Administrator King Offline Gender: Posts: 5810 ~Back with a bang~ Things You Must Know About Your Body Temperature

Body temperature is an important
indicator of our health. What is
normal body temperature? What
part of the body gives the most
accurate readings? Find out the
answers to these and other
questions regarding body
temperature.
1.Your body is a great thermo
regulator.
Our body has an amazing ability to
keep its temperature within safe
range to keep you healthy, no
matter what conditions you are
exposed to outside the body. When
you feel hot, you start sweating,
which cools you body down. When
you feel cold, you start shivering,
which is involuntary muscle
contractions that generate heat.
Goose bumps that appear on skin
when you are feeling cold are
actually tiny muscles that raise body
hairs, which increase their
thickness.
2. Normal body temperature
It is commonly accepted that
normal human body temperature is
98.6 degrees F or 37 degrees C.
However, there is also a number of
variations to normal body
temperature that depend on many
factors, such as the time of the day,
outside temperature, age of the
person and others. Temperature
may vary by 1 degrees F (0.6
degrees C), from 97 degrees F (36.1
degrees C) to 99 degrees F (37.2
degrees C), which is considered
within normal range.
3. The body temperature varies
throughout the day
Body temperature undergoes minor
changes throughout the day. It is
the lowest in the morning, between
4 and 6 a.m. And highest in the
evening, around 6 to 8 p.m.
Temperature also changes during
sleep. Usually it starts to drop when
we fall asleep, ensuring sound
sleep and needed rest.
4. Rectal temperature – most
accurate
Body temperature is measured with
the help of different types of
thermometers in various parts of
the body. Temperature taken in
your mouth may be influenced by
many factors and is usually lower,
while rectal and ear measurements
are slightly higher than oral
temperature readings.
Temperature taken in your armpit
may me the least accurate since it
may not directly indicate core
temperature. The most accurate
way to measure body temperature
is to take temperature rectally.
5. Fever is good for you
Many of us are scared of fever and
try to reduce fever with
medications. However, fever is not
an illness, but the body's defense
mechanism that fights infections
and is basically harmless. Fever
slows the growth of pathogenic
bacteria and activates white blood
cells to fight infection. Fever may
range between 100 degrees to 104
degrees F and higher (37.8 degrees
– 40 degrees C), but not all of them
need to be treated with
medications. The general rule of
thumb is that fever medicines are
necessary when it causes you or
your child discomfort or there are
other dangerous signs such as
trouble breathing or pain.