How to determine body temperature without a thermometer

Body temperature is a very important indicator that indicates a serious malfunction of the body. High or low temperature suggests that the body fights and confronts negative factors. Therefore, the presence of temperature is not bad, but very good. After all, for many people suffering from autoimmune diseases, the temperature simply does not rise, because the body does not resist the virus, bacteria or other factors. As Hippocrates said - “Give me a fever, and I will cure the patient!”.

But what to do if there are suspicions of changes in body temperature, and there is no thermometer at hand? Of course, you can touch the forehead of a person and roughly estimate the changes in his body temperature. But some feel the temperature only with serious deviations, and minor fluctuations may go unnoticed.And what to do if you suspect a high temperature, and no one is near? In this article we will try to answer all these questions and tell you about popular methods of measuring body temperature without a thermometer.

How to understand that a person has a high temperature

Here are some signs of fever in an adult and child.

1. Rapid breathing. Breathing of a patient with an elevated body temperature increases, especially after 38 degrees. Normally, the number of breaths of an adult is 15-20 per minute. Children breathe a little more often, 20-25 breaths per minute. If this figure is much higher, most likely the person has a fever.
2. Red cheeks. At elevated body temperature, the complexion changes, especially in children. The cheeks become bright red - this is noticeable to the naked eye.
3. Thirst. This is a frequent symptom of fever, as the body loses a large amount of moisture during heat transfer. If a person complains that his mouth is dry and wants to drink more often than usual, most likely he has a fever.
4. Hot breath. Ask the patient to blow your palm. This is a very effective way to check body temperature.Even at low temperatures, breathing will be noticeably hot. The method is also effective because you can measure the temperature yourself. Blow on the clenched fist of the hand - at elevated temperatures breathing will seem burning.
5. Cold limbs. Often, when the temperature is high, the legs and arms of the child remain cold and cannot warm up at all. This is due to constriction of the blood vessels. This is quite a dangerous phenomenon - in addition to the antipyretic, you need to rub legs and hands, massage, wrap, apply to a heating pad. Such manifestations indicate a temperature above 40 degrees.
6. Pulse. If you have a stopwatch and you know how to measure the pulse, it will help you determine the approximate level of body temperature. Measure the pulse and compare it with the norm. For example, the pulse of a healthy child of eight years in peace is about 100 beats per minute. If the measured pulse is 120 beats, then the difference is 20. Multiply it by the number 0.1 and we get the number 2. Hence, the temperature is increased by 2 degrees, that is, it is 36.8 degrees. The scheme, of course, is not accurate, but at least allows you to know the level of temperature increase.
7. Hot areas of the body. You can quickly check the temperature by simply putting your hand to your forehead, temples. There are some parts of the body that heat up most at high temperatures, they can be identifiers. These are an axillary hollow, a knee bend, an inguinal fold.
8. Cramps. If a child is cramped, especially long-lasting, it means that the temperature has exceeded 40. This is very dangerous, it is impossible to self-medicate. You need to give the child antipyretic, call an ambulance, remove the top layer of clothing, wipe the baby with warm water and wait for the doctor.

To determine the body temperature in a child, you can use special thermometers that are built into the nipple. Measure the body temperature can be ear and infrared thermometers, which give the result after bringing the device to the temple of the patient in just a few seconds.

Increased temperature may indicate viral, bacterial and infectious infections. In general, a huge number of diseases may be accompanied by high fever. If the temperature is above 39 degrees or a small child plays the role of a patient, it is very dangerous to self-medicate - call a doctor immediately.You should also call an ambulance, even at low temperatures, if the child has neurological abnormalities - the risk of convulsions in such a baby is high.

Signs of low temperature

Much less often a situation of low body temperature may occur, which also requires timely attention. If the baby has a fever, he can become sleepy, lie down on the bed, his hands and feet get cold, his face becomes pale. The forehead and chest begin to grow cold, tingling in the limbs.

In this case, you need to drink a glass of hot sweet tea, wrap the patient in a warm blanket and put to bed. Short-term and insignificant decrease in temperature is often not dangerous and can occur as a result of overstrain, both emotional and physical. If the temperature does not rise after the measures taken, it is better to consult a doctor. In women of fertile age, a decrease in temperature may be associated with the onset of pregnancy.

Low or elevated body temperature is just a reaction to the underlying disease or external exposure.The human body is very smart and in many cases is trying to "get rid" of the problems. Even if you managed to bring the temperature back to normal, pay attention to the disease itself and try to find out the cause of the accident. Watch your body temperature - it will tell you about the state of your body.

Video: how to measure body temperature without a thermometer