Many things can affect how your body responds to a symptom and what kind of care you may need. These include:

• Your age. Babies and older adults tend to get sicker quicker.
• Your overall health. If you have a condition such as diabetes, HIV, cancer, or heart disease, you may need to pay closer attention to certain symptoms and seek care sooner.
• Medicines you take. Certain medicines, such as blood thinners (anticoagulants), medicines that suppress the immune system like steroids or chemotherapy, herbal remedies, or supplements can cause symptoms or make them worse.
• Recent health events, such as surgery or injury. These kinds of events can cause symptoms afterwards or make them more serious.
• Your health habits and lifestyle, such as eating and exercise habits, smoking, alcohol or drug use, sexual history, and travel.

If you're not sure if a child's fever is high, moderate, or mild, think about these issues:

With a high fever:

• The child feels very hot.
• It is likely one of the highest fevers the child has ever had.

With a moderate fever:

• The child feels warm or hot.
• You are sure the child has a fever.

With a mild fever:

• The child may feel a little warm.
• You think the child might have a fever, but you're not sure.

Abnormal bleeding means any heavy or frequent bleeding or any bleeding that is not normal for you. Examples of abnormal bleeding include:

• Nosebleeds.
• Vaginal bleeding that is different (heavier, more frequent, at a different time of month) than what you are used to.
• Rectal bleeding and bloody stools.
• Bloody or pink urine.
• Gums that bleed easily when you eat or gently brush your teeth.

When you have abnormal bleeding in one area of your body, it's important to think about whether you have been bleeding anywhere else. This can be a symptom of a more serious health problem.

Certain health conditions and medicines weaken the immune system's ability to fight off infection and illness. Some examples in children are:

• Diseases such as diabetes, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, and congenital heart disease.
• Steroid medicines, which are used to treat a variety of conditions.
• Medicines taken after organ transplant.
• Chemotherapy and radiation therapy for cancer.
• Not having a spleen.

Symptoms of infection may include:

• Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness in or around the area.
• Red streaks leading from the area.
• Pus draining from the area.
• A fever.

Temperature varies a little depending on how you measure it. For children up to 11 years old, here are the ranges for high, moderate, and mild according to how you took the temperature.

Oral (by mouth), ear, or rectal temperature

• High: 104° F (40° C) and higher
• Moderate: 100.4° F (38° C) to 103.9° F (39.9° C)
• Mild: 100.3° F (37.9° C) and lower

A forehead (temporal) scanner is usually 0.5° F (0.3° C) to 1° F (0.6° C) lower than an oral temperature.

Armpit (axillary) temperature

• High: 103° F (39.5° C) and higher
• Moderate: 99.4° F (37.4° C) to 102.9° F (39.4° C)
• Mild: 99.3° F (37.3° C) and lower

Note: For children under 5 years old, rectal temperatures are the most accurate.

Symptoms of serious illness in a baby may include the following:

• The baby is limp and floppy like a rag doll.
• The baby doesn't respond at all to being held, touched, or talked to.
• The baby is hard to wake up.

Symptoms of serious illness may include:

• A severe headache.
• A stiff neck.
• Mental changes, such as feeling confused or much less alert.
• Extreme fatigue (to the point where it's hard for you to function).
• Shaking chills.

Sudden tiny red or purple spots or sudden bruising may be early symptoms of a serious illness or bleeding problem. There are two types.

Petechiae (say "puh-TEE-kee-eye"):

• Are tiny, flat red or purple spots in the skin or the lining of the mouth.
• Do not turn white when you press on them.
• Range from the size of a pinpoint to the size of a small pea and do not itch or cause pain.
• May spread over a large area of the body within a few hours.
• Are different than tiny, flat red spots or birthmarks that are present all the time.

Purpura (say "PURR-pyuh-ruh" or "PURR-puh-ruh"):

• Is sudden, severe bruising that occurs for no clear reason.
• May be in one area or all over.
• Is different than the bruising that happens after you bump into something.

Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) may include:

• The sudden appearance of raised, red areas (hives) all over the body.
• Rapid swelling of the throat, mouth, or tongue.
• Trouble breathing.
• Passing out (losing consciousness). Or you may feel very lightheaded or suddenly feel weak, confused, or restless.
• Severe belly pain, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

A severe reaction can be life-threatening. If you have had a bad allergic reaction to a substance before and are exposed to it again, treat any symptoms as an emergency. Even if the symptoms are mild at first, they may quickly become very severe.

A baby that is extremely sick:

• May be limp and floppy like a rag doll.
• May not respond at all to being held, touched, or talked to.
• May be hard to wake up.

A baby that is sick (but not extremely sick):

• May be sleepier than usual.
• May not eat or drink as much as usual.

Many prescription and nonprescription medicines can cause a rash. A few common examples are:

• Antibiotics.
• Aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), and naproxen (Aleve).
• Pain medicines, such as codeine.
• Seizure medicines.

Shock is a life-threatening condition that may occur quickly after a sudden illness or injury.

Babies and young children often have several symptoms of shock. These include:

• Passing out (losing consciousness).
• Being very sleepy or hard to wake up.
• Not responding when being touched or talked to.
• Breathing much faster than usual.
• Acting confused. The child may not know where he or she is.