What’s causing my high temperature?

Symptoms:

You’ve got a high temperature (over 38°C), you’re shivery, you’ve got aches and pains all around your body, particularly in your back, a headache and a sore throat.

You have a very high temperature, nearly 39°C, a severe headache, your urine is brown, the whites of your eyes are turning yellow. You were recently in Nairobi, Kenya.

You have a fever mostly at night, rising to around 39°C but normal during the day, you’re short of breath and get palpitations. You have some lumps in your armpit.

It could be:

Flu, caused by the flu virus. Your body increases its temperature in order to kill off the virus. The fever may last 3-4 days but your cough symptoms may go on for more than 10 days.

Malaria, caused by the parasite plasmodium and carried by mosquitoes. Parts of Kenya including Nairobi are considered malaria areas where you must take tablets to prevent the disease.

Hodgkin’s lymphoma,

a cancer of the lymphatic system (glands, liver, spleen) which is making you anaemic as it can affect your blood forming organs.

Stop it:

Rest, stay in bed, take an antipyretic such as paracetamol or ibuprofen for your pain. When your fever drops you can go back to work. Consider having a flu jab.

This is an emergency. Call an ambulance immediately. Don’t eat or drink.

See your doctor as soon as possible to get a referral to see a specialist. Treatments for this cancer are often successful and the outlook is pretty good.