Normal body temperature is not 37º Celsius! This is the correct one

The normal body temperature in your body can keep changing throughout the day. This is because the human body is able to change its core temperature according to the seasons and the surrounding environment. The body temperature of a healthy person can fluctuate about 0.5 ° C per day; it can be lower in the morning and higher in the afternoon to evening, depending on what activities you are doing during the day.

This means that your ever-changing body temperature is actually a natural part of your body's defense mechanism. However, it is important to ensure that fluctuating body temperature is not the result of an underlying medical condition. Keep reading to learn more about normal human body temperature, and what can cause these changes.

What is the normal human body temperature?

Source: Reader's Digest

Most people assume that the normal human body temperature should definitely be 37ºC. However, this concept is somewhat misleading and has been debunked by many medical studies.

A study published years ago in the Journal of the American Medical Association found The average normal temperature for adults is 36.7 ° Cinstead of 37 ° C. In general, the medical world agrees that normal body temperature ranges between 36.1 ° C to 37.2 ° C.

Although these standards will also depend a lot on:

• The physical condition of the person.
• Age.
• What activities have they done.
• Time of day.
• Which part of your body is measuring for temperature - For example, a temperature reading from the armpit usually shows 0.5°C is lower than core body temperature.

Meanwhile, body temperature tends to decrease with age. One study by researchers at Winthrop University Hospital in New York found that older people had lower normal body temperatures than the above "standards". Of 150 elderly people with an average age of about 81 years, researchers found that their average body temperature never reached 37 ° C. These findings suggest that even when the elderly are sick, their body temperature may not rise until it reaches the temperature that people recognize as a fever (over 37ºC). On the other hand, a body temperature that is too low (below 35ºC) is generally a sign of certain diseases.

Thus, the body temperature limit so that you can say a fever will also be different for each person based on the time of day. The point is, to be able to know a person's normal body temperature, every variation of the factors must be taken into account.

What causes body temperature to fluctuate?

The body changes its temperature to adapt to changes in the surroundings. You sweat when you are in a hot environment to help keep your body cool. On the other hand, your body will try to keep it warm when the temperature around you is low. To do this, the brain sends signals throughout the body to supply more blood from the capillaries to the warm parts of the body. This response will leave you shivering with chills. Shivering can generate heat so that your body can maintain its body temperature.

Your body temperature can also change when you smoke, drink alcohol, and even when you lie. Here are some other common reasons behind the normal fluctuation of body temperature:

1. Body growth

Fluctuating body temperature is common in babies. The reason is none other than because they are still in their infancy and development, so that the body's internal systems have not yet reached their optimal function. The baby's body temperature may increase within a few days of birth but will drop slightly as the baby reaches middle age.

2. Hormonal changes

Body temperature is very sensitive to hormone levels. So, a woman's temperature may be higher or lower when ovulating or having her period. The same thing will happen after menopause. Conversely, changes in metabolism during pregnancy cause an increase in body temperature.

3. Circadian rhythm

Body temperature may vary according to changes in the body's biological clock (circadian rhythm). The lowest body temperature usually occurs in the last 2 hours before you wake up. You may also feel cooler at certain times of the day regardless of the stable ambient temperature.

4. Fever

Fever is a common symptom, not an isolated disease. You will have a fever if there is an infection in your body caused by a virus or bacteria. In infants and children, fever usually occurs when the body temperature is over 37 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, adults will have a fever when the body temperature reaches 38-39 ° C.

Fever is a sign that the body is fighting an infection, because viruses and bacteria usually multiply rapidly in the body at a temperature of 37º Celsius. Therefore, the body will increase its temperature to defend itself and prevent these bad pathogens from multiplying.

Common diseases that cause fever are flu, sore throat, sinusitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis and urinary tract infections. Some other dangerous diseases that can cause fever are dengue fever, malaria, inflammation of the lining of the brain (meningitis), and HIV.

Fever can also appear when the child is finished immunization or wants to teething. If you or your child has a fever, you should immediately consult a doctor to find out the source of the disease so that it can be treated properly.

5. Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is one of the many reasons your body temperature fluctuates. The thyroid gland regulates how your body's cells utilize the energy it receives from food - a process called metabolism. Your metabolism may slow down due to certain diseases or other factors. This is a condition called hypothyroidism. Your body temperature will drop when your metabolism is slow and you will feel cold. The most common symptoms of hypothyroidism are fatigue, constipation, muscle aches, and depressive mood.

6. Diabetes

Diabetes also has a relationship with your core body temperature. Scientists found that when insulin is injected into certain brain areas in mice, it can cause an increase in body temperature and metabolic rate. This suggests diabetes can in some way affect your body temperature and cause changes.

Another unique fact about a person's body temperature

1. Smoking can make your body temperature rise

Did you know that smoking raises your body temperature? In fact, this is because you inhale the smoke from cigarettes. Yes, the temperature at the tip of the cigarette is 95 degrees Celsius. Now, when smoke is inhaled into the nose and then into the lungs, the temperature in these organs will increase.

When your lungs are hot, this organ cannot perform one of its important functions, namely cooling or removing heat from the body. This is what ultimately makes the body temperature so high. When you stop smoking, your body temperature will return to normal in about 20 minutes.

Just inhaling cigarette smoke can harm the lungs, especially if you are an active smoker every day. So, stop your smoking habit slowly.

2. Being lying also makes body temperature rise

If in a fairy tale, a person who lies will have a long nose. Well, in the real world your nose also changes when you lie. It is not the shape that is getting longer, but the temperature of the nose is increasing, reported on the MD Web page.

Spanish researchers at the University of Granada are still investigating this phenomenon. It is thought that this is due to the body's response to lying. When someone lies, anxiety and fear of being caught will arise. At that instant, your body will generate several responses such as a faster heartbeat and an increase in body temperature. Finally, the area around the nose and eyes will feel warmer.

3. Cold temperatures make sleep better

Body temperature can also affect how well a person sleeps. The cooler it is, the better your sleep will be. A few moments before humans fall asleep, the body will lower its temperature by about 1 to 2 degrees. It is this temperature change that helps the body eventually fall into the sleep cycle.

Therefore, taking a warm bath or shower before going to bed is a medicine for insomnia that is often recommended. The reason is, after a warm shower the body will experience a significant decrease in temperature, thereby stimulating drowsiness

Dr. Rachel Salas, MD, a neurologist at Johns Hopkins University cites a study from the National Sleep Foundation which states that the best room temperature for sleeping is around 18-22º Celsius. Downey and Heller also agreed with the statement by saying that the temperature range 18-22ºC can be your reference when setting the right room temperature before going to bed.

4. Knowing the time of death of a person

When a person dies, the body temperature will slowly drop. Well, this body temperature is often used by corpse investigators to estimate when the corpse found actually died.

Investigators can get an idea of ​​how long it has been since the body has been dead by placing a hand under the arm of the body. If his body is warm, it means that he died only hours before. But if it's cold and humid, at least it's been dead 18 to 24 hours ago.

Then, how to maintain a normal body temperature when cold weather hits?

When the weather is hot, you can generally overcome this by staying hydrated by drinking lots of fluids and taking shelter in a cool place such as in an air-conditioned room.

Then, how to maintain a normal body temperature when the weather is cold? You will definitely wear thick or multi-layered clothing to avoid the cold. In fact, if your room's air conditioner is installed at a low temperature, you will be pulling your thick blanket over your body. There are several ways you can warm your body when you feel cold:

1. Don't get shivering

Shivering is a sign that you are cold and you need to warm your body as soon as possible. When your skin temperature drops, you will shiver to keep your core body temperature from dropping too.

People with mild hypothermia will shiver, but those with moderate hypothermia may not. The body will stop shivering when the muscle contractions can no longer generate heat. This means that when you stop shivering, your core body temperature drops.

2. Eat a lot

Eating more when you feel cold is a great way to keep your body warm. It is important to maintain your blood sugar so that your body can provide the energy you need to stay warm.

Eat foods that the body digests slowly, such as fatty foods. When your body digests food, it burns energy, which makes you feel warmer. Therefore, if the food you eat takes longer to digest your body, you will also feel warmer for longer.

3. Drink lots of water

In addition to food intake, your body will tolerate cold well if you maintain water intake. A well hydrated body can provide better warmth as well. Drink hot water which can also give you a warm sensation, although this doesn't really raise your internal body temperature.

According to a professor from the University of Pennsylvania, Michael Cirigliano, MD, the mouth is one of the most sensitive parts of your body. So, if hot water touches your mouth, you will feel a warm sensation.

4. Adjust your body to cold weather

The body has more capabilities than you can imagine. The body has a special mechanism to keep itself warm. People who spend a lot of time in cold weather can make themselves more tolerant of the cold.

The mechanisms in this body are not fully understood. However, it is possible that body fat known as brown fat plays a role in this. Brown fat can burn more energy and release it as body heat to warm you.

5. Keep your body dry

Sweating or wet clothes can make you feel colder. Therefore, if the weather is cold, you should use clothes that can absorb sweat. If your clothes get wet, you should change your clothes immediately. Try to keep your body dry.

6. Keep your core body temperature warm

We recommend that you wear closed clothes. You will also need to wear socks, gloves, and a hat to maintain your core body temperature. If you are cold, the first time you feel cold in your feet and hands, before the cold spreads to other parts of your body.

This is a form of the body's mechanism in maintaining the body's core temperature. When cold, the blood supply is prioritized to flow to the vital parts of the body, so that the feet and hands will feel cold first. Keeping your body covered is the best thing you can do to maintain body warmth.