7 Causes of Persistant Low Grade Fever

What does a low-grade fever mean? If you have a cold, or more commonly the flu, you may have a fever as well, but not all are the same. Fevers are defined as any body temperature above 98.6° F (37° C). Some people may talk about a low-grade fever versus a regular fever or a high-grade fever. These terms are not universally defined, but it is important to monitor the degree of your fever in the context of your cold or flu and take appropriate action to treat.


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Symptoms

Depending on what's causing your fever, additional fever signs and symptoms may include:

• Sweating
• Chills and shivering
• Headache
• Loss of appetite
• Irritability
• General weakness

A Regular Fever vs. a Low-Grade Fever (LGF)

You can monitor your fever by simply taking your temperature. A low-grade fever is often classified as an oral temperature that is above 98.6° F (37° C) but lower than 100.4° F (38° C) for a period of 24 hours. Fevers, though uncomfortable, play a key role in helping your body fight off many infections.

What causes low-grade fever?

Fevers often accompany infections. Body temperature can be elevated by physical activity and environmental factors, such as wearing heavy clothing or a high ambient temperature.
Infectious causes of low-grade fever:

• Bacterial infection, such as Strep throat or scarlet fever
• Cellulitis (skin infection)
• Childhood diseases, such as chickenpox, fifth disease, measles, mumps, whooping cough
• Cold, flu, or other viral infections
• Ear infection
• HIV or AIDS
• Lung infections, such as bronchitis, pneumonia, and tuberculosis
• Mononucleosis
• Sinus infection
• Urinary tract infections