Unexplained low grade fever

Hi, I'm eighteen years old and last summer began getting persistent low grade fevers (around 99). I was training to become a lifeguard and first noticed it after our morning training sessions. It was an abnormally cold early summer (I live in Montana) and I thought that maybe my body was overracting to the combination of the cold, wet, and hard exercise. I was plagued with the fevers daily for about 11 weeks before they suddenly broke. During that time I visited with my local physican and had blood work done, which all came back normal. I am a healthy 18yr old; I exercise often and eat healthy. Now, though, I find myself coming down with these same level low grade fevers often, including anytime I am stressed, haven't gotten enough sleep for a few days, and oddly after swimming laps in a pool. The fevers are mostly just annoying and are easily treated with over-the-counter medication like ibuprofin, but I have been unable to find a reason or real pattern for them. They are usually accompanied by a slight headache and fatigue.

Also I suffer from exercise induced asthma and have slight seasonal allergies but these don't seem to be related to my fevers. I take medication for both.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the forum!
Anemia is the commonest cause for low grade fever. Stress, fatigue, poor sleep patterns too can cause this. Dehydration is a frequent cause of low grade fever with malaise. So drink plenty of fluids and see.
Recurrent or chronic fever is seen in tuberculosis, SLE, rheumatoid arthritis, Polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) and other auto immune disorders, UTI, drug fever, glandular fever, otitis media, IBS, HIV, STDs, endocarditis, parasitic infestations, fungal infections, lymphomas and other cancers etc. If you belong to the fairer sex, then even polycystic ovary, menopause, PID (pelvic inflammatory disease) should be investigated for.
Most labs have a fever panel to rule out most diseases that can cause persistent low grade fever.
Hope this helps. It is difficult to comment beyond this at this stage. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

[monique55]

Hi,

I have the same symptoms: low grade fever for several months during the academic semster and than nothing when it's over. it's really hard to study when i'm tired all the time. i always thought it was my chronic tonsillitis but the meds usually very helpful with it do not help at all. please help.