When do you check your body temperature? 90% of the people check their body temperature when they feel feverish. Is this with you also? There is no denying to the fact that checking body temperature daily is not feasible and plus, there is no solid reason to do so but you must do this when you feel weird. The reason being that your body temperature can indicate your health score. If you are experiencing fluctuations in your body temperature often or at a certain time of the day, you must read this article to understand why it might be happening.
What is Normal Body Temperature?
37 degrees Celsius or 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit is the normal body temperature of a person in normal conditions. A slight up and down is normal and this value may vary from person to person but it remains constant most of the time irrespective of temperature outside. Also, normal body temperature range differs in age groups where the temperature tends to decline with age. In a nutshell, babies have higher body temperature whereas older adults have lower temperature range.
If your body temperature falls in the normal range, there is nothing to worry about. Fluctuating body temperature is associated with multiple factors such as weakening immunity, underlying health conditions, to name but a few. Whether your body temperature is low or high can tell a lot about your health. Scroll down to know more.
Why Is Your Body Temperature High?
Generally, people panic when they experience high body temperature thinking it to be fever and a prominent sign of underlying illness. But what is high body temperature? As per experts, when your body temperature is more than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, it counts as high body temperature or fever. This situation arise when the body tries to build immunity against a pathogen. Apart from these, the other common causes of high body temperature are:
- Body pain or tiredness
- Heatstroke
- Severe burns
- Injuries
- Fever after Vaccination
- Taking medications like antibiotics & antihistamines
If you are feeling feverish, you should check for the above causes and get aid, if needed. Besides, coronavirus infection and other viral/bacterial infections can also shoot up body temperature. But in such a case, fever is followed by cold, cough, headache, sore throat, fatigue, digestive problems, etc. If the temperature remains high for a long time, you must consult a doctor to identify the root cause. If fever is accompanied by the other symptoms, get yourself checked and tested as soon as possible. Delaying might worsen the condition.
Also Read: Having Prolonged Fever? Here Are Probable Causes & Symptoms For This Type Of Fever
Why Is Your Body Temperature Low?
Surprisingly, many people do not know that there is something as low body temperature exist even though they encounter it frequently. When the body temperatures reduces and falls below 95 degrees Fahrenheit, it is said to be low. This is normal once in a while but if the temperature continues to be below the level for hours, it is worrisome. The reason why people are not accustomed to low body temperature is because it doesn’t exhibit prominent symptoms. Only sometimes, when they experience chills, shivering, breathing discomfort, they find out about low temperature.
Mostly, it happens due to dip in temperature outside. For example, low body temperature is highly common in winters. Also, people who live in colder regions are most likely to experience extreme body temperature fluctuations. But if you are not seeing any additional symptoms, it is alright. If other issues happen alongside, medical assistance is advised. In order to normalize your body temperature, you can consume warm fluids such as a herbal tea, soup, warm milk, etc. Besides, layering the body or covering warm blanket is also helpful in rising the internal temperature.
Also Read: 5 Mistakes You Might Be Making While Taking Body Temperature
How to measure body temperature?
A thermometer either mercury or digital is the right way to measure body temperature. There are certain tricks that can help you measure body temperature accurately. Here are some of them:
- If you are seeing temperature irregularity or fluctuations, measure your body temperature twice a day. Do not check every now and then. According to medical experts, body temperature is at its lowest in the morning and highest at night.
- Do not measure your body temperature right after eating anything hot or cold. Wait for 10 minutes and then check for the right value.
- Do not measure temperature after exercise or doing any physical activity that shoots up your blood pressure and temperature.
Body temperature is an underrated parameter for health. It certainly tells a lot about your health. If you notice any fluctuation in body temperature for no specific reason, get alert. If this persists, visit a doctor to find the cause behind it.
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