IF you thing you or you child may have a fever, you need to check you temperature. If you do need to call the doctor. he will need to know how high you fever. So be sure you know how to check it the right way. After all there are several different type of thermometers and it is easier to get it wrong than you may think.
Type of thermometers
￫ Oral - digital or manual
￫ Rectal - digital or manual
￫ Axillary - digital or manual
￫ Tympanic - digital, takes temperature in the ear
￫ Temporal - digital, takes temperature on forehead
Checking the temperature
If you using s digital thermometer, simply press the button to turn it on.
￫ Oral - place under tongue wait until the digital thermometer beeps or approximately 5 minutes for a manual thermometer, Remember not to take an oral temperature right after eating or drinking something because it will alter the result. It's also important to keep you mouth closed the entire time.
￫ Axillary - place under the arm with the tip in the deepest crease, Wait until the digital thermometer beeps or approximately 5 minutes for a manual thermometer.
￫ Rectal - use lubrication such as petroleum jelly place tip in the rectum (opening in the bottom) wait until the digital thermometer beeps or approximately 5 minutes for a manual thermometer, This method should be used for infants or those whose temperature cannot be taken any other way.
￫ Tympanic - pull the top earlobe up and back, place tip (covered with probe cover) in ear canal opening, press button until it beeps Be sure you are pointing the probe into the ear canal opening and not at the ear, this can result in incorrect result. Tympanic thermometers can be difficult to use on babies and are often inaccurate because their ear canals are so mall.
￫ Temporal - press button down and sweep probe across forehead this is fairly new technology but seems to be relatively accurate and very quick and easy to use. Be sure to read the instruction for your device- some require a swipe across the forehead and on the neck below the ear.
Do you need a thermometer ? Can't decide which kind to get? check you options.
Digital oral , axillary or rectal
Digital thermometers are a great option. They are very inexpensive and much quicker and easier.
Tympanic ear thermometer
The are very popular, especially among parents of small children.They are faster that know that the result may not accurate if the child has an ear infection.
Temporal seam thermometer
The newest and most expensive thermometer on the market. These are the quickest (they only take 1-2 second) and probably the easiest to use. In my experience they have been very accurate but some people find they read too low at time.
Now that you know how to take an accurate temperature, you will be ready next time you or you child has a fever.
WHAT IS A FEVER, CAUSES AND WHEN TO BE CONCERNED
May people get fevers when they get sick. They make us feel worn down, achy and tired. At the first sign of a high temperature you might feel compelled to whip out a thermometer and worry about how high the fever might get. But do you know what a fever is and why it occurs ? Is it really something to be worried about at all?
The "NORMAL" body temperature is 37.00 Degrees Celsius.
What Causes Fevers?
Most often fevers are caused by infection. The immune system responds to foreign germs that are trying to make the body sick by raising the body temperature, Which make it harder for the germs to survive, Other cause of fevers include.
- Cancer
- Heat exhausting (hyperthermia)
- Side effects of certain medication
- Autoimmune disorders and disease
- Overdressing (common with infants that are wrapped in blankets or to much clothing )
How to check you temperature
There are many ways to check the body temperature. The result different methods deliver vary by about a degree depending upon the part of the body that you are testing, But whatever method you use, you will still get you a good general idea of you temperature,
The most commonly used thermometers check temperature orally. Tyrannically (in the ear), temporally (on the forehead or temple) or rectally. Learn more about how to check a temperature the right way.
When you should be concerned
Lost of people worry about a fever and how it will affect the body. Everybody wants to know, How high is too high?
Its an understandable concern because of how terrible fevers make us feel. The answer, unfortunately is not a single number. For most people fevers are going hurt us and we don't need to be concerned about the number on the thermometer.
There are some exceptions, though. Young babied should get medical attention for temperatures at certain points. However it is not because the fever will hurt them. It is because fevers are so rare in young infants that they are usually caused by very serious and often life- threatening illnesses. If you have a baby , there are the temperatures you need watch for.
￫ Infants under 3 months old : Any temperature over 37.00 Degree call your doctor or seek medical attention right away.
￫ 3 months to 3 years : Any temperature over 37.00 degree Fahrenheit call you doctor and ask if an appointment is necessary
With kids its always important to look how they are behaving when they have a fever. It the thermometer says 102, but they are running around playing and acting normally its okay to let them with a fever reducing medication.
If that doesn't help them feel better seek medical attention.
When to fevers
If you have a fever and you feel terrible it is okay to take a fever reducing medication to help bring it down. The same goes for children if you are treating a child with a fever, there are a few important things to keep in mind:
￫ Never give a child under 18 year old aspirin - event baby aspirin. It can cause a serious illness.
￫ Children under 6 months old should not take.
￫ Children under 2 months old should not given any type of fever reducing medication.
￫ Never put a child or anyone else in a ice or alcohol bath to bring down the fever. This is unnecessary and it can dangerous making the body temperature drop too quickly.
In general fevers aren't reason for concern. They are the body way of fighting off infection. When you look at them that way. Instead of as a reason worry, It is much easier to decide when you should call you doctor, When you should treat it yourself and when you should just leave it alone.
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