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Fever in adults for colds — the evidence
Fever is the body doing its job — most cold fevers in adults stay under 39 °C and pass in two to three days. Paracetamol or ibuprofen reduce the fever and the aches; they do not shorten the illness. The temperature alone is less important than how the person looks and breathes.
Was die Evidenz sagt
Verdict: Works. Fever is the body doing its job — most cold fevers in adults stay under 39 °C and pass in two to three days. Paracetamol or ibuprofen reduce the fever and the aches; they do not shorten the illness. The temperature alone is less important than how the person looks and breathes.
Was man wirklich tun soll
Treat the discomfort, not the number: if a fever of 38.5 °C feels tolerable, drink and rest; if 38 °C feels awful, take paracetamol or ibuprofen at the label dose. See a doctor when fever passes 39.5 °C and does not come down, lasts past three days, or comes with confusion, breathlessness, a stiff neck or a rash.
Source: NICE CKS — common cold · checked 2026-09-07
Selbsthilfe-Nachschlagewerk, keine medizinische Beratung. Kinder, ältere Erwachsene, Schwangerschaft und jeder mit einer Langzeiterkrankung sollten eine niedrigere Schwelle haben, eine Ärztin oder einen Arzt anzurufen. Schwere oder sich verschlechternde Symptome, Atemnot oder Verwirrtheit: holen Sie medizinische Hilfe.