Fever? Is the thermometer broken?!
Question: Okay, so I've taken my temperature a bunch of times today, because I have a throbbing headache and a sore throat. However, I'm wondering if the thermometer could be incorrect. It is consistently recording my family members' temperatures as normal. But for me, it has ranged from 100 to 105 degrees throughout the day. My question is, is 5 degrees a big difference? Is the thermometer broken if it says my temp. is rising and falling randomly up to 5 degrees throughout the day. Also, I recently took my temp. and it said 99.5, but then I took it again 10 minutes later and it said 101.3. How come my family members temperatures are staying steady around 97.6-98.7 degrees (diff. temps. for diff. people), but mine is so unsteady? Is it broken? Also is 99.5 a normal temp. or is that still a fever? And is 100-105 degrees a normal fever or is it a high fever? Thanks so much!
Answers: Okay, so I've taken my temperature a bunch of times today, because I have a throbbing headache and a sore throat. However, I'm wondering if the thermometer could be incorrect. It is consistently recording my family members' temperatures as normal. But for me, it has ranged from 100 to 105 degrees throughout the day. My question is, is 5 degrees a big difference? Is the thermometer broken if it says my temp. is rising and falling randomly up to 5 degrees throughout the day. Also, I recently took my temp. and it said 99.5, but then I took it again 10 minutes later and it said 101.3. How come my family members temperatures are staying steady around 97.6-98.7 degrees (diff. temps. for diff. people), but mine is so unsteady? Is it broken? Also is 99.5 a normal temp. or is that still a fever? And is 100-105 degrees a normal fever or is it a high fever? Thanks so much!
I doubt your thermometer is broken. Your body temperature can fluctuate wildly when you are ill. It is very common for temperatures to rise later in the day. Taking antiinflammatories or NSAIDs such as Ibuprofen or Aspirin can cause dramatic drops in temperature. If you are taking any medicines, some may be affecting your temperature. One of the most common causes though is taking your temperature after eating or drinking. You should not eat or drink for at least 20 minutes prior to taking your oral temperature. You didn't say, but I am guessing it is an oral thermometer. Taking your temperature in your armpit or rectally usually will lower these fluctuations from eating or brushing your teeth. High temperature is usually over 103. 101 is barely a fever. Your family is apparently well, and you are not. Take a fever reducer when you get up to 104 or 105, otherwise, let your body's immune system kick in and do its job. If your sore throat acts like strep throat, see a doctor immediately. Get well soon!!!
Well it all depends on you man. People's temp does vary from person to person. Typically 99.5 isn't too bad. I would recommend sleep and maybe some fever reducers. I've taken my temp with a variety of thermometers and they read diff depending on how you position it, where your standing, what you've recently ate/ drank, etc. If you are really worried, have a family member go out and buy a nice regular, non digital thermometer and recheck it.
Your temp could be fluctuating that much if you're up and down, taking tylenol, etc.
And. .you should know that at 104 brain cells start dying. Fever doesnt need to stay that high for long!!
It's important to have a thermometer that works!
If your fam. members temps are staying steady and yours is not you can deduce two things:
1. You're doing it wrong - place it far up under your tongue and close your mouth.
or
2. your temp really is fluctuating like that.
Hope you're cleaning that thermometer very well while you're testing it out otherwise all of you are going to have a sore throat!!
Edit: Anything over 98-99ish (different for each person) is a fever. Yes, 101 is a fever!
Definition of Fever:
1. an abnormal condition of the body, characterized by undue rise in temperature, quickening of the pulse, and disturbance of various body functions.
2. an abnormally high body temperature.
3. the number of degrees of such a temperature above the normal.