Checking for Fever: A Guide to Using a Thermometer

* Ditch the old rectal thermometer and buy a new one for oral use.

Use an oral thermometer

Oral thermometer is Not Best choice for young children who may not be able to keep their mouth shut long enough to read well.

To use an oral thermometer:

1. Wash your hands before handling the thermometer.
2. Put it under the tongue.
3. Make sure that the mouth remains closed the entire time.
4. Wait for about five minutes (manual thermometer) or for a beep (digital thermometer).

Use an armpit thermometer

Although this is the least accurate way to take a child’s temperature, it is often used in schools and daycares to avoid spreading germs.

To use an armpit thermometer:

1. Place the thermometer under the arm with the tip in the deepest fold of the armpit.
2. Wait for about five minutes (manual thermometer) or for a beep (digital thermometer).

Use a rectal thermometer

Specially designed rectal thermometers with short probes allow for proper temperature measurement without going too deep into the body. This method should be used for infants or children who cannot take their temperature in any other way.

To use a rectal thermometer:

1. Use a lubricant, such as kerosene, for easy insertion.
2. Place the tip of the thermometer into the rectum.
3. Wait for about five minutes (manual thermometer) or for a beep (digital thermometer).

Use an eardrum thermometer

These types of in-ear thermometers are very popular, especially among parents with young children, because they are faster than conventional digital thermometers and easy to use. However, ear thermometers can be difficult to use for babies and often inaccurate because their ear canals are so small.

To use an eardrum thermometer:

• Pull the top of the earlobe up and back
• Place the tip of the thermometer (covered with the probe cap) into the ear canal opening. (Make sure you are pointing the probe at the opening of the ear canal and not at the wall of the ear.)
• Press the button until it beeps.

Make sure that excess earwax does not accumulate before using this method, as it may cause less accurate results.

Use a time thermometer

The newest and most expensive thermometer on the market, the temporal thermometer reads the heat emitted by the temporal artery, just under the skin of your forehead. They are the fastest thermometers and probably the easiest to use. However, sometimes they can read too low.

Different models may have different instructions for use. In general, to use the time thermometer:

• Press the down button.
• Scan the probe over the forehead and release the button when done.

Note: Some models require forehead swipe and on the neck below the ears.

This is fairly new technology, but research shows that it is at least as accurate as an otoscope.

Mercury thermometer

Mercury thermometers are no longer sold in the United States. They are dangerous if they break and release mercury, a toxic substance.

If you decide to use an old mercury thermometer, shake it so that the mercury thermometer drops below 96 degrees F. Then hold it in place for about five minutes for an accurate reading.

Temperature range

“Normal” body temperature is usually recorded as 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. However, there is actually a wide range of body temperature that is affected by all sorts of factors, including age, height, and weight. , gender, ethnicity, even time of day and activity level. .

Interestingly, the average seems to have decreased over time. A 2017 study found an average body temperature near 97.88 degrees Fahrenheit. However, this is relatively new information and it does not yet affect what the medical community considers normal and abnormal.