Body temperature changes under the influence of various factors. It depends on the time of day, exposure to external stimuli and age. An increase or decrease in temperature affects the general condition of the body. Viruses, hypothermia, stress and many other events are the causes of body temperature, that is, its deviation from the norm.
Symptoms
Hypothermia is a drop in body temperature below 35°C. It is divided into moderate and severe. Temperatures below 32°C are considered moderate.
At this temperature common:
- feeling sleepy;
- apathy;
- trembling;
- retardation;
- sluggishness;
- dizziness;
- Irregular heart rhythm.
At home, bed rest and plenty of warm fluids can help. It is imperative to contact a cardiologist to prevent serious consequences. A full examination is desirable, as the reasons may be different.
Fever below 32°C is severe. Under such conditions, the body cannot fully function, organs fail, it is possiblefatal outcome. An ambulance should be called immediately. A deviation of 1-1.5 degrees below normal gives a reason to go to the doctor.
Above normal body temperature is classified as elevated and high.
Increased can be:
- subfebrile (37°C- 38°C);
- febrile (38°C-39°C).
Fever Symptoms:
- general malaise;
- chill slightly;
- headache;
- loss of appetite;
- palpitations;
- pain in limbs and muscles.
Protracted subfebrile body temperature indicates a sluggish inflammatory process.
Observed at:
- cold;
- pneumonia;
- tuberculosis;
- tonsillitis;
- psoriasis;
- tife;
- also indicates the presence of parasites.
Fever can be caused by:
- viral infections;
- allergic;
- inflammatory processes;
- violation of the circulatory system;
- cardiovascular disease.
High:
- pyretic (39°C- 41°C);
- hyperperitic (above 41°C).
Fever symptoms:
- fever;
- chill;
- increased heart rate;
- heavy sweating;
- dehydration;
- nonsense;
- joint and muscle pain.
Temperature in babies
Children often get sick, and manydiseases are accompanied by increased body temperature, as the body fights infection. Mothers with any, even mild deviations in the behavior of their children, begin to panic. In fact, this is wrong, because in newborns the body is just being formed. In the first month, the temperature will be from 37 to 37.5 degrees, and this is considered quite normal. Gradually, the temperature will drop to our usual levels, but this will happen throughout the year.
There are three ways to measure the temperature in children:
- In the armpits, it will be 36°C-37.3°C.
- In the mouth under the tongue - 36.6°C-37.2°C.
- In the intestine - 36.9°C-38°C.
Here you also need to understand that the measurements are taken in a stationary state of the child, and 38 ° C is considered the norm if there are no obvious signs of malaise.
In general, in order to understand what body temperature of a child will be normal for him, you need to measure it for a couple of days and keep a special diary, because babies are very easily influenced from the outside. You can wrap it too tightly and overheat.
Correct measurement
If the thermometer is mercury, then measurements are taken in the armpit. The thermometer should be held so that it does not fall, since mercury is very dangerous. Measurements take 5-7 minutes.
The electronic thermometer is easier to use and can more accurately measure body temperature within just 3 minutes. But here, too, not everything is so simple, in the armpits it will show with an error of onedegree, but in the intestines or under the tongue it shows more accurately. Moreover, 1 minute is enough in the mouth. There are also thermometers-pacifiers or indicators. The indicator is applied to the baby's forehead, and the pacifier is simply placed in the mouth.
Indicators in an adult
When determining body temperature in an adult, consider:
- Age group the patient belongs to.
- His gender.
- Measuring methods used.
- Features of daily and seasonal biorhythms.
- The patient's ongoing physical or mental stress.
A baby has the highest normal armpit temperature, it can reach up to 36.8°C. The temperature of adults returns to this figure and will remain so until the age of 65. After that, it will drop to 36.3°C. In addition, the female body is usually half a degree warmer than the male. It is equally important to take into account the way in which the temperature is measured. An armpit thermometer will give half a degree less than it does, but in the mouth, and in the ears, vagina and anus it will be one degree more. For a he althy body, temperature fluctuations per day are considered the norm. So, the temperature will be higher in the morning than in the evening.
How to measure correctly?
Thermoregulation of the body is an important process of the whole organism. Interestingly, the range of normal human temperature ranges from 36.0°C to 37.2°C. It is important to understand your optimal temperature, as its deviation may indicate a disease. That is why it is necessary to learn how to use the thermometer correctly.
Here are some principles of measuring with a thermometer:
- Measurements of body temperature should be made in a room where the room temperature varies from 17 to 25 degrees Celsius.
- Before inserting the thermometer into the armpit, blot it with a dry cloth, otherwise the evaporation of sweat will have a cooling effect and the temperature will be lower than it actually is.
- Before inserting the thermometer, shake off the mercury to 35.5°C.
- Make sure that the end of the thermometer and the skin of the armpits are firmly in contact.
- Approximately half an hour before the measurement should be spent in a calm and relaxed state. In the same position, you need to sit all the time while the temperature is measured.
- For an accurate result, keep it for 7 to 10 minutes.
As a result, the more accurately all measurement requirements are met, the higher the probability of finding the correct temperature.
Normal body temperature
In a he althy person, the average temperature is 37°C. Although it can change, a he althy body can keep the temperature within 37 degrees for a long time.
Fever is a symptom, not a disease. The temperature rises to effectively fight infections. The temperature range of the human body depends on the rate at which metabolism proceeds. The faster it flows, the greater the value of the norm, the slowerthe smaller it will be.
Other factors that affect the results of temperature measurements:
- time of day;
- body part;
- season.
The temperature value will be lower in the morning, as the body rested during sleep, and in the evening it will increase due to physical exertion and eating. In addition, each part of the body has its own temperature characteristics. The oral cavity - one of the most convenient parts of the body for measuring temperature - has an indicator of 37 ° C. This is considered the generally accepted temperature norm and standard. Armpit temperature is the longest and most inaccurate measurement, the norm here is 36.4 ° C. When measured rectally, the temperature should be 37.6°C.
Mercury thermometer
The mercury in the thermometer expands as the temperature rises and moves along the glass rod until it reaches the mark corresponding to the temperature of the human body. This thermometer is the most accurate.
Pros:
- high precision temperature measurement;
- inexpensive;
- easy to use;
- durable.
Cons:
- fragile;
- hazard of mercury vapor;
- long temperature measurement.
Electronic thermometer
Has a metal tip in the design, which changes its conductivity of electricity depending on the temperature of the human body. Measurements are recorded on the electronic scoreboard.
Pros:
- accuracy of human body temperature measurements;
- quick result;
- easy to use;
- safe;
- cheap;
- additional features.
Cons:
battery powered
Infrared thermometer
The design has a sensor that captures radiation from the human body, and then converts the data into numbers on the display.
Pros:
- quick result within 1-3 seconds;
- safe;
- big screen.
Cons:
- dear;
- small error;
- addicted to batteries.
Means for raising the temperature
There are many ways to raise your body temperature. To do this artificially means to bring harm to he alth, albeit insignificant. Here are some methods to help raise the temperature:
- Use iodine. This method involves the use of the solution with food. For example, moisten a piece of pie with it.
- Eat a pencil. You need to sharpen it to such an extent that you can get the stylus. It consists of graphite, and, as many people know, it is able to raise the temperature very quickly, the action lasts for 3-4 hours.
- Coffee drink. Eat 2 teaspoons of coffee, the method is not very effective, but a slight increase will occur.
- Geranium plant. Take some fresh leaves and apply them to your nostrils.
- Mustard powder. The same way how to raise body temperature, which withoutharm affects the body. We take the powder and rub it on the armpits.
- Acetic acid. We take it and dissolve 4 tablespoons of acid per liter of water. With the help of a cloth we rub the body and wrap ourselves in a blanket.
Here are a few ways you can raise your body temperature, just remember to see a doctor if you feel unwell.
