These Are The 3 Mistakes One Should Avoid When Dealing With Fever, According To A Doctor

Last Updated:January 03, 2026, 17:40 IST

Dr Navneet Arora aka The Fever Doc said, “If you are going to seek treatment, consult a qualified professional” when dealing with a fever.

This winter season, it might feel like everyone around you has been falling ill with the flu. The cold temperatures, the air pollution, and the hectic lifestyle of the festive season can cause you to fall sick.

A fever is one of the most common illnesses, and while it sometimes goes away on its own, it can also be a sign of something more serious. A fever occurs when the hypothalamus in your brain raises its temperature in response to infection, inflammation, or other stressors. Fever boosts immune activity, slows pathogen growth, and enhances white blood cell function, helping fight invaders.

On a recent episode of the Figuring Out podcast hosted by Raj Shamani, Dr Navneet Arora, an infectious disease specialist at Paras Hospital, Panchkula, popularly known as The Fever Doctor on social media, spoke about all things fever.

3 Mistakes To Avoid If You Have A Fever

Dr Navneet Arora shines a light on 3 common mistakes that can be pretty significant when a person has a fever. He went on to add that these errors can delay recovery or worsen symptoms that can lead to complications.

He shares the following:

• Self-medication is a major mistake that prevents addressing the root cause and delays treatment.
• Ignoring red flag signs or dismissing a fever that has persisted for more than three days is a mistake.
• Relying on advice from random, non-medical sources and self-treating based on that information is a serious mistake that can do more harm than good.

Dr Navneet Arora went on to emphasise the importance of seeking professional medical help when dealing with a fever. He warned that self-medicating or relying on help from the internet or other unqualified sources can not only delay proper diagnosis and treatment but also increase the risk of avoidable complications.  He added, “If you are going to seek treatment, consult a qualified professional. Otherwise, do not be afraid. You should not take a middle path – giving a couple of doses of this and then a dose of that, only to realise later that nothing is working. You should not do that. One principle should be: when you are not clear, stop; when you are clear, do not listen to anyone else.”