Is 37.5°C considered a fever, and should antipyretics be taken?

If a patient's body temperature is 37.5℃, it is generally considered a fever. However, since this falls within the range of low-grade fever, medication to reduce fever may not be immediately necessary. Symptoms can often be relieved through daily self-care and physical cooling methods.

Fever refers to a pathological rise in body temperature, primarily caused by pyrogens triggering an upward adjustment of the set point in the body's thermoregulatory center, resulting in increased heat production while heat dissipation remains unchanged or decreases. Fevers are classified into categories including low-grade fever, moderate fever, high fever, and hyperpyrexia.

A temperature of 37.5℃ is typically considered abnormal, as normal body temperature ranges between 36.2℃ and 37.2℃. Although body temperature can be influenced by factors such as measurement site, time of day, season, and individual variation, a persistent temperature of 37.3℃ or higher is generally diagnosed as fever. Therefore, a temperature of 37.5℃ qualifies as a fever. Since low-grade fever is defined as a temperature between 37.3℃ and 38℃, 37.5℃ is categorized as a mild (low-grade) fever. Management of low-grade fever mainly involves lifestyle adjustments and physical cooling. Patients should drink plenty of warm water to effectively counteract fluid loss, maintain a light diet and avoid overeating, pay attention to weather changes and dress appropriately. Additionally, patients can use a warm towel to wipe areas such as the palms, forehead, and armpits to promote heat dissipation.

It should be noted that if the fever does not improve with these measures, and body temperature rises above 38.5℃, the patient should seek medical care and, under a doctor’s guidance, take medications such as acetaminophen tablets or ibuprofen tablets for treatment.