How to Measure Body Temperature by Thermometer?

The Digital Thermometer will give you a fast and accurate reading, making it great for checking for fevers in infants and children. Recommended for use by all ages.

How to Measure Body Temperature by Thermometer?

From where on the body to the correct choice of thermometer – we show you how to measure your body temperature correctly. You will also find out why technical precision and clinical reliability of the measurement should not be confused.

How to measure body temperature?

How the body temperature Test is Performed

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends not to use glass thermometers with mercury. The glass can break, and mercury is a poison.

• Electronic thermometers are most often suggested. An easy-to-read panel shows the temperature. The probe can be placed in the mouth, rectum, or armpit.
  • how to take oral temp: Mouth – Place the probe under the tongue and close the mouth. Breathe through the nose. Use the lips to hold the thermometer tightly in place. Leave the thermometer in the mouth for 3 minutes or until the device beeps.
  • Rectum: This method is for infants and small children. They cannot hold a thermometer safely in their mouth. Place petroleum jelly on the bulb of a rectal thermometer. Place the child face down on a flat surface or lap. Spread the buttocks and insert the bulb end about 1/2 to 1 inch (1 to 2.5 centimeters) into the anal canal. Be careful not to insert it too far. Struggling can push the thermometer in further. Remove after 3 minutes or when the device beeps.
  • Armpit: Place the thermometer in the armpit. Press the arm against the body. Wait for 5 minutes before reading.

Plastic strip thermometers change color to show the temperature. This method is the least accurate.

• Place the strip on the forehead. Read it after 1 minute while the strip is in place.
• Plastic strip thermometers for the mouth are also available.

Electronic ear thermometers are common. They are easy to use. However, some users report that the results are less accurate than with probe thermometers.

Best thermometer for body temperature

The best thermometers help you monitor temperatures from the comfort of your home so you know whether to seek medical care or simply wait for fevers to break. The thermometer you want to buy must be easy to use, fast and accurate.

Ear thermometer

The normal ear temperature range is approximately between 35.5 °C and 37.7 °C.

Here, the temperature of the eardrum is measured with an infrared sensor. The tip of the thermometer is simply inserted into the ear canal and the measurement result provided in just one second! In addition to the ease of use, this measurement method is also very reliable – provided the reliability has been proven for clinical purposes.

Carefully constructed ear thermometers measure with a very high degree of accuracy and have low result variation. An optimally shaped thermometer tip is a prerequisite for precise measurements in infants and children.

Forehead thermometer

The normal temperature range on the forehead is approximately 35.4 °C and 37.4 °C.

These are perceived as the least disruptive and therefore the most comfortable way to measure body temperature. The forehead thermometer is placed on the forehead of the patient.

An infrared sensor detects the highest measured value, while a second sensor measures the ambient temperature. The difference between these two measured values, taking into account clinical equalization calculations, gives the body temperature which is shown on the LCD display.

How do you take your temperature?

Forehead temperature range – Using a digital oral thermometer:

• Wash your hands with soap and warm water.
• Use a clean thermometer, one that has been washed in cold water, cleaned with rubbing alcohol, and then rinsed to remove the alcohol.
• Do not eat or drink anything for at least five minutes before you take your temperature because the temperature of the food or beverage could make the reading inaccurate. You should keep your mouth closed during this time.
• Place the thermometer tip under the tongue.
• Hold the thermometer in the same spot for about 40 seconds.
• Readings will continue to increase and the F (or C) symbol will flash during measurement.
• Usually, the thermometer will make a beeping noise when the final reading is done (usually about 30 seconds). If you are keeping track, record the temperature and the time.
• Rinse thermometer in cold water, clean it with alcohol, and rinse again.

How often should you take your temperature?

If you are feeling ill or if your child seems to be ill, it’s likely that you will reach for your thermometer. Often one of the first questions a health provider asks is if you have taken the temperature of the person who is ill.

You may decide to take medicine to reduce fever. If you do, there is usually a period of time on the instructions about when it is safe to take the medicine again. Before taking another dose, check your temperature or your child’s to see if medicine is really needed.

However, if the first temperature is very high, you might decide to recheck the temperature on a more regular schedule, maybe once or twice an hour. You might decide to recheck temperatures when medicine doesn’t seem to be working, such as when the illness is not getting better, and you still have symptoms.

Your healthcare provider might recommend times to take your temperature, like mornings and evenings. You should keep a record of these temperatures to be able to report back.

When looking for the best thermometer for your home, consider whose temperature you’ll be taking, as well as which features — fever alerts and app integrations, for example — could make dealing with a sick kid or partner a little bit easier. 

Forehead temperature range

Forehead temperature range: Body temperature is a measure of your body’s ability to make and get rid of heat. If you tell your doctor about your temperature reading, be sure to say where it was taken: on the forehead or in the mouth, rectum, armpit, or ear. Normal: The average normal temperature is 98.6°F (37°C).

Is the forehead thermometer accurate?

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