Top 11 Viral Fever Signs & Symptoms You Should Know

The term ‘viral fever’ refers to a group of infections caused by viruses that adversely impact the body and are characterised by symptoms such as a high temperature, burning sensation in the eyes, headaches, muscle pain, and occasionally nausea and vomiting.

Children and elderly people tend to get viral fever more frequently because of their weak immunity than the rest of the population. A viral infection is the root cause of fever, which is a symptom rather than an actual illness. The intestines, lungs, air routes, and other internal organs are just a few of the places where a viral infection can develop.

Normally, a high temperature indicates that the body’s immune system is actively fighting and ‘burning off’ foreign pathogens. When individuals experience an intermittent high temperature, they tend to self-medicate, and occasionally, they may use antibiotics, which is not a good idea.

Viruses cannot be killed by antibiotics because antibiotics kill only the harmful bacteria. If taken excessively, antibiotics can harm the lining of your stomach, kill good bacteria from your gut, increase acidity, and harm the kidneys and liver.

By coming into contact with the body fluids of someone who is infected, a person may catch a viral fever. Tiny droplets of bodily fluids are released from the infected person’s body when they cough, sneeze, yawn, and even when they speak, and if you’re nearby, you may inhale these tiny droplets and get infected.

It can take a virus between 16 and 48 hours after it enters your body to develop into a severe infection, with a fever as a major symptom. You could immediately develop a high fever, shivering, headaches, muscle pain, and severe fatigue. Some serious types of viral fever that cause haemorrhage are transmitted by mosquitoes, tick bites, or contact with an infected person’s blood or sperm.

Common Viral Fever Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of viral fever include:

• Pain in joints and muscles
• Headaches
• Tiredness
• Throat discomfort
• Nasal congestion/runny nose
• A rise in body temperature
• Dehydration
• Regular shivers
• Redness of the eyes
• Rashes on the skin
• Loss of appetite

The signs of a viral fever usually go away within 3 to 4 days, but if they last longer or get worse, you should always consult a doctor.

Symptoms Based on Different Types of Viral Fever

• Respiratory Viral Fever

Respiratory viral fever is caused by respiratory infections, which result from the respiratory viruses. Direct virus transmission occurs when particles spread in the air through coughing or sneezing are inhaled, and indirect transmission occurs when contaminated objects such as handkerchiefs come in touch with the nostrils or the eyes.

Several viruses in the respiratory system can affect the upper and lower respiratory tracts and can lead to problems in the vocal cords. The influenza virus, also called the ‘flu’, is among the most prevalent respiratory infections. The influenza virus can cause severe lung infections, including pneumonia, by affecting the lungs, throat, and nose. Rhinovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, parainfluenza, and adenovirus are a few other prevalent forms of respiratory viruses.

Respiratory Viral Fever Symptoms

Fever in combination with one or more symptoms of a cold, such as shivers, headache, body pain, weakness, and lack of appetite can be a typical indication of common viral respiratory diseases. Complications like tonsillitis, bronchitis, laryngitis and pneumonia can result from viral infections of the respiratory system.

• Viral gastroenteritis

Viral gastroenteritis is a gastrointestinal condition that results in symptoms such as watery diarrhoea, pain in the abdomen, vomiting or nausea, and, in some instances, a fever. You can easily get infected with viral gastroenteritis (also referred to as stomach flu) if you come in contact with an individual who is infected with the flu or consume contaminated water or food. However, viral gastroenteritis can be fatal in infants, elderly people, and individuals with weak immune systems. Because there is no effective therapy for viral gastroenteritis, prevention is essential. Avoiding contaminated beverages and food and sanitizing your hands regularly and thoroughly are some preventive measures.

Viral gastroenteritis symptoms

Although frequently referred to as stomach flu, gastroenteritis is not the same as flu (influenza). The flu only affects the respiratory tract, including your lungs, throat, and nose. Gastroenteritis, on the contrary, affects the gastrointestinal tract and causes symptoms such as:

• Watery diarrhoea, typically diarrhoea that is non-bloody
• Pain and discomfort in the stomach
• Occasionally experiencing muscle aches and migraines
• Fever of a low intensity
• Vomiting and nausea

Viral gastroenteritis symptoms can vary in severity from mild to severe and may develop 1 to 3 days after you get infected, depending on the source of the infection. The average duration of symptoms is 1 to 2 days, but they can last up to 14 days. Because the symptoms are identical, it is easy to misunderstand viral diarrhoea for diarrhoea caused by parasites or bacteria, such as giardia, salmonella, and Clostridioides difficile.

• Exanthematous viral fever

An exanthem is a skin lesion (rash) caused by an infection from specific viruses. The rash typically appears simultaneously with or shortly after the development of other symptoms like viral fever throat pain, headache, fatigue or pain in your muscles. All of these symptoms may be a response from the immune system or a reaction to the chemicals in the virus. Numerous viruses, including enteroviruses, adenoviruses, rubella, measles, chickenpox, and specific herpes (HSV) infections, could trigger viral exanthems. Exanthems that spread through viruses can present a wide range of appearance. Most result in the larger areas of the body having pink or red lesions on the skin. Most of them don’t cause discomfort, but some can develop blisters and cause itching.

Exanthematous viral fever symptoms

Viral exanthem can spread to any region of your body. The most prevalent is your face and torso. The symptoms of rash can differ from one person to another. They include:

• Large areas of your body get covered in red or pink patches
• Itchiness; however, not every single viral exanthem lesions is itchy
• Blisters on the skin

If your rash is sensitive, scratching yourself repeatedly can worsen it. This can result in a scar and wound, which can give rise to skin infections. The rashes can typically last from several days to weeks, depending on the virus that has caused it. All of the additional symptoms that these types of viruses can produce will probably coexist with your rashes.

They include:

• Fever
• Fatigue
• Pain in the body, mainly headaches
• A decrease in the appetite
• A runny nose
• A sore throat
• Haemorrhagic viral fever

The term viral haemorrhagic fever (VHF) refers to a group of disorders caused by various virus species. Viral haemorrhagic fever describes a condition that inhibits the body’s ability to operate independently and damages several organ systems such as the cardiovascular system. Bleeding or haemorrhaging is a common symptom of this kind of disease. While some VHFs only cause mild sickness, others can lead to serious, life-threatening conditions.

There is currently no identified treatment or vaccine for the majority of VHFs. Dengue, Ebola virus, and yellow fever are a few viral fevers that are categorised under this group.

Haemorrhagic Viral Fever Symptoms

Different diseases (for example, dengue or Ebola) have different symptoms. There’s a chance that each person’s symptoms will vary significantly. Common signs are as follows:

• Fever
• Fatigue
• Feeling dizzy
• Muscular pain
• Weakness
• Fatigue

People with serious conditions often exhibit bleeding symptoms. Blood could start to flow from parts of the body like the mouth, ear, or eyes, as well as from internal organs that are beneath the skin.