What is a Fever? And the 98.6 degree myth.

A discussion of the origin of the myth that normal body temperature is 98.6, as well as a discussion of what temperature we should use to define the presence of a fever.
Select References (Sorry, some of these are behind a paywall):
Carl Reinhold August Wunderlich and the evolution of clinical thermometry: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8011836/
Normal oral, rectal, tympanic and axillary body temperature in adult men and women: a systematic literature review: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12000...
Individual differences in normal body temperature: longitudinal big data analysis of patient records: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29237...
Decreasing human body temperature in the United States since the industrial revolution: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31908...
Using Smartphone Crowdsourcing to Redefine Normal and Febrile Temperatures in Adults: Results from the Feverprints Study: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... (I didn't include discussion of this study specifically, but it's still interesting - and not paywalled!)
#fever #COVID #COVID19

[@subliminal-damage]

Thank you for the validation. Often when I feel feverish with full body aches and pains, I "only" hit 99.1F although in some rare cases I've been as high as 103

[@j7ndominica051]

Fever comes with symptoms that can be felt without using a thermometer: feeling unusually cold, pounding blood in the head, pain in the eyes, disturbing dreams stuck in a loop. When I was a kid, I was told that 36.6 is a healthy temperature, but the thermometer had 37 marked. These days I measure with a meat thermometer in the mouth, it has a durable probe. Currently running a fever of 39°.

[@AnnoyingNewsletters]

Ugh, thanks for the reminder of fever dreams. On that note, though, if you have a new pair of jeans 👖 and they just aren't broken in right, I recommend sleeping in them while running a fever 🥵 Those fever dreams were some of the worst because not only were they repetitive on their own, my aunt had left the news on, and it was repetitive. So I had not one, but two loops going on. 😮 I'd accidentally done so in high school while spending time at my aunt's. I'd fallen asleep on the couch with a fever, and after my fever broke, my jeans felt perfectly fitted. After that next wash they felt softer than results from softener alone.

[@crackers0413]

This was such a nightmare for students during Covid coming in for temperature scans after walking through a hot parking lot

[@tessaoshea5697]

I'm all for someone who can use aformentioned in a sentence without missing a beat.

[@Brendawallingbear]

I've noticed all my adult life that I'm usually between 96.8f to 97.9 when I am not sick. Sometimes when I feel sick the temp is 98.9 and I'm not considered to have a fever but I feel like I might be getting it. I'm interested in a discussion of the temperature/ fever that's killing a virus or bacteria infection and when to be concerned about it getting too high for safety.

[@StrongMed]

tl;dr: It depends. (And ultimately, is arbitrary) Erratum: Argh! I misspeak @3:30. I should have said "36.4 Celsius or 97.5 Fahrenheit", NOT "37.4 Celsius or 97.5 Fahrenheit". Thanks to Dan for catching that!

[@Reziac]

When I was (undiagnosed) hypothyroid, "normal" was ~96.5 and if I had a fever, I was feeling the effects by 98.6F. This confused doctors, who would insist I was not sick. Put on long underwear and walk into a warm building, and pretty soon it's 99F, but I am not sick. And after shoveling snow for an hour, it can be 102F, but I am not sick. So... it depends. If you're sick, it's a fever. If you're not, it's not.

[@Geek2dcore]

This encapsulates all of medicine. Practitioners use hard cutoff too literally, such as ST elevation, hemoglobin levels etc for management. Context is everything, just as fever in this video. Great work.

[@Fxhealth]

It always makes me happy seeing that Dr. Strong uploaded a new video

[@lindayoung58]

Thanks...you are GOOD. The way you present this info peaks and sustains interest as well as imparts knowledge.

[@sunving]

So now I don’t even know what is the cut off now. You insert doubt into my not so good memory. Thanks Dr I nearly miss this video despite I click the bell to notify me.

[@1931to1998RIP]

wouldn't patient feedback help determine if there is a fever?...like hey i have the chills and shivering with a headache...

[@worldsokayestmedic4568]

Knowing how variable temps are, a better cue for me is the subjective, tailored approach. Example: When the patient complains of feeling unexpectedly colder than normal, esp when coupled with feelings of malaise ("chills and aches"), they have a fever, regardless of temp. Confirmation is easily obtained when, after taking tylenol or other antipyretic to reset hypothalamic thermostat, the patient feels warm and better, i.e. physically not aching or sick, or if asleep, wakes up sweaty and hot, tossing aside the blankets that had felt so necessary an hour before.

[@deproissant]

The clinical improvement after taking Tylenol might just be a placebo effect instead of actually an actually fix to whatever problem their thermostat has.

[@SomeBehramKhan]

Hi, Dr Strong! Would you consider doing a video on the HPA axis and/or disorders of the anterior pituitary? I had to present on this topic recently and the only approach I could come up with was a bit too broad: 1) confirm excess or deficiency of target hormone, 2) determine if anterior pituitary is culprit driver, and 3) Further history/questions to determine the underlying etiology. I would love to see how you approach such a topic!

[@KitKat_293]

i have run into serious problems with work where i have a flu but my temperature never breaks much above 98 or 99, and my supervisor does not take me seriously and believed i was lying/being lazy or dramatic. i would see an urgent care and be diagnosed with a flu, assigned written instructions to stay home from work for 1-2 days by this doctor. but since i never "ran a temperature" that would not count in my bosses mind and she would declare i should be fine , i'm not contagious and was expected to come into work. still sick as a dog and feeling feverish even if the numbers didn't match the myth. since i work with disabled children i would choose to call out despite my bosses refusal to mark it as a sick day, it was not safe for me to be out of my mind in a fog and physically weak with kids who can easily have a fatal accident if i'm not all there mentally to monitor them. we have a very clear policy that you must stay home if sick both to avoid getting kids and staff sick but for safety concerns. the policy stated that we could not and would not be penalized for missed days due to illness! but since i did not have a fever this woman was incredibly stubborn that my PHYSICIAN diagnosed flu was a cold and no excuse. i was eventually let go due to "attendance problems" despite these all being calling out with the flu in accordance with the office and child safety policy. in her mind, without a fever i was faking 😐 some supervisors have a huge ego about their small amount of power and are incredibly arrogant enough to think they know better than doctors and will punish their staff for it. even when i have caught covid and tested positive i did not run a fever. it can be devastating when medical myths create such unreasonable and frankly unsanitary working conditions

[@bartwilson2513]

I have autonomic dysfunction. When in an ER I am always helping the healthcare worker to contextualize my temperature readings, though even with my condition they still sometimes have a hard time believing or adjusting their protocols. I also have chronic ‘Wet’ left ear post several radical mastoidectomy procedures which gives me a significantly higher left ear temperature if taken by ear. It’s all very confusing. Lol.

[@ZantherStone]

Anyone notice how rare it is to get patients with 98.6 and above? It’s almost always in the 97’s and low 98’s.

[@pragbikramshah3658]

I'm on my bed with 105 degree... Celsius

[@pragbikramshah3658]

goodluck man. atleast i survived. use cold towels and out it on your head and turn on fan a little bit. Cool your body down.@KZbin channel

[@Blasianpower2]

Right my temp 99.99 coughing a feel like poop

[@MossyMozart]

@ZantherStone - That's not true. There are plenty of people whose usual temperature is in the 99s.

[@jonesaholic]

my baseline is between 96 and 97

[@nihalsheriff1113]

Enlightening Dr. Strong. Given the way HTN and DM treatment is getting individualized, I guess it's not long before we get age, time of the day and disease specific temperature charts.

[@caterscarrots3407]

My family is a great example of temperature baseline variation. I tend to average 98.6 F, but my mom averages 1 degree cooler than me and my dad averages 1 degree hotter than me. That combined with the hard work that my dad does means that he always has a hotter skin temperature than I do.

[@raxonsidd1796]

I have persistent feverish feeling.When I touch my skin,it feels very hot. But when I check my temperature through thermometer,it shows 98.8 in the morning and 99.1 in the evening.What can I do? Please suggest me

[@StrongMed]

I suggest you speak with your doctor about your symptoms. Unfortunately, I can't give specific, individualized medical advice here.

[@matronista]

Been telling docs for years my normal temp is 97.3 to 97.7. (My last temp was 96.9). They look at me like I am an idiot.

[@alext8828]

They're mechanized and don't care what you think or say. They meed so many idiots all day that they just treat you like one of the gang.

[@DestDest84]

My temperature at 9:54 PM today was a 100.4. I’m not sick but I ovulated 4 days ago and at the time of ovulation 7:27 PM my temperature was 99.01. The morning before I ovulated my temperature was 98.07 when I woke up. My temperature is always anywhere from 98.04-98.08 before ovulation and then it’s 98.08-99.01 after ovulation. I suffer with PCOS but not hyperthyroidism.

[@MossyMozart]

Instead of following that "100.4 as a fever" thing, the medical staff should go by how the body temperature effects the patient. In my case, I am usually in the high 96s to low 97s. When my temperature reaches 99.8, I feel terrible, have body aching, and have chills and shaking. Even so, I have been told by my MD's fellow that, "it's not a fever because it's below 100.4". Shhesh!

[@johnkodhek]

Would new technologies like smart rings and smart watches help out in creating data for individual patients over time allowing for better determination of fevers? Or heart rates and blood pressure..

[@remixadda9902]

Post covid recovery my temperature is persistently above 98.6 below 99.5

[@sinkler123]

very interesting talk ,thanks! I would appreciate a followup video/comment discussing when reducing a fever chemically is beneficial, and when it can be harmful. (some studies suggest a fever is a defense mechanism to slow down virus/bacteria multiplying)

[@uEffects123]

One thing I would point out, that we always rely on so called surrogate parameters and arbitrary cut offs, the question really is, how much could the outcome be improved by potentially indefinitly complicating them? It think it could be useful to think of them as ball park estimates, as my profs always say: we treat patients not numbers.

[@citroenboter]

My dad would always argue my 38 isn't a fever because it's not that high, but 38 is really high for me already. Usually when I get anywhere above 37.5 I usually know I'm sick. I guess it's good to know there's no arbitrary number.

[@SKARTHIKSELVAN]

Useful video for everyone. Thanks.

[@FlyingVolvo]

Any ideas how to deal with the associated data points to determine a fever for that individual patient where the frequency of data points would be far more (i.e taken more often) when the patient is seriously ill, since (I presume) the overwhelming majority of patients show for visits when they're clearly symptomatic and feeling generally unwell? Please don't think I'm trying to poke holes here in your suggestion, it was just something that came to mind when you mentioned EHRs and individual patient temperature to define a fever.

[@anilbhandari117]

It is tough one, how do I know what is / was normal core body temperature (Axillary) of the healthy individual to compare to his hospital set up temperature. We usually consider above 100*F any time of day is fever or febrile patient.

[@jessicaolson490]

For the report the physician parameters I have usually only seen them change one or two vitals after a patient is having a continued issue with it. Which is usually for B/P or HR.

[@aquagirl555]

This was very informative, i know my mom sis n i all tend to run normally in the 97.6 range, and thus anything over 100 for is for an extended period of time is a concern, while being 96 is odd is not too big a deal as far as low feavers go

[@user-gt2mi2wq4e]

Fever may be defined as any body temperature above baseline with a subjective feeling of not being well..although this definition relies on the knowledge of the baseline

[@ARTiculations]

This is such an interesting video!!! Question - if I regularly take my temperature and say it averages 35.5. But one day it is 37.8. It’s below the cut off line for doctors to even bother - but much higher than my normal? What should i do in this situation?

[@StrongMed]

If you know that your typical temperature runs 35.5, then I would consider 37.8 to be a fever (taken at roughly the same time of day as the 35.5 readings). I'd be sure to mention your typical body temperature (giving a specific typical number is probably more effective than just saying "I run low" - which many patients will say.). Unfortunately, you're going to run into many doctors who discount that concern, and who will claim that 37.8 isn't a "real fever" irrespective of your baseline temp. I find this to be super frustrating. Maybe you can refer them to this video?

[@ARTiculations]

@@StrongMed thanks!! I probably will refer to this video! 😊

[@kiwiflare]

As a PCT in an ED especially during COVID, the majority of my temporal thermometer (forehead sweeper) readings are around 36°C - 36.9°C with very very very few meeting or exceeding 37°C

[@thoughtful_criticiser]

There's a study of non contact infrared thermometers. It points out that the mean normal temperature is a lot lower than expected. I'd Google it, it will surprise/shock you. Especially as so many store clerks and receptionists are now experts in body temperature, personally I believe that you never stop learning and can always find new information, that's after 40 years of clinical experience.

[@thelonely1938]

Guys is 39.4 normal?

[@salvatorepuccini4261]

If the public knew their temp like their height it would help. If someone is 97.5 in the morning and 98.5 in the evening that would be a nice set point. So if someone was 99 in the morning and 100 in the evening or could make the observation

[@sandrasingh4864]

This is great info to me thank you very much

[@myRamPromaster]

I may be mishearing this, but when quoting the 2002 paper I heard "37.4C or 97.5F as normal temp". Must mean 36.4C. Thank you for your videos!

[@StrongMed]

I just relistened. You are correct - I misspeak the temperature. That's very frustrating, but thank you for pointing it out. I corrected it in the pinned comment above.

[@lubasulpovar5081]

Thanks Dr for valuable info about body Temperature. Carciadian cycle is strong prove for that🤗. Additional, I'm female and my body temperature changes in the numerous times per days. I suppose changing my Hormonal balance.

[@akshittuli1211]

I came here for an answer, understood that there is no correct answer. Great video, Dr Strong.

[@isadunkelmond7796]

my kind of problem, too.... I am so low in usual body temperature I would never ever have a fever in "usual" medical opinions... I need to do my own assessments in that way ...

[@judyditmer2589]

I’m a week out from an emergency appendectomy. Overall I got good care but I saw this absurd acceptance of the 98.6°F “normal” in action the whole time. My normal temp. when I’m well is often below 97°F, and yet, in spite of the fact that more than once I was violently shivering even with many blankets on me, over and over I was told my 98.9°, 99.2°, etc. readings were “normal.”

[@Bingewatchingmediacontent]

I’d noticed that the nurse at my GP’s office stopped sticking a thermometer into my mouth at my yearly visits. I thought maybe I had aged out of that part of the checkup.

[@waltf6484]

Areas like this (adjustment of Hospital Admission Order Set Numbers for things like Temperature for Fever Limit, High BP Limit, etc.) could be done using Artificial Intelligence (AI) programming that analyzes Hospital and Doctor records for the Patient to adjust these numbers. Of course it would have to be done correctly, with safeguarded limits and Doctor approval of the adjusted numbers, it could also have links to show the analysis behind the numbers for Doctors interested in the data used in adjusting limits, etc. Couple that with the ability for patient, at any time, to upload data from Smart Watches (i.e. like Apple Watch, etc.) and other Smart devices that take BP and Temperature readings, etc. at various times throughout the day, to a Doctor office data base, and these number get way better. People may say, 'Hey I am not sending my data to the Doctors office', but if they could know that it could be used intelligently like this, and possibly help to save their live some day, maybe they would feel better about doing so...

[@StrongMed]

Agree with you on an EMR that could automatically determine an appropriate fever cutoff for individual patients, based not only on their own personal fever curve, but also based on their current clinical situation. In acute illnesses, the presence of a fever is more concerning in some than in others, so the threshold for the medical team should be different. Using a continuous heart monitor to provide normal heart rate ranges to the inpatient team is an interesting idea, but other data from personal wearables won't be as practical in the foreseeable future. Core body temperature can't be reliably estimated from something worn on the extremities - though this data would be helpful if it could be. I suppose a patient could intermittently use a "smart thermometer" in which they take their body temperature a few times a week at different times of the day, and the thermometer constructs a picture of their daily temperature fluctuations and imports this into their electronic medical record; however, I suspect adherence with such a device would be low.

[@abbybeardsley7577]

I can’t remember ever having a fever, and my parents can’t remember me having one either. I’m usually around 96/97. I was sick a few days ago and my temp was 98.8 and I was shocked

[@DinkyGaming]

Im normally anywhere near 36.5 c ... im currently 37.1 c and feeling ill..

[@themosaicshow]

i’m built different. 98 or 99 is my normal body temperature. lower would be kinda concerning.

[@noodlesoopersoop]

my whole maternal family has a pretty low body temperature as our normal. if my temp gets up to 99 i feel like i have a fever. i remember going to the doctor about it and he told me it didn’t count. when i explained i normally have a low temperature and its high for me, he said that that wasn’t how it works. no matter what your baseline is, it has to be over 100.3. so frustrating

[@atlastarron7634]

My resting body temperature is usually 95-97°F. I'm always cold

[@jasvirvirdi9170]

Thank you sir

[@aukoe_]

I’m currently laying in bed with a fever of 102.2

[@thoughtful_criticiser]

I guess we need to rewrite the SEPSIS6!

[@sylvanticx]

I’m interested in knowing where the cutoff between low/mild fever (you feel crummy but it’s not cause for concern) and high fever (you need to get this down) is usually considered to be. I’ve seen some things saying anything above 102.5 is a bad fever, but I’m not sure. At what temperature is a person typically at risk of brain damage, seizures etc? I also find it interesting how in my anecdotal experience (not a doctor!), I feel better at a high fever (104) than I do at a low one (103). I think that’s mostly because at 104 I am dazed and barely conscious, whereas at 103 I am functional enough to know that I’m miserable.

[@cynthiapowers8139]

Generally, I'm sick if I'm over 99 but I've learned to rely more on symptoms that come with my fever. Although I do get aches, painful skin is the symptom I look for. In general, if my skin hurts, I'm sick. If my fever went over 100, I would be very concerned because normal colds, flu and even COVID don't do that.

[@theathomas3008]

my temputre is 98.6 and is it fever

[@commodorezelda]

My temperature almost never reaches 98° F. It's nice to know I'm not the only one.

[@shrimpflea]

I'm always around 97.5 or lower

[@conned]

In some countries,it's more complicated because you need to hit a certain temperature like 37degC, from a doctor n medical certified not fit for work n still get paid for that day, hence there a limits to these sick days,like 12/year. .

[@LeenaSarkarLeena5506]

Mine temperature is 98.3f ...is it fear for me???

[@Livingasfulfilledbeings]

Absolutely astonishing 🤯. The only thing I know is that I don’t know anything. 💡

[@robertabarnhart6240]

This also has implications for crime investigation. Time of death is calculated using the current temperature of the corpse vs. the assumed body temperature of the person when they were alive. My hope is that they are taking variable body temperatures into account when they give a time of death as a range of a few hours. I'm not a crime investigator, I just watch a lot of cop shows.

[@noeraldinkabam]

I have had high temp for years. I thought it was thanks to the fact of being a woman in a certain age range. Turns out I have cancer (the sort that has the best outlook for the future so I’m not very worried) This video made me aware of the fact that my condition may have something to do with it. Within 2 weeks I should cool down a few degrees! 😊

[@wolveprincess]

I honestly hate having my vitals taken at the hospital, especially in the ER. I can be incredibly sick or in debilitating pain and my temp and bp will read normal, so they dismiss me. Its only in bloodwork results and CT scans that they notice when things are wrong and take it seriously.

[@FatLittleOldLady]

Interesting. Mine has been around 97 for a long time. I have hypothyroid, hepatomegally, NAFLD, premature atrophic left kidney, venous stasis, and COPD among other things. I got concerned when it went down to 95.5 and 96.2 but I felt like I was roasting.

[@lazybones828]

I will watch video later but alrwady dropping a like.and comment.

[@user-xe8mb9pl7o]

i've had a chronic illness my doctors are trying to figure out. But I'm ALWAYS COLD when I am healthy my temperature stays in the 96 range. When i have "flare ups" my body is in so much pain I can't move and I feel like I'm burning up. It bothers me because my temperature is usually in the 99s during that time. I feel like it's not taken as seriously because it doesn't always pass 100 (sometimes it does) but it sucks that doctor's don't take into consideration that it's 4 degrees above my personal body temperature and I have body aches/chills - thus, yeah, it's probably a fever. The 100 degree cutoff has always annoyed me. If your temperature is elevated and you feel like sh*t - you're sick. It's nature, not just a number.

[@shrimpflea]

So body temp is a lot like heart rate and blood pressure. Changes all the time and is different in everyone.

[@sanadbenali6993]

Not a number but I was waiting for a formula or calculator....

[@youssratv6871]

Keep going

[@u-neekusername4430]

Here a low is fever medically recognised as 1 degree Celsius above the average temp of 37, but my normal average body temp is lower, so I always ask them - so then why don't I have a low fever if my temp is 1 degree higher? I NEVER get an answer, just ignored & brushed off or literally walked away from. It's basically just a box they need to tick, if you don't tick the box they don't have to treat you as someone with a low fever & can dismiss the possibility of you having any condition requiring a low fever (0.2 degrees off NO FEVER). They don't look at your past temp history because they don't have, not w/o going through ALL your records & doing an average of non sick temp (which is only once or twice a yr tops, if even). It's ridiculous that this is unimportant or irrelevant to them when a basic concept of what science is would be enough to know that data means nothing w/o a baseline. So if we acknowledge that there is a normal range of temp (& we do here, it's even on govt websites) then WHY is a baseline irrelevant when the range is 0.8 degrees & a temp is 1 degree difference. Sorry this has always irked me, can you tell 😛

[@calvincouch4091]

Everyone is different, 98.6 is just an average as measured orally. Some people might be 97.8, some 99.2, etc. And the site of measurement makes a difference. And these new fangled touchless thermometers aiming at the temple or forehead are useless - so why we rely on them now during covid is baffling to me. I could stand out in the sun or a cold wind and these infrared thermometers would not give my actual body temperature. As much as people may hate to hear it, the most accurate way to take a body temperature is with a glass or predictive electronic thermometer used rectally. Get over it.

[@StrongMed]

You're preempting an upcoming video comparing the technology, precision, and accuracy of different thermometer designs! In short, I too do not trust the consumer-grade infrared thermometers - there's a reason we don't use them in the hospital.

[@calvincouch4091]

@@StrongMed People in this day and age are just so freaked out by anything they find "invasive." Oh well, just a reflection of society I guess. It's like they don't even want to be touched, even if they go to the ER half dying. If I had my way the only way a temperature would be taken in the ER is rectally/

[@caterscarrots3407]

Yeah, an IR temp gun only registers surface temperature, and so it’s accuracy for fever is about as accurate as feeling someone with your own hands, accurate enough in only one situation, the situation where you already know baseline temperature both via a more accurate method like oral or even axillary temperature and IR and thus know the difference in temperature between the two measurements and the person in question hasn’t done anything like washing their face or taking a shower that would decrease skin temperature without decreasing body temperature or intense exercise that would do the opposite. Otherwise, it’s very inaccurate.

[@thereisnopandemic]

Mine is running at 99.7 degrees

[@ranajitkumardebnath139]

Hello,,my age is 14 yrs...... at times my temperature rises high....the highest temperature is 100°F ....l need your consultation...plz help me...

[@StrongMed]

I'm very sorry, but I cannot give specific, individualized medical advice here. I recommend speaking with a healthcare professional face-to-face regarding any personal health concerns you have.

[@tanap3179]

My temperature has always been around 36oC as far as I can remember. Today i checked it was 36.3oC is this normal?

[@mstandenberg1421]

Yip, for you by the method you use.

[@Entertainm897]

9:02

[@Sailrjup12nh]

My body temp is usually 97.3. So even 98.7 or 99 can be a fever to me.

[@thestreakingninja]

My average body temperature is 96.8 which i always thought was hilarious because the numbers were the same but in student places.

[@sanadbenali6993]

And what if my patient like many doesn't have a known temperature range To this I ask is temperature a good early warning system for diseases that are temperature related like infections tumours metabolic diseases As far as I know looking at ebm criteria for many diseases its a helpful clue but not a pathognomic pivotal decision factor Infection suspicion ill check Cbc and markers plus HPI and signs and tests Tumours have enough data to determine neutropenic fever Metabolic fever is another clue not the main tool for diagnosis So this topic for me is for those who would call me asking hey doc my temperature is x I want an AB in that case I'll use this info here to debunk his fever Let's not forget the hypothesis that says we might not want to treat all fevers specifically in simple infections it's annoying but is treating fevers related to early real recoveries?

[@kioku618]

I think he was saying having average by age range and gender apposed to over all people when you don't have a normal for that person is still an improvement.

[@sanadbenali6993]

@@kioku618 but we don't?

[@kioku618]

@@sanadbenali6993 what?

[@sanadbenali6993]

@@kioku618 we don't have an average based on the parameters he mentioned that's researchers domain

[@AustinIsLit]

My temp is 102.7 right now. Am I ok?

[@StrongMed]

I can't offer specific, individualized medical advice here, but I can say that 102.7 F is a significantly elevated body temperature. For information beyond that, I recommend speaking with your own physician or other healthcare provider.

[@lorenfulghum2393]

So my CVS thermometer is actually accurate when it gives me a reading of 96.6 degrees?

[@StrongMed]

No, probably not. See the updated video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nWHCZGWEpZ18rrs It's more for healthcare professionals than this video was, but the first 4.5 minutes discusses thermometer accuracy. The oversimplified summary is that neither oral nor infrared forehead thermometers accurately measure true core body temperature, which is more relevant for identifying and monitoring disease. Core body temperature can be measured via pulmonary artery catheter or bladder catheter - only done in ICUs. Although, your CVS thermometer is still more accurate than feeling your forehead with your hand and guessing, so I wouldn't necessarily throw it away. But if you are feeling "feverish" and chilled and sweaty, you may very well have a fever even if the thermometer is reading 98.

[@lorenfulghum2393]

@@StrongMedThank you for the reply, that is very helpful to know. I've definitely been in that situation a few times, wondering if im really feverish or not because of the thermometer reading.

[@rytisliaucys3444]

How can they call it a myth, when I literally can feel myself feeling like shit the moment my temperature goes above 37, and feel no difference in 37,5 - 38.5, with both being equally miserable to me. lol.

[@StrongMed]

The point is that everyone is different. There is no one specific cutoff for calling something a "fever" that should be applied to all people in all situation.

[@mickeysingh7443]

I think softwares can be developed which can make this individualized (especially for the vitals)

[@shrimpflea]

To a degree they can. But there is still variances in each individual.

[@youngindiaintensivist7709]

SIR, a temp of more than 99 f am and 100 f pm is fever, with some exceptions which are always present in MEDICINE and cirrhosis has higher body temp than lower

[@advertiserfriendlyusername5362]

So, body temperature hasn't been steadily dropping over time?

[@StrongMed]

From the video transcript: "Another 2020 study from right here at Stanford looked at temperature readings from various data sources going back 150 years, and found that average body temperature has dropped 0.5 degrees Celsius or 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit since the mid 19th century . The authors included evidence that this measurement drop was real and not only an artifact of systematic bias in the measurements. They speculated that a reduction in the population-level of inflammation was the most plausible explanation, which itself was due to improved sanitation, dental hygiene, decreased rates of tuberculosis, and the age of antibiotics." Here's a link to the cited paper (paywall-free!): elifesciences.org/articles/49555

[@meepk633]

If your temperature isn't 98.6 degrees, you have roughly 20 minutes to live. This is medical advice. I am your lawyer.

[@dailydoseofmedicinee]

Fevers can result from various factors, including: an infection, such as strep throat, the flu, chickenpox, pneumonia, or COVID-19. rheumatoid arthritis. some medications. overexposing the skin to sunlight, or sunburn. heatstroke, either due to high ambient temperatures or prolonged strenuous exercise. dehydration.

[@JHabc]

Now make my doctor believe me when I tell them 99 is a fever for me. Or that my report of sweats and chills is a sign of actual illness

[@StrongMed]

You can share with them a link to this video, which is basically the version for medical professionals: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nWHCZGWEpZ18rrs

[@JHabc]

@@StrongMed I’m not sure that’s going to get me a great response. But worth considering.

[@nygeek6471]

@3:32 37.4c is 99.3f.

[@StrongMed]

Yep. See pinned comment.

[@ishathakor]

omg my GOD i always say this i SWEAR my fevers start at like 36 something C i literally always say this and no one ever believes me

[@Patriotman54]

ja wunderbar

[@orhankhan7091]

My body temperature going to 96.9 f I don't know had am fever 🤒🥵

[@equam682]

i thought - it was 97.88

[@joshuaisaacs8296]

💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗

[@Nighthawk681]

Soooo....98.6°F? Just kidding 😂 My temp runs 97.1/97.4°F ☃️

[@amykathleen2]

When I was a kid, my mom’s rule was a temperature under 100F wasn’t a fever and I had to go to school. But my school’s rule was that 99.5 was a fever and anyone with a fever had to go home. For whatever reason, my fevers are almost always 99.8 - no more, no less. So my mom and the school nurse had a lot of arguments.

[@salmasakr6358]

😇😇😀

[@youssratv6871]

So beautiful I love you My friends

[@theds102]

Holy shit I’m first

[@_Fluorescent_]

My temp is always 97.7-97.9. If I have a temp of 98.8 or above, it is usually fever and I feel terrible.