Body temp

[maface]

Hello,

Question? If my regular body temp is around 97 and I have a temp of around 98.7 do I have a high fever?

Thanks

[OuTpaTienT]

I'd say you have a fever...not a high fever.

[howste]

Ummmm.......



Where did you take the temperature?

[Redwolf]

I say you have spent time in the sun or have dranken coffee.

[SickPup404]

TONS of good info here:

http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH...331/25668.html

The temperature used to define a fever is somewhat arbitrary and depends on your age, the time of day, other medical conditions, etc. A cutoff of 100 F (37.8 C) is often used, although lesser temperature elevations can indicate serious infections, especially in very old individuals.

[EDIT - Also there:]

Body temperature in a healthy younger person generally falls within 97.5 F (36.2 C) to 98.9 F (37.2 C). But this number does not remain constant throughout the day — it can vary as much as 1 or 2 degrees. For example, body temperature tends to be lowest in the morning, from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m., while your body is resting or asleep. It tends to be warmest in the late afternoon, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., after your body has been active for a while.

[Brainchild]

Thje hospital says they don't concider it a temp till it reaches 100. Nothing to worry about.

[NeoStarO1]

98.6 Is considered normal, and if it reaches to 99.whatever they consider that as a low grade fever, then between 100 and 101 a fever and anything above 102 is a high fever.

But I think his point is if you don't hit 98.6 and you have hit 99 is it still low grade?
I'm one of those too.. My body temp is lower than most folx.

You will find your body temp probably fluctuates during the day, depending on activity and what you ate/drank recently, and lots of other stuff.

Some folks can even have a "normal" temp which can be classified as a low grade fever in most folks, but they have no signs or symptoms of fever. These same folks will generally be symptomatic when the reach 100F (unless they have some problems in showing a fever, like in those taking steroids or those with immune system problems).

Anyway, this ramble just means you have nothing to worry about, maface, unless you have other signs or symptoms of fever or other problems. As a rule of thumb: if you feel OK, you probably are.

How do you feel?

Cheers
Mick

[Theophylact]

Incidentally, that 98.6 has a false precision about it. The original determination was made as 37 Celsius. 98.6 Fahrenheit adds an additional significant figure that doesn't belong. And, as has been pointed out, the number is an average, and varies not only with age and time of day but also from person to person. I typically run about 98.8; my wife, about 98.2. Fever should be based on what's normal for you, although if you run much above 106 you're probably causing tissue damage.