Body temperature has long been recognized as a primary health indicator. It is a direct measure of the body's heat and can be a significant indicator of the health status of an individual. Measuring the temperature of a person is a common practice that physicians conduct to check for symptoms of illness. The normal temperature of the body may be a good indication that the patient does not undergo any condition, infection, or trauma and that the cells, tissues, and organs of the body are not under metabolic pressure. Although the average body temperature is significantly different from person to person. It is usual to have a higher than average body temperature after heavy physical exercise, or on a sunny day.
In this article, we are going to discuss this further and list some ways to easily check the body temperature.
The temperature of the human body is extremely unpredictable and may differ based on a variety of factors. If your body temperature is being tracked, be sure to check it at around the same time every day. Consistency is important because your temperature fluctuates hour after hour. Body temperature can vary from person to person. Several factors can influence a person's body temperature, such as gender, age, and environmental exposure. Women have higher body temperatures than men, particularly during the ovulation cycle. Elderly people may have a lower body temperature and relatively higher body temperature may occur in children. Exposure to cold or heat can increase or lower the body temperature of an individual as well. Many common factors that may affect body temperature include emotional states, stress, depression, metabolic disorders, obesity, and medication.
There are several other ways to check the temperature of the body, but in this writing, we are going to focus on the method of using thermometer devices:
- Oral
The oral method is by positioning the thermometer below the tongue. Place the thermometer under the tongue, just to the middle side. This approach is used for adults and children 4 and above who can keep a thermometer in their mouth. The most popular way of taking a temperature is oral or by mouth. The person has to be able to breathe through his or her nose for you to get an accurate result. If this is not possible, take the temperature with the rectum, ear, or armpit.
- Axillary
The axillary approach is where the thermometer is positioned at the armpit for young kids or adults whose oral temperature cannot be performed properly. This technique is not as accurate as of the oral or rectal procedure but can be used as a first brief check. Underarm temps are regarded as the least reliable since they are taken outside of the body rather than within. Such temperatures can be lower than the oral body temperature to as much as a full degree.
- Rectal
Rectal temperatures are known to be the most precise measure of the temperature of the body. The rectal technique is where the thermometer is gently placed into the rectum. This is mainly used in infants but can be considered in children up to age 3. In children older than 3 years, you can take rectal temperatures, although it can be tough to maintain them as still as they need to be. It is also often commonly used in unconscious patients with facial injuries, seriously ill, suspected of hypothermia or heat stroke. In patients with rectal trauma, rectal bleeding, recent rectal surgery, colostomy, hemorrhoids, or diarrhea, and patients taking anticoagulants, the rectal procedure is not recommended.
- Temporal Artery Thermometer
It is an accurate, compact, and lightweight device with a tilted infrared sensor at the end. It uses an infrared scanner to measure the temperature within the forehead of the temporal artery and captures heat over the temporal artery. When using an infrared thermometer, the digital reading will appear within 2 to 10 seconds on the scanning tip display window. It detects temperature variations better than axillary, oral, or rectal approaches and works best for patients 6 months and older.
- Tympanic Thermometer
Infrared light is used by Digital Ear Thermometer or Tympanic Thermometer to measure the temperature within the ear canal. They are fairly easy to use, but it's necessary to position them in the ear canal so make sure they get deep enough into the middle ear. Too much earwax will affect readings so make sure the ear is clean. Do not use this type of thermometer if the person complains of an earache, has inserted Eustachian tubes, or has injuries to the face or head.
- Digital Thermometer
A digital thermometer is a slim, compact plastic device with a window that shows the temperatures digitally. Digital electronic thermometers can be used to measure axillary, rectal, or oral temperatures. Any thermometer used to take rectal temperatures should not be used to measure oral or axillary temperatures. Despite rigorous cleaning procedures, the total eradication of the potential contamination remained impossible.
- Glass Thermometer
This type of thermometer is a delicate tubular structure with a thin inner mercury line that extends from the bulb to the tube end. The mercury inside the tube bulb responds to the temperature it detects and pushes up the tube a particular amount of mercury. When the thermometer is tilted, a solid mercury line may be visualized which ends next to the correlating temperature. Although mercury thermometers are no longer suggested for use due to the possible health risks of exposure to mercury when the thermometer drops, you can still see them being used.
Fever is one of the body's first responses to infection and is common in many other diseases. Monitoring your body temperature can help with early diagnosis. Some people may feel warm without a fever for many reasons, including hot weather, or stress, and anxiety. However, several others may often feel hot for no obvious cause, which may be a symptom of an underlying condition. We hope that these tips have been useful in terms of the value of checking body temperature.