Where infections commonly start
Fever can be one of the first symptoms of an infection somewhere in your body. It's a sign that your immune system is trying to fight off the infection.
Where infections commonly start
A fever in itself is not usually dangerous, but the infection that causes it can be. It's very important to tell your medical team if you develop a fever so they can treat the infection that is causing it.
An infection can occur anywhere in your body. The most common places are:
- the mouth and throat
- the skin
- the lungs
- the kidneys and bladder, especially if you have a catheter to drain urine from your bladder
- where a drip or central line goes in (cannula sites and PICC line sites)
- wounds and where wound drains go in
- ulcerating tumours
- the bloostream
Other less common places are the:
- liver and abdomen
- gullet (oesophagus)
- vagina and anus
- brain and spinal cord
Treating an infection
Treatment depends on the type of infection you have. We have a section on treating fever and infection.
