Why
do you need to know your body temperature?
Bacterial or viral infections will often cause the body’s
defensive cells to release proteins. These proteins act on the temperature
regulating control centre of the body, causing body temperature
to rise. This results in a fever, a temperature different from normal
body temperature. Certain illnesses produce high fevers and must
be treated with medication. Any variation in normal body temperature
may indicate an illness and your doctor should be consulted.
The best method to determine an individual’s normal temperature is to use the thermometer when the person is feeling well. Record readings twice a day (early morning and late afternoon) and take the average of the two temperatures. This is then considered a personal ‘normal’ body temperature.
How do you take the body temperature?
1. Mouth: The thermometer sensor is placed on the tongue with the
mouth closed around the thermometer.
2. Under the Arm: The thermometer is positioned in the armpit with
the arm held closely to the body keeping the thermometer in place.
3. Rectally: The thermometer sensor is placed into the rectum while
the patient lies on their stomach.
Temperature Readings
Temperature readings vary from person to person. There is no ideal
temperature reading. An oral temperature between 36.1°C and
37.8°C is considered ‘normal’. A rectal temperature
is generally 0.5°C higher and a temperature taken from under
the arm will be on average 0.5°C lower.
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