How to Fake a Fever

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If you want to fake a fever to avoid something, make your face hot, red, and sweaty. You can also heat up a thermometer as “proof” that you have a fever. If you have a few additional symptoms, such as lethargy or a stuffy nose, chances are you won’t have to go to school, practice, and avoid that boring dinner party you don’t want to attend at all. .

NOTE: Usually, it’s better to be upfront about why you don’t want to do something than to risk getting into trouble.

Table of Contents

Increase the body temperature reading on the thermometer

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Quick treatment by turning on hot water to run on top of thermometer. If you want to show that you have a fever, you may need to fake your temperature. One way to do this is with hot water. You can put the thermometer tip under warm water and keep it until the temperature exceeds 38 degrees Celsius.

Note the phrase “quick processing”. This usually takes 2-3 minutes, up to 4 minutes. ^{[1] X Research Source}
Do not let the temperature exceed 39 degrees Celsius; if not, either you are found lying, or you are immediately sent to the hospital needlessly! The second possibility can happen if the temperature readings are still within a reliable range, and if the temperature exceeds 42 degrees Celsius, it is guaranteed that your disguise will be exposed.

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Shake the mercury thermometer to increase the temperature reading. Mercury thermometer readings may increase if you hold the tip of the thermometer and shake it. Be careful, because if you shake it too hard, the measurement will be unbelievably high and everyone will know that you are fake. Make sure not to shake it so hard that you even break the thermometer! ^{[2] X Research Source}

Mercury thermometers have a metal end and a glass end with numbers printed on it. Mercury will rise in the thermometer and indicate the measured temperature.
Hold the metal tip of the thermometer when shaking. Point the other end to the floor and shake until the reading on the thermometer rises.

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Increase the digital thermometer reading by rubbing the tip of the thermometer between your fingers. Hold the thermometer firmly in one hand, and hold the tip of the thermometer between your thumb and forefinger in the other hand, rubbing as fast as you can to increase the reading on the thermometer. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Electronic thermometers usually have a plastic case, with a metal end and a temperature display on the other end.

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Eat or drink something warm before taking your oral temperature. This is a great response if you know someone will be watching you take your temperature. Eat or drink hot things, such as soup or tea, right before someone comes to take your temperature. Hold some food or drink in your mouth for a few seconds before swallowing. You can wait for the person to come and then swallow quickly. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

You can even put some warm water under your tongue and place the thermometer tip in it while taking the temperature.
Don’t drink too hot water lest you burn your mouth. Remember that the water should be at a comfortable temperature and not sting your mouth.
If your parents trust you, you can read them the “shown” reading on the thermometer, as long as they can’t see it and the temperature doesn’t go too far above your actual body temperature.

Make the body heat up, face red and sweat

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Heat your forehead with a hot water bottle or hot pack. Apply a warm water bottle to your forehead for a few minutes until it feels warm to the touch. Another way is to use a hot pack on a low heat setting, but make sure you put a towel between the pack and your skin. Be careful not to burn! ^{[5] X Research Sources}

When someone comes in to see how you are and touches your forehead, they will feel warm and believe you have a fever.
Applying a hot water bottle to the forehead is a classic fever trick that has been used since ancient times and is very effective.

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Eat spicy foods to raise body temperature naturally. Spicy spices like chili or pepper can help raise your body temperature. If you have spicy food in the house, you often eat a little to raise your body temperature naturally. But don’t eat too much! Surely you don’t want to get really sick or suffer from spicy food! ^{[6] X Research Source}

If you accidentally eat something too spicy, drink some milk. Milk will help ease the burning sensation.
Another great option is to eat curry. You can choose a curry for lunch before you fake your symptoms.

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Exercise or cover yourself with a blanket to make your face flush. The easiest way to do this is to cover your head with a blanket for a few minutes. The reflected heat will make your face flush and raise the temperature on your forehead. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Another way is to do some exercise like jumping or running in place to make your face red. The reddish-pink skin color will help make the fever you create more realistic.

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Dab your skin with a wet washcloth or spray water on your face to fake perspiration. Turn on the warm water to run down the washcloth for a few minutes. Place the towel on your face when it is warm, leave it for a few minutes and then remove it. If you don’t use a towel, you can also use a water spray bottle to spray a thin layer of mist over your face. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Remember not to get your face wet – your goal is just to make your skin sweat and sweat.

Create more symptoms

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Call cold, not hot. People with fever often feel cold even though the skin temperature is still warm. If someone comes in to ask, remember to cover yourself with a blanket or put on a warm coat. Say you feel very cold and seem to have a fever. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Shiver a few times to make your performance more convincing. You don’t have to shake your whole body; just shaking the teeth will be more effective.

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Looks tired. If you have a fever, you can’t run around like when you’re healthy. You have to drag your legs when walking and act like you are exhausted. Example: ^{[10] X Research Sources}

When sitting, rest your head on your arms as if you can’t keep your head straight.
If standing, drop your shoulders and stoop forward. You can even lean over and pretend to stumble a bit.
Try looking down and half-closed your eyelids as if your eyes were too heavy to open.

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Pretend to be bored. Another symptom of fever is loss of appetite. If someone asks you if you want something to eat, don’t ask for hamburgers and fries! Say you just drink water, tea or juice. Whenever you’re left alone, take out snacks, and in front of everyone just eat simple things like toast or soup. ^{[11] X Research Source}

If you want to make a big impact, refuse even the foods you normally enjoy the most. That way people will believe that you are really “sick”.

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Sniff, sneeze, or cough to pretend you have a cold. Colds often have other symptoms that accompany a fever, so you can act up a few things like sniffling, coughing or sneezing. Throw some tissues around your bed or in your room to make them look real. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Eating spicy foods can also make your nose run.

Honestly if you get caught

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Admit that you’re faking when you’re screwed. If your parents catch you while heating up a thermometer or holding a hot water bottle to your forehead, admit you’re faking a fever. You might be tempted to deny what you’re doing, but if you’ve been caught “on the field” and you keep trying to deny it, things are more complicated. ^{[15] X Research Source}

You can simply say, “Yes, Mom is right. I’m just pretending to be sick.”

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Explain why you pretended to be sick. Your parents would probably be annoyed to see you take such extreme measures to avoid going to school or evading other obligations. Explain honestly why you don’t want to do something instead of continuing to make up another story. Share your feelings and don’t make excuses. ^{[16] X Research Source}

For example, you could say, “I had a history test today and I didn’t study for it. I pretended to be sick so I wouldn’t fail.”

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Sorry for lying. After you’ve explained, honestly admit your mistake for trying to fool your parents. Make it clear that you know what you did was wrong, and promise to be more honest in the future. Understand that it may be hard for your parents to trust you now because they just found out you lied. ^{[17] X Research Source}

For example, you could say, “I’m sorry for what I did. I know this is wrong and won’t do it again.”

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Accept the consequences. Your parents may ban you from going out, strip you of your privileges, or impose other penalties for lying. Instead of arguing or arguing with your parents, you should accept the consequences of lying and avoid repeating it. ^{[18] X Research Sources}

Don’t worry about getting fined. It’s not as terrible as the sky is about to fall. You can regain your parents’ trust by being honest, responsible, and helpful.

Advice

If you can’t convince your parents that you’re sick but haven’t confessed, “vomit” at school. As long as you fake the vomit or no one sees it (like you “vomited” in the toilet), the school will send you home. Continue pretending to be sick if necessary.
Speak in a low and hoarse voice to fake symptoms like cough, hoarseness, etc.
If you know how, you can try to burp, but don’t actually burp. Continue like this a few times to make your stomach hang. It’s annoying though, but if you’re not very good at acting this is a safe way without actually making you sick.
You can wear layers of clothes when you go to bed. The next morning you get up 10 minutes earlier than usual to take off your clothes and tell your parents that you “feel so hot and upset”!
Pretend to be asleep to look real, cover up with blankets and warm clothes.
Don’t say you’re vomiting if you don’t prepare fake vomit. There are many fake vomit recipes online, and your parents may want to check them out, as vomit can tell you what kind of illness you have. Remember that fake vomit must match the food you have eaten.
If you use the hot water trick, use the bathroom sink and flush the toilet to avoid suspicion.
Fake fever can get you in trouble, and the person being cheated on won’t trust you anymore. Often times people would rather do something they don’t like than pretend to be sick.
Put a shirt on the heater, then press it to the area of the skin about to take the temperature. For example, if you have an armpit temperature, clip your shirt to your armpit. Remember to keep the thermometer in direct contact with it.
Place a damp cloth over the heater for a moment, then place it on your forehead. When you have finished applying the towel to your forehead, continue to rub the towel on your face (to pretend to sweat). You may have to get up a little early, as this takes several minutes. When you wet the towel, remember to go to the bathroom and flush the toilet for a less revealing show!
If your parents gave you an armpit thermometer, hide a hot water bottle under a blanket and place the thermometer on top of the hot water bottle.

Warning

Don’t put onions in your armpits to raise your body temperature! It doesn’t do anything, and it makes you smell like onions.
Never take medicine to cure a disease you don’t have – you could get really sick from taking it!
Do not put the thermometer in the microwave. Not only will this not raise the temperature, but it will damage the thermometer, and possibly even the microwave.
Think twice about whether faking a fever is worth it. If you keep pretending to be sick on school days, you’ll drop your grades in school.
If you pretend to be sick in order to be absent from school, you must not leave the house and do other things. Activities like going to the cinema, the theater or going to a friend’s house increase your risk of getting into trouble.

Steps