TempoLife › Recursos › Autocuidado para resfriados e gripe › fever-adults
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.
O que a evidência diz
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.
O que realmente fazer
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
Referência de autocuidado, não conselho médico. Crianças, adultos mais velhos, gravidez e quem tem uma condição de longa duração devem ter um limiar mais baixo para ligar a um clínico. Sintomas graves ou que pioram, dificuldade para respirar ou confusão: procure ajuda médica.