Fever, chills and body aches usually mean your body is fighting an infection, most often a virus like the flu or COVID-19. Many cases improve with rest and fluids. Get seen the same day if the fever lasts more than 3 days, comes back after improving, reaches 103°F or higher, or you have a higher-risk condition. Go to the ER or call 911 for trouble breathing, confusion, a stiff neck with severe headache, chest pain, or a fever with a rash that is spreading or looks like bruising.
Not sure which group you fall into? Walk into Sahara West Urgent Care at 6125 W Sahara Ave, Suite 1B, Las Vegas, NV 89146. We are open Monday to Friday 9 AM to 8 PM and Saturday 9 AM to 3 PM. No appointment is needed. Prefer to talk first? Call (702) 248-0554.
Quick Guide: What Should You Do?
| Your situation | Best next step |
|---|---|
| Fever under 102°F, mild aches, you can drink fluids, and you feel a little better each day | Rest, fluids and home care. Check in with a provider if nothing improves in 3 days. |
| Sudden fever, chills and body aches in the first 48 hours | Walk-in urgent care today. Flu treatment works best when started early. |
| Fever for more than 3 days, a fever that returned, or 103°F or higher | Walk-in urgent care today |
| Fever with burning urination, back or side pain, a painful skin area, or severe vomiting | Walk-in urgent care today |
| You are 65+, pregnant, or have asthma, COPD, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease or a weakened immune system | Don’t wait. Be seen early. |
| Confusion, trouble breathing, stiff neck, spreading rash, fainting, or a baby under 3 months with a fever | ER or 911 |
Feeling sick right now? Walk in today or call (702) 248-0554 to ask whether you should come in.
Why Do Fever, Chills and Body Aches Happen Together?
When your immune system detects an infection, it raises your body’s temperature set point. Your body feels cold compared with that new target, so your muscles tighten and relax rapidly to generate heat. That is a chill. The shivering and the inflammatory chemicals your immune cells release also make your muscles and joints ache.
That is why these three symptoms so often arrive as a package. They are a sign your immune system is active. They don’t tell you how serious the cause is. The pattern, the timing and your health history do.
What Counts as a Fever?
For adults and most children, a fever starts at 100.4°F (38°C). Use these tips for an accurate reading:
- Wait 20 to 30 minutes after hot drinks, exercise or a hot shower.
- Use the same thermometer each time so readings are comparable.
- Write down the temperature, the time and any medicine you took.
A note on chills: you can have chills without a measured fever, especially early in an illness, and some people with infections never run a high fever. Don’t ignore how sick you feel because the thermometer looks normal.
Common Causes of Fever, Chills and Body Aches
| Cause | Clues that point to it |
|---|---|
| Flu (influenza) | Sudden start, high fever, strong body aches, headache, fatigue, dry cough |
| COVID-19 | Can look like a cold or the flu. Loss of taste or smell may occur. Testing is the only way to tell. |
| Mononucleosis | Heavy fatigue, sore throat, swollen glands, fever lasting more than a week |
| Strep throat | Severe sore throat, swollen tonsils, tender neck glands, often no cough |
| Urinary tract or kidney infection | Burning or frequent urination, lower belly pain, back or side pain, shaking chills |
| Pneumonia | Fever with a productive cough, shortness of breath or chest pain |
| Skin infection (cellulitis) | A red, warm, swollen, painful patch of skin that spreads |
| Stomach infections | Vomiting, diarrhea, cramping, dehydration |
| Heat illness and dehydration | Hot weather, heavy sweating, dizziness, dark urine. A high body temperature here is not a true fever. |
| Travel-related infections | Fever after recent travel, including to areas where malaria or dengue occur |
Notice that several of these have no cough or runny nose. If your fever, chills and aches came with urinary symptoms, belly pain or a painful skin area, the cause may not be a respiratory virus at all. Our guide to cough, fever, congestion and sore throat covers the respiratory side in more detail.
When Is It Time to See a Doctor?
Get seen the same day if:
- Your fever lasts more than 3 days, or a fever goes away and then returns
- Your temperature reaches 103°F (39.4°C) or higher, or it does not come down with fever reducers
- You have shaking chills that are intense or keep coming back
- Your body aches are severe, or you have severe pain in one spot
- You have burning with urination, flank or back pain, or a skin area that is red, hot and spreading
- You cannot keep fluids down, or you are urinating much less than usual
- You started to feel better and then got worse
- You have a higher-risk condition (see below)
- You returned from travel and developed a fever
Don’t wait if you are higher risk
Fever with chills and aches deserves earlier attention if you are:
- 65 or older
- Pregnant or recently postpartum
- Living with asthma, COPD, diabetes, heart disease or kidney disease
- Taking medicines that weaken the immune system, or receiving cancer treatment (call your care team right away for any fever)
Timing matters for the flu
Flu antiviral medicine works best when started within about 48 hours of the first symptoms. It can still help some higher-risk patients later. If your fever, chills and body aches hit suddenly and hard, don’t wait it out. A provider can evaluate you, decide whether flu or COVID-19 testing makes sense, and tell you whether treatment is appropriate.
When Is It an Emergency? Go to the ER or Call 911
Urgent care is for illness that needs attention today but isn’t life-threatening. Go to the nearest emergency room or call 911 for:
- Trouble breathing, or trouble speaking in full sentences
- Chest pain or pressure
- Confusion, extreme drowsiness, or trouble waking up
- Stiff neck with severe headache or sensitivity to light
- A fever with a rash that is spreading, looks like bruising, or appears with other severe symptoms
- Fainting, or a very fast heartbeat with severe weakness
- A seizure
- Blue or gray lips or face
- Severe or persistent vomiting, or signs of severe dehydration
- Flu-like symptoms that improved and then returned with a high fever and worse cough
- Signs of sepsis (see the next section)
- A baby under 3 months with a fever of 100.4°F or higher
Sepsis: The Warning Sign Behind “I Feel Terrible”
Sepsis is the body’s extreme, dangerous response to an infection. It is rare, but it is an emergency. Be alert if a fever or infection comes with:
- Shivering or feeling very cold, or a fever
- Confusion or unusual sleepiness
- A fast heartbeat or fast breathing
- Clammy, pale or mottled skin
- Extreme pain, or a feeling that something is seriously wrong
Sepsis can follow urinary, lung, skin or abdominal infections. If you suspect it, call 911 or go to the ER immediately.
Fever, Chills and Body Aches in Children, Infants and Older Adults
Infants under 3 months. Any fever of 100.4°F or higher needs immediate medical attention, at the ER or through your pediatrician right away.
Babies and children. Call your pediatrician or come in if the fever lasts more than a couple of days, if your child is not drinking, is unusually sleepy, has trouble breathing, or has a rash. Don’t give aspirin to children or teens. Ask a provider before giving any medicine to infants or young children.
Older adults. Seniors may have a lower fever or none at all with a serious infection. New confusion, weakness, falls or loss of appetite can be the main warning signs, so low-grade symptoms in an older adult deserve a closer look.
What to Do at Home While You Decide
For mild illness without red flags:
- Rest. Your body needs energy to fight infection.
- Drink fluids. Water, broth, electrolyte drinks and warm tea help prevent dehydration. This matters even more in Las Vegas heat, when fever and sweating deplete you faster.
- Treat discomfort, not the number. Acetaminophen or ibuprofen can ease fever and aches. Follow the label, and don’t double up on acetaminophen hidden in cold and flu products.
- Dress lightly. Piling on blankets to fight chills can push your temperature higher. A light layer and a comfortable room are better.
- Use a lukewarm cloth, not cold water or alcohol rubs.
- Track your symptoms. Note your temperature, medicines and how you feel so you can tell a provider.
Antibiotics don’t work on viruses like the flu or COVID-19, so don’t ask for them unless a provider diagnoses a bacterial infection.
What to Expect at Sahara West Urgent Care
Our urgent care in Las Vegas is built for same-day evaluation of acute illness:
- Check-in and vitals. We check your temperature, heart rate and oxygen level, and ask about your symptoms and health history.
- Exam. A provider examines you and asks when symptoms started, what you’ve taken, and about travel and sick contacts.
- Testing when it helps. Depending on your symptoms, this may include point-of-care testing or lab work. If your provider suspects pneumonia, X-ray services are available Tuesdays and Thursdays, with walk-ins welcome.
- A clear plan. You leave with a diagnosis or next steps, prescriptions if appropriate, home-care guidance, and a plan for work or school.
If something looks more serious than urgent care can handle, we will tell you right away and direct you to the ER. For a full walkthrough, see what happens during an urgent care visit.
Cost and coverage: We accept most major insurance plans (see our insurance page) and offer a $95 self-pay visit fee for eligible services. Our monthly membership can waive that fee, and eligible patients can explore payment options through Cherry and CareCredit. Call (702) 248-0554 to confirm pricing.
What Should You Tell the Provider?
Having these details ready makes your visit faster and more accurate:
- When the symptoms started, and how fast they came on
- Your highest temperature and how you measured it
- Any cough, sore throat, urinary symptoms, rash, vomiting or diarrhea
- Medicines, including fever reducers, and the times you took them
- Chronic conditions, pregnancy, allergies and recent surgery
- Recent travel, sick contacts or exposure to someone with the flu, COVID-19 or strep
When Can You Go Back to Work or School?
CDC guidance for flu and COVID-19 is to return when your symptoms are improving overall and you have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without fever-reducing medicine. Take extra precautions for several more days: wash your hands, cover coughs, and consider a mask around others. For strep or other bacterial infections, your provider will tell you when it is safe to return. We can provide a note for work or school when appropriate.
Sick in Las Vegas? Local Factors That Can Add Up
Las Vegas has a few conditions that can make a fever feel worse or hide a second problem:
- Heat and dry air speed up dehydration, which worsens aches, dizziness and headaches.
- Conventions, flights and crowded venues make respiratory viruses easy to catch and spread.
- Visitors may mistake a viral illness for heat exhaustion, or the reverse. A provider can sort that out. See our post on dehydration and heat in Las Vegas.
If you are visiting, our guide to walk-in clinics for visitors explains what to bring. Our clinic serves patients from Summerlin, Spring Valley, Winchester, Paradise, Enterprise, Henderson, North Las Vegas and the Strip.
How to Lower Your Risk
- Ask a provider about flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccines if you are eligible.
- Wash your hands often, and stay home when sick.
- Keep chronic conditions under control with a regular provider. Our primary care team offers same-day and ongoing care.
FAQs
When should I worry about a fever with chills and body aches?
Worry if the fever lasts more than 3 days, reaches 103°F or higher, returns after improving, or comes with confusion, trouble breathing, a stiff neck, a spreading rash or severe pain. Higher-risk people, including adults over 65, pregnant women and people with chronic conditions, should be seen earlier.
Should I go to urgent care or the ER for fever, chills and body aches?
Urgent care is the right choice for stable, non-life-threatening illness. Go to the ER for trouble breathing, chest pain, confusion, a stiff neck, fainting, a rash with fever, signs of sepsis, or a fever of 100.4°F or higher in a baby under 3 months.
Is it the flu or COVID-19?
They overlap heavily. Both can bring fever, chills, body aches and fatigue. Only testing can tell them apart, and it matters most when you are at higher risk or when treatment timing is a concern.
How long do fever, chills and body aches last?
With a typical viral illness, fever often lasts 2 to 4 days, and fatigue and cough can linger longer. A fever that lasts more than 3 days, or that returns, should be evaluated.
Can you have chills without a fever?
Yes. Chills can come before a fever starts, or happen with mild infections, anemia, thyroid problems, anxiety or exposure to cold. Chills that are frequent, severe or unexplained deserve a medical evaluation.
Why do I ache all over when I have a fever?
The immune response releases inflammatory chemicals that make muscles and joints sore, and shivering from chills tires the muscles as well. Body aches with fever are very common with flu and other viral infections.
What temperature is too high for an adult?
A fever starts at 100.4°F. Get care if it reaches 103°F or higher, lasts more than 3 days, or does not respond to fever reducers. Go to the ER if a fever comes with confusion, a stiff neck, a seizure or trouble breathing.
Can I take ibuprofen or acetaminophen for a fever?
Many adults can, following the label directions. Check with a provider if you have liver, kidney or stomach problems, take blood thinners or are pregnant. Don’t give aspirin to children or teens.
Can urgent care test for flu, COVID-19 or strep?
Sahara West can screen for conditions like strep and flu, and our providers also care for COVID-19, RSV and other infections. Call (702) 248-0554 to ask about testing availability.
Do I need an appointment at Sahara West Urgent Care?
No. Walk-ins are welcome Monday to Friday 9 AM to 8 PM and Saturday 9 AM to 3 PM. You can also book an appointment or call ahead.
What if I don’t have insurance?
You can still be seen. We offer a $95 self-pay visit fee for eligible services, which our monthly membership can waive. Eligible patients can also explore Cherry and CareCredit payment options.
Feeling Sick? Get Answers Today
Fever, chills and body aches can be a simple virus or the first sign of something that needs treatment. You don’t have to guess. Walk in to Sahara West Urgent Care & Wellness and meet our care team.
- Address: 6125 W Sahara Ave, Suite 1B, Las Vegas, NV 89146
- Hours: Mon to Fri 9 AM to 8 PM | Sat 9 AM to 3 PM
- Phone: (702) 248-0554
- Book an appointment or contact us
This article is for general information and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911.
