What is the Cause of Unexplained Fever?

What Causes Unexplained Fever?

Unexplained fever can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'minor' to 'generally fatal'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.

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Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose unexplained fever, we could:

Research the topic
Find a doctor with the time
Use a diagnostic computer system.

The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "unexplained fever" as a symptom. Here are eight of many possibilities (more below):

Ulcerative Colitis
Polymyalgia Rheumatica
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Ovarian Cysts
Crohn's Disease
HIV/AIDS
Lupus (SLE)

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

flatulence

meal-induced pain for 1-4 weeks

orange stool color

candidiasis

lupus

low lymphocyte count

unusual vaginal bleeding

having had a few sexual partners

occasional unexplained vomiting

diarrhea for 1-3 months

history of painful menstrual cramps

loss of appetite

... and more than 110 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of unexplained fever:

Cause	Probability	Status
Ovarian Cysts	96%	Confirm
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma	26%	Unlikely
Ulcerative Colitis	15%	Unlikely
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis	3%	Ruled out
HIV/AIDS	1%	Ruled out
Crohn's Disease	1%	Ruled out
Lupus (SLE)	1%	Ruled out
Polymyalgia Rheumatica	1%	Ruled out

* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

In the Metabolic Symptoms section of the questionnaire, The Analyst™ will ask the following question about frequency of unexplained fevers:

How often do you get unexplained fevers?

Possible responses:

→ Never / rarely / don't know
→ Occasionally - one or two per year
→ Frequently - several/many per year

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate either occasional unexplained fevers or frequent unexplained fevers, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

Chronic / Hidden Infection

Crohn's Disease

Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)

HIV/AIDS

Hypothalamus / Pituitary / Pineal Dysfunction

Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

Leukemia

Fevers can occur due to associated bacterial, viral, or fungal infections.

Lupus, SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus)

A less common but more serious constitutional feature of SLE is persistent fever.

Malaria

Symptoms of malaria include fever and flu-like illness, including shaking chills, headache, muscle aches, and tiredness.