What is the human body's low temperature?

The body temperature will be different in different places, different parts of the body, and at different times. Under normal circumstances, the body temperature is within a relatively stable range, but it is not constant. The body temperature is affected by many factors. Once the body temperature is too high or too low, it will affect the health of the body. If the body temperature is too high or too low, you must seek medical attention in time.

What is the human body's low temperature?

The normal oral temperature (also known as oral temperature) is 36.3℃~37.2℃, the axillary temperature is 0.3℃~0.6℃ lower than the oral temperature, and the rectal temperature (also known as anal temperature) is 0.3℃~0.5℃ higher than the oral temperature. During the day, body temperature is lowest between 2 and 5 in the morning and highest between 5 and 7 in the afternoon, but the temperature difference within a day should be less than 1°C. In addition, women's body temperature is generally about 0.3℃ higher than men's. Women's body temperature also changes slightly during menstruation. A low-grade fever is 36.9°C to 37.5°C.

Normal body temperature range:

A relatively constant body temperature is one of the important conditions for maintaining normal life activities. If the body temperature is higher than 41 degrees Celsius or lower than 25 degrees Celsius, it will seriously affect the functional activities of various systems (especially the nervous system) and even endanger life. The body's heat production and heat dissipation are regulated by the nerve center. Many diseases can cause the normal temperature regulation function to be disrupted and cause changes in body temperature.

Clinically, checking the patient's body temperature and observing its changes are important for diagnosing diseases or judging the prognosis of certain diseases. The body temperature referred to clinically is the average deep temperature. The body temperature is generally represented by the mouth, rectum and armpit, among which the rectal temperature is closest to the deep body temperature.

1. Oral sublingual temperature: 37°C (range 36.3~37.2°C).

2. Rectal temperature: 37.5℃ (0.3~0.5℃ higher than oral temperature).

3. Axillary temperature: 36.5℃ (range 36.0℃~37.0℃).

The normal average body temperature is 37 degrees Celsius, which comes from the average armpit temperature of 2,500 adults measured by Udrich in 1868. The average oral temperature of 148 people tested by McVicker at the School of Medicine of Maryland was 36.8 degrees Celsius. The results showed that the normal range of body temperature between individuals can reach 2.7 degrees Celsius, and the body temperature of each person can differ by 0.6 degrees Celsius at different times of the day. The normal body temperature is lowest at 6 am and highest at 4 pm. A body temperature below 38 degrees Celsius is generally considered a low fever, while a temperature above 38 degrees Celsius is considered a high fever.

How to measure body temperature:

1. Oral test method

First disinfect the thermometer with 75% alcohol, place it under the tongue, close your lips tightly, leave it for 5 minutes and then take the reading. The normal value is 36.3~37.2℃.

2. Axillary measurement

This method is less prone to cross infection and is the most commonly used method for measuring body temperature. Wipe off the sweat from the armpits, place the mercury end of the thermometer on the top of the armpit, clamp it with the upper half of the arm thermometer, and ask the patient not to move. Read the number after 10 minutes. The normal value is 36~37℃.

3. Anal test

It is mostly used for comatose patients or children. The patient lies in the supine position, lubricate the head of the rectal gauge with oil, and slowly insert it into the anus until it reaches 1/2 of the rectal gauge. Read the reading after 3 minutes. The normal value is 36.5~37.7℃.

Factors that affect body temperature:

Body temperature is not fixed and may fluctuate with factors such as gender, age, day and night, exercise and mood changes, but such changes are often within the normal range.

1. Gender factors

Generally, women have slightly higher levels of fat than men. It increases slightly before menstruation and in early pregnancy, and is lower during ovulation. This fluctuation is mainly related to the progesterone secretion cycle. Women have higher body fat than men, which may also be a reason.

2. Age Factor

The body temperature of a newborn is easily affected by the external temperature. Because the central nervous system of newborns is not yet fully developed and the sweat glands in their skin are not fully developed, their body temperature regulation function is poor and prone to fluctuations. Children have a high metabolic rate and their body temperature may be slightly higher than that of adults. The body temperature of the elderly is relatively low due to their low metabolic rate.

3. Day and night factors

Generally, the body temperature is lowest between 2 and 6 in the morning and highest between 4 and 8 in the afternoon, and the range of change is about 0.5-1°C. This regular fluctuation between day and night is caused by the corresponding periodic changes in people's long-term lifestyle, such as activities, metabolism, blood circulation, etc. For those who work at night for a long time, their body temperature will rise at night and fall during the day due to periodic fluctuations.