How to understand what temperature is on the thermometer. How to determine if there is a temperature without a thermometer

Body temperature is checked in different ways:

Rectally - in the rectum.
Orally - in the mouth.
Under the arm.
On the forehead - for this, infrared scanners are used to check the artery.
In the ear - also with the help of scanners.

For each method, there are electronic thermometers specially designed for each location. There are plenty to choose from. But there is a problem: cheap (sometimes not very cheap) devices often lie or fail. Therefore, when choosing an electronic thermometer, do not save money, be sure to read the reviews and check the readings of the mercury one at least once.

The latter, by the way, is preferred by many. The maximum mercury thermometer (as the thermometer is correctly called) costs a penny and is quite accurate, which cannot be said about many electronic devices with “so-so” quality. However, it is dangerous because it is easy, and glass fragments and mercury vapor have not made anyone even healthier.

It doesn't matter which thermometer you use, read the instruction manual first.

After each use, it would be good to clean the thermometer: wash it, if possible, or wipe it with an antiseptic. Be careful if the thermometer is sensitive to moisture and may deteriorate. It's embarrassing to mention, but still, a rectal thermometer should not be used anywhere else.

How to measure the temperature under the arm

Most often, we measure the temperature under the arm with a conventional mercury or electronic thermometer. Here's how to do it right:

You can not measure the temperature after eating and physical exertion. Wait half an hour.
Before starting the measurement, the glass thermometer must be shaken off: the mercury column should show less than 35 ° C. If the thermometer is electronic, just turn it on.
The armpit should be dry. Sweat must be wiped off.
Keep your hand firmly pressed. In order for the temperature under the arm to become the same as inside the body, the skin must warm up, and this takes time. It is better to press the child’s shoulder on your own, for example, taking the baby in your arms.
The good news is that if you follow the previous rule, a mercury thermometer will take 5 minutes, not 10, as is commonly believed. Many electronic thermometers respond to changes in temperature and measure as long as these changes are present. Therefore, if the hand is not pressed, the temperature can change for a long time and the results will be inaccurate.

How to measure temperature rectally

This method is needed when it is necessary to check the temperature of infants: it is difficult for them to hold their hand, it is not safe to put something in their mouth, and not everyone has an expensive infrared sensor.

The part of the thermometer that you will insert into the rectum must be lubricated with petroleum jelly or petroleum jelly (sold at any pharmacy).
Put the child on his side or on his back, bend his legs.
Gently insert the thermometer into the anus by 1.5-2.5 cm (depending on the size of the sensor), hold the child while the measurement is in progress. mercury thermometer you need to keep it for 2 minutes, electronic - as long as it is written in the instructions (usually less than a minute).
Remove the thermometer, look at the data.
Treat the child's skin, if necessary. Wash the thermometer.

How to measure the temperature in the mouth

This method is not suitable for children under four years of age, because at this age children cannot yet reliably hold the thermometer. Do not take your temperature in your mouth if you have eaten something cold in the last 30 minutes.

Wash the thermometer.
The sensor or reservoir of mercury should be placed under the tongue and hold the thermometer with your lips.
Use an ordinary thermometer to measure the temperature for 3 minutes, electronic - as much as necessary according to the instructions.

How to measure the temperature in the ear

For this, there are special infrared thermometers: it is useless to put other thermometers in the ear. Children under 6 months of age do not have their ear temperature taken. Age guidelines, because due to developmental features, the results will be inaccurate. You can measure the temperature in your ear only 15 minutes after you have returned from the street.

Pull your ear a little to the side and insert the thermometer probe into your ear. It takes a few seconds to measure.

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Some infrared devices measure the temperature on the forehead, where the artery passes. Data from the forehead or from the ear is not as accurate Fever: First aid, as with other measurements, but they are fast. And for household measurement, it is not so important what temperature you have: 38.3 or 38.5 ° C.

How to read a thermometer

The result of the measurement depends on the accuracy of the thermometer, the correctness of the measurements and where the measurements were taken.

The temperature in the mouth is higher than under the arm by 0.3-0.6 °C, rectal - by 0.6-1.2 °C, in the ear - up to 1.2 °C. That is, 37.5 ° C is an alarming figure for measuring under the arm, but not for rectal.

Also, the rate depends on age. In children up to a year, rectal up to 37.7 ° C (36.5-37.1 ° C under the arm), and there is nothing wrong with that. The 37.1°C under the arm that we suffer from becomes a problem with age.

In addition, there are individual features. The temperature of a healthy adult ranges from 36.1 to 37.2 ° C under the arm, but someone's personal norm is 36.9 ° C, and someone's is 36.1. The difference is big, so in an ideal world it would be nice to take your temperature when you are healthy for the sake of interest, or at least remember what the thermometer showed there at the physical examination.

What body temperature is considered normal for a person? It would seem that answering this question is simpler than simple 36.6.

In fact, these are very average figures, which are customary to say in those cases, at a time when the temperature is measured in an adult person in the armpit. If it comes to a baby, then both the measurement technique and the numbers themselves can be completely different.

So, how to correctly measure the temperature of a newborn baby, and in what cases should you go to sound the alarm?

Normal body temperature for babies

Each child has their own normal body temperature.

The system of thermoregulation of the body in newborns has not yet been fully formed, therefore, the temperature in a child may increase or decrease due to external factors of prolonged crying, active games, time of day, in most cases the temperature in the morning is lower than in the evening.

In this case, it is customary to consider figures from 36.3 to 37.3 ° C as usual indicators, but when measuring, it is imperative to take into account accompanying symptoms and factors.

In other words, if the baby’s temperature stays at 37 ° C for several days, but he is cheerful, eats well and sleeps normally, then there is probably nothing to worry about in a couple of weeks, the baby’s thermoregulation system will normalize along with temperature indicators.

It is best to know your child's normal body temperature. When the child is feeling well, take and record his temperature upon waking in the morning and in the evening, at a time when the child is calm. This is your baby's average body temperature.

What affects temperature readings?

As mentioned above, the thermoregulation system in babies is very imperfect, so their temperature can easily rise or fall depending on some factors:

Too hot or too cold room;
number of clothes;
Prolonged crying (t o increases);
Abundant food intake (t o increases);
Taking antihistamines;
A relatively recent infectious, inflammatory or catarrhal disease (in this case, there may be residual effects, in other words, the rise in temperature or, on the contrary, its fall due to the general weakness of the child);
Time of day (the lowest temperature indicators in children are observed early in the morning, and the highest in the evening, from 16 to 18).

How to measure the temperature of an infant

Now there are a couple of types of thermometers that allow you to measure the baby's temperature immediately by several methods: in the armpit, in the mouth, rectally, or also in the ear. Obviously, any of these thermometers has personal disadvantages and advantages.

Which thermometer to choose?

The most conservative and at the same time the most correct method to measure the temperature (the error is approximately 0.1 degrees). If we talk about shortcomings, then they primarily include a long measurement time of at least 57 minutes. For a restless crumb, this is possible too long. In addition, such thermometers are completely unsafe, therefore, they require great care from the mother.

A modern and very ergonomic tool that allows you to quickly (measurement time no more than 3 minutes) measure the temperature of a baby by any method. The main disadvantage is a high error, which can be about 1 o C.

Such a thermometer is able to find out the temperature in just a couple of seconds, without creating any inconvenience to the crumbs, but it costs significantly more than its counterparts.

After choosing a thermometer, go to decide on the method of measuring temperature: in the armpit, inguinal fold, in the mouth, in the rectum or in the ear.

Measurement methods

The child must be laid on the back, raise his handle and release the armpit from the clothes. Place the tip of the thermometer under the armpit, after which lower the baby's handle, making sure that the thermometer is in good contact with the body. If the measurement is carried out with an electronic thermometer, wait for the sound signal, if with mercury, wait 7 minutes. Similarly, it is possible to measure the temperature in the inguinal fold.

Lay the baby on the back or on the side, bend his legs at the knees and fix them in this position. Apply baby cream or petroleum jelly to the tip of the thermometer, after which, carefully insert its tip into the anus by about 2 cm. After completing the measurement, carefully remove the thermometer.

In these cases, it is possible to use only thermometers specially designed for this purpose (not mercury!) Electronic in the form of a pacifier or infrared ear.

Video technique for measuring temperature in infants:

How to find out the increase in temperature without a thermometer

There are times when there is no thermometer at hand, and it is necessary to find out the temperature of the baby without delay. To do this, doctors advise using the following methods:

Grandma's way to put your hand or lips to your forehead. The simplest, but along with this, a rather approximate method, since it is simply unrealistic to find out the numbers with an accuracy of at least 0.5 ° C in this case.
It is possible to determine the temperature not only on the forehead, but also on the inguinal folds, depressions under the knees and elbow pits.
In addition to hot skin, pay attention to other indicators of fever: flushed cheeks, rapid heart rate, rapid breathing and hot air on exhalation, intense sweating.
Cold tips of the fingers and toes with hot and dry skin, in most cases, indicate not only a high temperature, but also that it will rise further.
Respiratory rate and pulse rate are also indicators of temperature; the normal heart rate of a child up to six months is 1 20140 beats per minute, and the respiratory rate is about 30 breaths / min. At elevated temperatures, these indicators also increase.
The little one who has heat, behaves differently than in most cases he refuses food, perhaps too drowsy and lethargic, or, on the contrary, restless and capricious.

At a time when venturing to bring down the temperature?

It is very difficult to answer this question specifically, since it all depends on the personal highlights of each baby. Some children experience severe weakness, headaches and muscle pain already at 37.5 ° C, while others feel completely normal even at 39 ° C.

If the baby does not show strong indicators of anxiety, then it is recommended to bring down the temperature when it rises above 38.5 ° C. Along with this, do not forget that with viral and bacterial infections, the temperature in most cases rises very quickly, so it must be constantly monitored.

Temperatures within 4141.5 o C are considered a terrible temperature for life.

A high temperature is terrible, in addition to the fact that the child sometimes begins febrile convulsions. They are characterized by breath holding, strong tension of the muscles of the body, erratic twitches, blue skin, etc. If the baby has a history of such a phenomenon, the temperature should be brought down at 38 ° C.

Another very terrible condition is the so-called white fever. It is quite easy to distinguish it from pink if skin the baby is red, warm and wet, then the fever is pink, and suddenly they are pale and dry, with cold extremities, then white. The condition of the white is much worse. In this case, the baby urgently needs the help of a doctor.

What to look for:

How did the rise in temperature start? if the temperature rises slowly and the child feels worse and worse, this should lead to more anxiety than a sudden increase in temperature in the outside of a healthy child;
how the child feels is much more responsible than how high the temperature rises: the situation, at a time when the child has a temperature of 38 ° C, and he lies in a layer, is more terrible than at a time when the child has 40 ° C, and he plays as if nothing had happened;
The younger the child, the more it is worth worrying: the high temperature in a three-month-old baby is much worse than in a three-year-old.

Any increase in temperature in infants under 3 months should be reported to the doctor.

How to bring down the temperature of a newborn

Methods for lowering the temperature in infants are divided into household and medication, and if the baby feels fine, there is no need to rush to take medication.

Remove excess clothing and diaper, cover with a light blanket;
Ventilate the room, ensuring a constant supply of fresh air, but avoiding drafts along with it;
Water the child as often as possible;
Wipe the skin with wet towels at room temperature (except in cases of white fever).

What is forbidden!

It is forbidden to wipe the baby with vinegar, alcohol or vodka, as they are quickly absorbed into the skin and can lead to serious poisoning;
It is forbidden to apply cold objects to the child's body or wrap it in a cold wet cloth; this can lead to vasospasm;
It is forbidden to wrap a child in a pair of thick blankets, put too many clothes on him, or put heaters nearby.

Medications that can be given to babies are children's paracetamol and ibuprofen (suspension or rectal suppositories). The dose is calculated depending on the age and weight of the baby, and it is fundamentally important not to exceed both a single and daily dose of the drug.

Paracetamol

Suspension for children from 6 months. up to a year it is recommended to give 57.5 ml of syrup no more than 4 hours a day with breaks of at least 4 hours.
Candles for children from 3 months. up to a year, one suppository (0.08 g) no more than 4 hours a day with breaks of at least 4 hours.

Ibuprofen

Suspension for children from 6 months. up to a year, 2.5 ml 3 times a day, a large daily dose of 7.5 ml.
Candles for children from 3 to 9 months. 1 suppository (60 mg) after 68 hours, not more than 180 g / day, for children from 9 months. 1 suppository (60 mg) every 6 hours, not to exceed 240 mg/day.

The dosage for children under 3 months should be determined only by a doctor.

In what cases should you go to call an ambulance

At temperatures above 40.5 ° C;
The age of the child is younger than 3 months;
If the high temperature is accompanied by a rash, severe vomiting or diarrhea;
With febrile convulsions and white fever;
If the temperature has risen after prolonged exposure to the sun;
If the child does not respond to external stimuli;
If antipyretic drugs do not work.

What to do before the arrival of the doctor?

Before the arrival of the doctor, parents should continue to take measures to lower the temperature: undress the child and remove the diaper from him, covering along with this narrow blanket (the child should not freeze!), Provide fresh air, drink water in a sip.

If a child has febrile convulsions, the baby must be laid on a hard surface, turn his head to one side and closely monitor his breathing if it is interrupted, go to wait for the attack to end and start making unnatural breathing.

What should be said to the doctor?

In order for the ambulance doctor to be able to correctly assess the situation, he needs to be told how long ago the baby had a fever, what he did, ate and drank shortly before, and about the measures that were taken to lower the temperature.

In addition, the doctor should determine about any allergic reactions, disorders of the central nervous system, or important diseases that are in the anamnesis.

Do not forget that every little thing in this case can become fundamental, and from time to time, save the child's life.

An increase in body temperature is the body's response to the introduction of viruses and bacteria. This is a good sign, proving that the defense forces have activated and begun to fight against alien microbes. You can not bring down the temperature if it is less than 38 ° C. But as soon as the indicators reach this critical level, you should begin to act.

It also happens that there was no thermometer at hand or it was hopelessly spoiled. How to proceed? Is there a way to determine body temperature without a special device. In order not to make a mistake and start timely treatment of the disease, you should learn about folk ways fever definitions.

How to determine body temperature without a thermometer?

Touch the patient's forehead. This must be entrusted to someone else, because the person himself is not able to recognize the heat: his palm has a common temperature with the body and will not become an informative tool. Moms touch their babies' foreheads with their lips - this is a reliable option that will tell you a lot more about hyperthermia. With lips, you can understand that the temperature is very high or is still at an acceptable level. You can touch not only the forehead, but also the neck, the area under the armpits, under the knees.

Listen to your breath. The tense, rapid sighs of the patient indicate a high temperature of his body. If you count the number of movements of the diaphragm, you can find out that the patient is worried about the fever. A healthy adult body satisfies the need for oxygen at 12-17 breaths / exhalations per minute, and when an infection occurs and the body temperature rises, their number increases by 1.5-2 times.

Count your pulse. With hyperthermia, the human heart works in a stressful mode and contracts much more often than usual. At a rate of 80 beats, an increase in temperature to 37 ° C will add 10 additional, and at 38 ° C - 20. Every 10 extra heartbeats suggests a temperature increase of 1 ° C.

Oh too high rates convulsions, fever, delirium of the patient testify. These symptoms do not require clarification of the situation, it is urgent to call an ambulance team and try to normalize the condition on your own.

Young mothers will be helped to decide on special modern devices and tools. These are pacifiers, plasters, ear thermometers, which allow you to determine the time to start treatment without a thermometer. Often, all such devices cannot show the exact body temperature, but they signal that a dangerous barrier has been overcome. For example, the patch reacts with color at 38 ° C and above, and the ear thermometer and nipple at the same indicators may turn on an indicator (sound or light).

Do not delay in helping the patient. Hyperthermia is a signal from the body about a problem that needs to be addressed immediately.

how to know if you have a temperature without a thermometer

The traditional method of measuring temperature without a thermometer is to place your hand on your forehead or touch it with your lips. This method, of course, gives very approximate results, but it is still possible to determine whether the temperature is elevated or not.
At high temperatures, as a rule, the legs and hands become cold, but in the groin, elbow pits, at the base of the skull and in the pits under the knees, the temperature rises. Putting your hand to one of these places, you can feel it.
An increase in temperature is accompanied by fatigue and body aches. The patient's cheeks may become very red and eyes shine.
In addition, high temperature provokes an increase in heart rate. Yes, at one year old baby in a horizontal position, the normal pulse is one hundred and forty beats per minute, and in an adult eighty beats. With an increase in body temperature, the pulse in a child can increase by twenty beats per minute, and in an adult by eight beats.
You can also determine the temperature without a thermometer by the frequency of breathing, which is calculated in a relaxed state. In a waking adult, the respiratory rate is twenty breaths per minute (in a sleeping person, it slows down to twelve breaths). A one-year-old baby takes thirty breaths per minute.
Against the background of an increase in temperature, dehydration is observed (strong thirst, dry mouth, problems with urination). The presence of these signs can only mean one thing - that the temperature has risen too much.
I have for example when temperature. stuffy feeling in the nose
In the traditional way, touch the forehead or touch it with your hand. If you are at home alone, then of course you will not be able to touch your lips to your mouth, and you yourself will not be able to detect the temperature with your hand. Look for ways on the Internet other than the site answers mail.ru, for example, the sites that are listed above. You can also fold your hand like a boat and bring it to your mouth with the same slightly covering your nose, breathe and see if the wings of your nose have become hot?
my head hurts what should i do
At a low temperature, the following usually happens - the ears begin to burn, the cheeks burn, the superciliary arches tingle or even hurt, heaviness in the back of the head.
At a high temperature - a person tends to sleep, appetite disappears, chills appear.
Touch your hand and you will understand everything yourself ^^
Ask someone to put their lips on your forehead.
breathe on the back of your hand if it seems hot, then most likely there is
The first method is known to almost everyone. It is necessary to touch the forehead of a sick person with lips or eyelids. If there is a fever, the second person will notice it very quickly. You can touch it with your hand, but since the skin on it is rougher, it will be much more difficult to understand the difference.
2
If you are alone, fold your palm in a boat, bring it to your mouth and exhale air into it. At elevated temperatures, you will feel heat in the wings of your nose.
3
Check your pulse. With an increase in body temperature by one degree, the pulse increases by an average of 10 beats per minute. That is, if your pulse is 30 beats higher than usual, then your temperature is about forty degrees. But this method is only suitable for those who know their working pulse. And, of course, before measuring, you should not perform physical actions drink tea,

You can forget to take a thermometer on vacation, lose it when moving, or simply break it. If someone in the family is sick, and there is nowhere to take a thermometer, there are other ways.

Try forehead

Body temperature rises and is given first of all closer to the head. Therefore, you need to touch your forehead, or neck.

It is not worth determining the heat on the hands and feet, they just remove sweat and will be the coldest in case of illness.

Blush

If, with an unhealthy pallor of the face, a person has a red blush, this is one of the main symptoms of high temperature and heat.

lethargy

A person with fever is lethargic, does not want to move, tends to do and even doze off. Appetite in the heat, most likely, will also not be, which also reduces activity.

Thirst

A person loses a lot of water during a fever, so a continuous desire to drink as much water as possible can also indicate an elevated temperature.

Chills

If the weather is hot, and the person wraps himself in a blanket and is shaking, he most likely has a high temperature of 38.