

General Physician

This is the specialist who sees this symptom most often and can examine you properly. If you are not sure, a general physician is always a safe place to start and will refer you onward if you need it.

Consult a General Physician

How to describe this to your doctor

A clear description often saves a test. Have these ready and the same ten minutes gives you much better advice.

  1. When it started, and whether it has been getting better, worse or staying the same.
  2. Where you feel it, whether it moves anywhere else, and how strong it feels on a scale of one to ten.
  3. What makes it better and what makes it worse, such as food, movement, rest, heat or time of day.
  4. Anything else happening alongside it, for example fever, vomiting, breathlessness, weight change or a rash.
  5. Every medicine, inhaler, injection, supplement and home remedy you take, with the dose if you know it.
  6. Any allergy to a medicine or food, your long term conditions, past surgeries, and what runs in your family.
  7. Your recent reports, plus any recent travel, new food or new medicine started in the last few weeks.

What to keep beside you

Four things that make an online consultation work as well as sitting in a clinic.

  1. A photo of the strips and boxes of everything you take.
  2. Your last blood tests, scans or discharge summary, even if they are old.
  3. Home readings you have noted, such as blood pressure, sugar or weight.
  4. A family member on the call if you would like help remembering the advice.

How to use this page. It explains what a symptom usually means, so that you can decide whether to watch it, book a consultation or get help now. It does not diagnose you, it does not know your age, your pregnancy or your other medicines, and it cannot replace being examined. Please do not start, stop or change any medicine on your own.

Not what you needed? Try one of these

Manage a conditionYou live with diabetes, blood pressure, thyroid, asthma or something similarHealth calculatorsYou have a number, such as weight, waist or blood pressure, and want to know what it meansFirst aidSomething has just happened to someone and you need to know what to do right now

Emergency numbers in India

Save these in your phone now, not when you need them. Tap any number to call it.

112Any emergencyOne number for police, fire and ambulance across India108AmbulanceFree emergency ambulance in most states and union territories102Pregnancy and newbornAmbulance for mothers and babies in most states14416Mental health supportTele MANAS, free counselling every hour of the day, many languages1800 116 117Poisoning or overdoseNational Poisons Information Centre, AIIMS New Delhi1098Child in distressChildline India, free and confidential

Where to read more

Public health sources written for patients rather than for doctors, and kept up to date.

Ministry of Health and Family WelfareOfficial Indian health programmes, advisories and public guidanceWorld Health Organization health topicsGlobal fact sheets written for the public, on hundreds of topicsNHS health A to ZPlain language pages on symptoms, conditions, tests and treatmentsMedlinePlusPatient information from the United States National Library of MedicineTele MANASIndia's national mental health support service, free and available all day

Important: Everything in Teleprac patient resources is general health education. It does not give you a diagnosis and it cannot replace examination by a qualified doctor, because it does not know your age, your reports, your pregnancy or the other medicines you take. Please do not start, stop or change any medicine on your own. Teleprac Healthcare is not liable for decisions made on the basis of this information. In an emergency, call your local emergency number or go to the nearest hospital immediately.