Fever Tests Overview

Fever tests as the name suggests are used to diagnose several types of viral flu-like conditions such as malaria, dengue, chikungunia, and typhoid. Contrary to popular belief, fever is actually caused by the body’s immunogenic response to viral infections where the higher body temperature is used to reduce the spread of the infection inside the body. Though fever is your body’s immune response, it causes significant discomfort and other associated medical symptoms that make going through a fever very uncomfortable for patients. Going through a fever test can often help doctors identify the type of viral infection the body is affected by and offer adequate treatment options to treat the underlying infection.

Why Are Fever Tests Prescribed?

Fever tests are prescribed based on symptoms presented by patients. These tests are generally not used as a screening test without due cause. Most these tests are blood tests for fever and they test for the presence of viruses in the blood or antibodies of certain viral infections. Based on the results of the test, doctors recommend a treatment plan that helps eliminate the infection and treat the flu symptoms. Here are some of the symptoms that can warrant doctors to prescribe fever tests.

• High body temperature
• Profuse sweating
• Fatigue and weakness
• Muscle pain
• Shivering and chills
• Dehydration
• Lack of appetite

How Are Fever Tests Performed?

Blood tests for fever are performed as a normal blood test. The procedure involves putting antiseptic liquid on the forearm veins of the patient and drawing blood using a sterlised syringe, which is stored in an air tight vial and sent for testing. The blood sample can be drawn anywhere and patients are not required to follow any prerequisites before the blood test. Blood tests for fever are used to diagnose several conditions such as dengue, malaria, typhoid, and chikungunya.

There are also RT PCR tests that can be performed as a part of fever tests. These tests are performed by inserting a swab into the nasal cavity of the patient to get cell samples. The sample is then sent for testing to find DNA or RNA remnants of the virus to check for the presence of active viral infections in the body. RT PCR tests are commonly used to diagnose COVID-19.

Home Sample Collection

At Aster Labs we offer home sample collection for fever test online to ensure patients are able to get the necessary medical diagnosis at times of need. Our experts are available for fever test at home at predefined hours and help you go through the sample collection process as easily as possible. We take great care to ensure there’s minimal pain and discomfort to our patients during the sample collection process thanks to our experienced lab technicians.

How To Prepare For Fever Tests?

Fever test at home or at our centres do not require any special prerequisite from patients in most cases. In case patients are required to fast before any blood test, the same is informed to patients at the time of booking the test both online and offline.

What Do Fever Test Results Mean?

Fever test results are expressed as either positive or negative. Based on the test results, doctors are able to identify the type of viral infection that’s causing the symptoms in patients. This helps in formulating a treatment plan that’s able to treat the symptoms and help the patient beat the infection and get better.