Introduction

Your body is patterned in such a way that it gets rid of heat and also acquires heat. So this will make me say our body is a little fireplace. This process of heat expenditure is regulated or maintained by the activities you do: this keeps you alive. It is important your body temperature is regulated.

What’s the Normal Body Temperature?

A healthy normal body temperature for you is around 37° Celcius or 98.6° Fahrenheit. This number is only seen as an average. Your body temperature might be a degree higher or lower than this value. That doesn’t depict you are sick or physiological impaired. Different factors can have an effect on your body temperature. It might be a negative one or a positive effect. Changes in the body temperature show how healthy your body system is. If the temperature becomes fixed, it’s definitely going to be a threat to your health. It is not usually the same all day and has variation throughout its lifetime. The body temperature can be taken from different areas in the body. It can be taken from the mouth, rectal and underarm with the help of a mercury thermometer. For instance, underarm reading is a degree lesser than mouth reading, and a rectal reading is higher than mouth reading with a degree.

Core Body Temperature and Peripheral Body Temperature?

Yes, your body exhibits two forms of temperature. The core and the peripheral body temperature.

Core body temperature: this is the average temperature of structures in the deeper part of your body. Which is about 37.8° Celcius. It is usually higher than the oral and rectal temperature. It is the innermost body heat. Structures like liver, kidney, heart, or stomach.

Peripheral Body temperature: this is the temperature felt on the skin. This heat is transferred from the body’s core temperature. It is regulated mostly by the ambient temperature of the environment. It doesn’t have a specific range. It also varies from region to region.

What Regulates Your Body Temperature?

Heat generates in your body by shivering, chemical thermogenesis, or the metabolism of your body, while heat loss occurs mostly during sweating. These processes are regulated by the hypothalamus. Hypothalamus? Yes. It is a special part of the brain that takes part in homeostasis: the body’s temperature regulation center.

Factors That Influence Your Body Temperature

The body temperature is affected by different factors. Varieties of them include:

• Activity level: the engagement of the body muscles generates heat for the body.
• Age: your ability to regulate body temperature decreases according to age. This is what the normal body temperature for each age sector looks like:

Children: average of about 97.9°F (36.6°C) to 99°F (37.2°C)

Teenager and young adult: average body temperature about 97°F (36.1°C) to 99°F (37°C)

Older adults: their body temperature is usually lower than 98.6°F (37°C).

• Sex: males have a higher metabolic rate than females, so males tend to have a higher temperature.
• Meal: the level of calories exerted from food and the metabolism undergone by the food produce heat for body temperature.
• Menstrual cycle: Mostly, women’s temperature is regulated by the hormone.
• Time of the day

The Medical Conditions of Body Temperature

FEVER: this is a common illness. It is usually about 100° Fahrenheit. Fever is healthy feedback from the body, informing you of germs or pathogenic invasion, which your body is fighting.  It’s kind of an indicator. Any 2° increase in your normal body temperature is fever. It is also associated with a lot of illnesses, and the majority of its symptoms are another type of illness. Fever is classified according to its increase in temperature. Fever is a complicated disorder in children. You need to call a doctor. The threshold value for fever in older people is lower due to their degenerated ability to conserve heat.

• Low-grade fever: Average body temperature about 38°C to 39°C
• Moderate-grade fever: temperature of about 39°C to 40°C
• High-grade fever: Average body temperature of about 40°C to 42°C

Symptoms of Fever

Symptoms include severe throat swelling, vomiting, headache, stiff neck, rash, body aches, loss of appetite, increased heart rate, hot skin, shivering, and fatigue or weakness.

It is mostly caused by infections and the body’s defensive ability.

The measured temperature for fever differs due to where it’s measured

• Rectal reading- 100.4°F (38°C) or higher
• Armpit reading- 100°F (37.8°C) or higher
• Mouth reading- 99°F (37.2°C) or higher.

Treatments

Before doctors can prescribe medication, several tests must have been done. Since fever is a sign of your immune system fighting against an infection. So, medication given tends to back up the defense action. Medications called antipyretic are prescribed by doctors. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen are used to lower body temperature. Acetaminophen: Tylenol fights fever. The use of aspirin must be taken with precautions. ASPIRIN is not a suitable drug for children and people using blood thinner. Whereas aspirin is a blood thinner. Also, antibiotics drug fights viral infections.

Prevention

Fever is an indicator of your immune system. It usually stems out from an infection, so it is advisable that you keep a hygienic lifestyle. Follow the standard protocol for a healthy lifestyle. Wash your hand regularly, eat a healthy diet. It’s also a covid 19 symptoms. Make use of a face mask and stay clean. Drink enough fluid to retain your body fluid because much water is lost through sweating: avoid dehydration.

HYPOTHERMIA: this condition is the critical drop of the body temperature from the normal temperature. It drops from 98°F to 82°F or below. It is usually caused by prolonged exposure to cold. This increases the risk of hypothermia; from what was stated earlier, that the hypothalamus is the body’s temperature regulation center. It receives the stimulus of the body’s heat. Shivering is a protective response of the body to cold temperatures. It generates heat via muscle activity. Also, vasoconstriction of the blood vessels conserves the heat in the blood, thereby stimulating heat gain. Some core structures in the body, like the heart and liver, produce much of the body heat. So, the absence of these body functions causes weakness of the body to regulate heat loss. This illness is increased by some risk factors such as age, mental illness, alcohol, and drug use.

Hypothermia is classified into three (3):

• Mild Hypothermia: 95°F to 90°F
• Moderate Hypothermia: 90°F to 82°F
• Severe Hypothermia: lower than 82°F

Symptoms of Hypothermia

Shivering, slow breathing rate, amnesia, confusion, drowsiness, speechlessness, loss of coordination, stumbling steps, weak pulse, unconsciousness, cold to touch, skin decolorization, and low energy.

Causes of Hypothermia

Hypothermia is commonly caused by prolonged exposure to a cold environment with no protection. Here, the loss of heat from the body is greater than the rate at which the body generates heat. Also, living in milder weather is a complicating factor. Some medical conditions are associated with hypothermia; Diabetes, trauma, and thyroid conditions. Also, the use of alcohol and drug: drugs like antidepressants, sedatives, and antipsychotics affects the brain and can lead to Hypothermia. Older adults are very susceptible to hypothermia.

Treatments

• Get rid of wet wares like clothes, hats, gloves, shoes, and socks. Heat gets lost from the body to the wares by conduction, so it is better to avoid wet clothing.
• Get dry and warm clothes and shelter. According to research, when the body temperature is lesser than the environmental temperature, the body tends to absorb heat from the environment. It is done by radiation.
• If the body heat isn’t helpful, then you can make use of an electric blanket, heat packing, or heating pad. Place it on your torso area, armpit, neck, or groin. Before you take the step of using this material, your doctor’s consent is needed. Its use comes with the complication of causing a burn to the skin.
• Warm liquid can also be used. That is why hot coffee is more common in cold climate countries. Give warm liquid to the hypothermic patient. Avoid drinking alcohol and drinks that contain caffeine.
• If the paramedics don’t show up on time and you notice no sign of pulse and breathing. CPR- Cardiopulmonary resuscitation must be done.
• In hospitals, warmed intravenous fluid is given to the patient to warm the body. Also, heated humified oxygen will be given. The internal washing of the abdominal cavity with warm substances is also used, which is called the peritoneal lavage. Alongside these methods in the hospital has its complications. The possible complications are pneumonia, heart arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, ventricular fibrillation, and finally, death.

In conclusion, always check your body temperature from time to time. It’s an indicator from your body system. Avoid a non-challenge attitude to your health. Embrace your greatest asset. Stay safe.