Your usual body temp

[amcnj]

They’re all fine. (Rectal is the most accurate, and armpit is the least accurate, if you really want to know.) What’s important to know is that the various methods can vary by a degree or so. Thus, don’t use a forehead thermometer and compare it to the reading from an ear thermometer. Stick with one thermometer and measure regularly so that you know when a reading is different from your normal temp.
Even temp readings between two of the same type of thermometers can be slightly different.

Its obviously ideal to have best accuracy and precision. But, precision (closeness of the readings to each other) is more important than accuracy.

Thanks. I had been wondering if part of the reason so many have “normal” temperature below 98.6 had to do with the type of thermometers most frequently used now compared to the types used fifty years ago.

 

[Moliphino]

Same thing with oxygen saturation. Good idea to measure your SpO2 daily. Then you can look out for potential change if you’re having symptoms. Pulse oximeters are even cheaper than some thermometers.

My phone can read SpO2 and heart rate.

 

[loves to dive]

My temp. and blood pressure are lower than norm. As a matter of fact, when I had surgery a few years ago the nurses were all saying how wonderful it was that my blood pressure was normal and my Mom had to tell them that I obviously must have been in pain because that was high for me. She was right, I was. My son runs a high temp. 100 is normal for him. And speaking of thermometers, my honey was taking his temp the other day and decided ours (which is about 20 years old and I didn't even know we had it) was broken so he ordered a new one on Amazon. I never use one, I use the good ole fashioned Mom method of touching my lips to the chest. Yes, I know now very sanitary but works for us and obviously I can't take my own temp. that way.

 

[pryncess527]

Thanks. I had been wondering if part of the reason so many have “normal” temperature below 98.6 had to do with the type of thermometers most frequently used now compared to the types used fifty years ago.

you might find this interesting!

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/are-human-body-temperatures-cooling-down/

 

[georgina]

My normal is around 99.2

So I went to donate blood Friday, they took my temp, said it was 99.2, and that was a low-grade fever so I shouldn't donate. I haven't been sick in any way, so I was a bit freaked out until I got home an hour later and checked it, was 98.6. Do people tell you that you have a fever with that temp?

 

[pryncess527]

So I went to donate blood Friday, they took my temp, said it was 99.2, and that was a low-grade fever so I shouldn't donate. I haven't been sick in any way, so I was a bit freaked out until I got home an hour later and checked it, was 98.6. Do people tell you that you have a fever with that temp?

Nope, never been told that & I donate blood regularly. They may be demonstrating extra caution because of the current pandemic.

 

[Christine]

So I went to donate blood Friday, they took my temp, said it was 99.2, and that was a low-grade fever so I shouldn't donate. I haven't been sick in any way, so I was a bit freaked out until I got home an hour later and checked it, was 98.6. Do people tell you that you have a fever with that temp?

They shouldn't. Officially, 100 degrees is a fever. As I said upthread, my temp can go up to 99.5 in the middle of the day and be as low as 97.2 at other times. It's all over the place.

I don't feel bad at 99.5 as long as I don't have an illness. There are other times when I have been actually sick, had a 99.5 temp, and did feel ill. I don't think body temp always correlates with how you'll feel, unless your temperature NEVER goes up like that.

It's not unusual for mine to increase with anxiety and it certainly gets into the 99 range if I'm at a doctor's appointment that I don't want to be at!

 

[godisney14]

So I went to donate blood Friday, they took my temp, said it was 99.2, and that was a low-grade fever so I shouldn't donate. I haven't been sick in any way, so I was a bit freaked out until I got home an hour later and checked it, was 98.6. Do people tell you that you have a fever with that temp?

As I noted earlier. This is the reason why monitoring temperature is more reliable when you use the same exact thermometer at the same exact time everyday, and pre/post same activity. Keep all the variables the same.

Same thing when you want to monitor your blood pressure, oxygen saturation, etc.

 

[wenrob]

I have a snazzy Smart thermometer that you can program everyone’s profiles in and it will keep a record on the app. You can also add when you gave meds etc. in the app. I don’t use it that way but it’s pretty cool. When all this started coming down in Seattle I grabbed the last forehead model they had at my Target for my DD (who is in in Seattle) because I knew she wouldn’t be able to find one.

I’m usually around 98.2.

 

[DLgal]

I've discovered recently that every afternoon, I'm 99.5. In the mornings, 98.9 seems to be my average.

My sons tend to be 97.3 as an average.

A fever is anything over 100.3, from a medical standpoint.

Premenopausal women tend to have higher temperatures than men, especially in the latter half of their cycles. This is due to hormones.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

So I went to donate blood Friday, they took my temp, said it was 99.2, and that was a low-grade fever so I shouldn't donate. I haven't been sick in any way, so I was a bit freaked out until I got home an hour later and checked it, was 98.6. Do people tell you that you have a fever with that temp?

I was recently in the hospital having my son. While in labor, my temperature went up to 99.1 and the nurse told me I had a low-grade fever and took away my blanket, so I laid there shivering. The other nurses were giving some major side-eye over the situation, so I’m not sure they were all in agreement with Nurse Ratched’s assessment.

 

[DLgal]

I was recently in the hospital having my son. While in labor, my temperature went up to 99.1 and the nurse told me I had a low-grade fever and took away my blanket, so I laid there shivering. The other nurses were giving some major side-eye over the situation, so I’m not sure they were all in agreement with Nurse Ratched’s assessment.

That nurse should be fired for that. That is stupidity on a level that shouldn't have her doing direct patient care. I would have asked for her supervisor.

 

[LSUmiss]

First, my thermometer must be 20 years old, and second, I don't usually take my temperature unless I'm sick.

Now that I'm taking it regularly, I noticed it's usually 97.5. Is this just a "duh" moment for me to realize that 98.5 is just an average for the population in general? If it's an average, then other people must have a normal temp of 99.5, right? Or do I need a new thermometer?

Mine is usually about 97.7.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

That nurse should be fired for that. That is stupidity on a level that shouldn't have her doing direct patient care. I would have asked for her supervisor.

Oh, really? I wasn’t sure who was right or wrong at the time. There were a few different instances where the nurses had opposing opinions and contradictory advice about things. It’s very difficult as a patient in the moment to know who you should believe.