What should it say on the a self-thermometer if you are healthy?

Question

What should it usually say on the thermometer after you take it if you are healthy? And how low/high can it go if you are sick? And could the temperate go low if you are sick?

Answer 1

Unfotunately, those new digital home thermometers are not very accurate. But, if you stick with the old fashioned glass and mercury ones you will have better luck. As far as your question goes, everyone's temperature varies. From person to person and from hour to hour. Depending on your health, your mood, your time of the month and the time of the day your temperature can vary. Normal is 98.6 degrees Farenheit. But, mine varies from 97.5 to 100.0 when I am totally healthy. And yes, your temperature can drop when you are sick just like it usually rises when you are sick. Hope that helps.

Answer 2

Human temperatures, when healthy, are usually at 98.6 degrees F. Note that variations as low as 96 degrees on up to 99 degrees are not uncommon. Also, previous activity level (exercise), recent beverages (hot and cold) as well as exposure to climate (snow) can affect your reading.

It's best to sit quietly for a few minutes in a normal "room temperature" room before taking your temperature, and try not to do anything else while you're getting your reading.

Note that most thermometers are calibrated for "oral" reading. If you use your armpit, add a degree to the reading. If you use the thermometer anally, subtract a degree.

Answer 3

It should say about 96 at the lowest and 99 at the highest. No lower or higher than that or else you are sick... If you are over 105 (104 should be bed-rest) you should go to a docter... 103 is the normal temp. for a fever... If you do go low, I don't know if you are sick or what but you might have hypothermia.. Maybe? I don't know about the low..

Answer 4

Normal body temperature is 98.6 F or 37 C
Most people think of a "normal" body temperature as an oral temperature of 98.6 °F(37 °C). This is an average of normal body temperatures. Your temperature may actually be 1°F (0.6°C) or more above or below 98.6 °F(37 °C). Also, your normal body temperature changes by as much as 1°F (0.6°C) throughout the day, depending on how active you are and the time of day. Body temperature is very sensitive to hormone levels and may be higher or lower when a woman is ovulating or having her menstrual period.

A rectal or ear (tympanic membrane) temperature reading is 0.5 to 1°F (0.3 to 0.6 °C) higher than an oral temperature reading. A temperature taken in the armpit is 0.5 to 1°F (0.3 to 0.6 °C) lower than an oral temperature reading.
What is a fever?

In most adults, an oral temperature above 100 °F(37.8 °C) or a rectal or ear temperature above 101 °F(38.3 °C) is considered a fever. A child has a fever when his or her rectal temperature is 100.4 °F(38 °C) or higher.

Answer 5

I think it's 98F. It's the same for all warm-blooded mammals.

Originally it was supposed to be 100, but (the story goes) that Fahrenheit used a cow that was running a fever for the 100 degree mark.

If it runs low, you have a bad thermometer - or hypothermia.

Answer 6

98.6 is considered a "normal" temperature, although I wouldn't panic if it was a couple of degrees above that. I'd start to monitor it if it got to like 101 or 102 degrees. And, yes, the temperature could go down if you had hypothermia or something.

Answer 7

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fever/DS00077

there's a great link. Hope it answers all your questions!