“How long does a fever last with a cough?”
My son is 8 years old and he has a fever with a cough. How long does a fever last with a cough?
2 Answers
Good Morning. The length of the fever depends on what is causing the fever. If the fever and cough are caused by an upper respiratory virus the fever should go away in 48 to 72 hours but the cough could last 10 to 14 days. If the fever and the cough are caused by an ear infection it will last until either the body fights off the ear infection or you get antibiotics from the doctor. The total length of fever can be 3 to 5 days. If fever and cough are caused by pneumonia the fever will not go away until pneumonia improves either on its own or with antibiotics so 3 to 5 days typically. Any fever lasting more than 5 days should be seen by a doctor because a prolonged fever can be a sign of a serious illness. If the child is lethargic or very irritable with decreased appetite and sleep or sleeping excessively they should be checked by the doctor whether they have a fever or not.
It depends on what the fever/cough is caused by. For viral pneumonia or bronchitis, I would expect the fever to last no longer than 5-7 days. If the fever is lasting longer than this, bacterial pneumonia may be present and the child should be checked out by a doctor as antibiotics may be needed.
