Body temp. of 34.9, why so low?

[thaibeachlovers]

21 hours ago, giddyup said:

I'm using an Omron digital thermometer and using it under arm.

I've got a digital thermometer and always take temperature under the tongue. Is there some reason that people take it in an inaccurate place on the body now?

When thermometers were mercury, people used under the arm because mercury from a broken thermometer in the mouth isn't a good idea, but with a digital one that isn't a problem ( we still used mercury ones under the tongue on the wards for adults though ).

I know tech has improved and nurses take it in the ear now, or perhaps even that is old fashioned too. It's been a few years since I did it for a living, but if it's a stick thermometer, I for one will be taking mine under the tongue.

[thaibeachlovers]

21 hours ago, giddyup said:

Had this bug for over a week, like a flu without any cough or cold, just wanting to sleep a lot, fatigued and no appetite.

Just thought about that. If your temperature isn't up it's unlikely to be an infection, so you need to get checked out as it could be something like anaemia

 

https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/anaemia

You may also look pale and have cold feet or hands.

[thaibeachlovers]

14 hours ago, giddyup said:

I'll tell you exactly why. I swore I'd never end up like my father who spent the last few years of his life with doctors appointment after appointment, test after tests, and I don't think any of it prolonged his life by one day, he died at 84, I'm coming up for 82.  If I rushed to hospital every time I had an ache or pain that lasted more than 2-3 days I'd be doing nothing else.

Your symptoms are not an ache or pain.

 

 

My mother refused to see a Dr and lost her leg to diabetes.

Up to you, but if it's bad enough to be on here asking, it's bad enough to go see a Dr. They can do tests, unlike us.

If I had a patient with a sub 35 degree temperature do you think I wouldn't have let a Dr know?

Edited December 23, 2023 by thaibeachlovers

[SAFETY FIRST]

32 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

The first thing I'd do is try a different thermometer if I had been taking it under the tongue. If not, I'd take it under the tongue.

 

If a different thermometer confirmed hypothermia ( after taking it twice ) I'd be off to hospital pretty fast.

 

BTW I took patient's temperatures for decades, so I know a bit about it.

Thank you for your feedback and what you are saying is correct. 

 

I made mention it may have been faulty but the OP just wanted to argue. 

 

Thanks for your efforts over the years taking care of people. 👍

 

Edited December 23, 2023 by SAFETY FIRST

[Wrwest]

Made me recall my Mother. Her temperature and blood pressure were to low for her to be able to donate blood. I have speculated that she might still be with us had a motor vehicle accident taken her life in 1986.

[Sheryl]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I've got a digital thermometer and always take temperature under the tongue. Is there some reason that people take it in an inaccurate place on the body now?

When thermometers were mercury, people used under the arm because mercury from a broken thermometer in the mouth isn't a good idea, but with a digital one that isn't a problem ( we still used mercury ones under the tongue on the wards for adults though ).

I know tech has improved and nurses take it in the ear now, or perhaps even that is old fashioned too. It's been a few years since I did it for a living, but if it's a stick thermometer, I for one will be taking mine under the tongue.

 

Oral temp will usually be about 0.5 degrees C higher than axillary (under the arm), sometimes  more. Axillary temps are especially low in people in cool air con environments and people with poor circulation (common in the elderly).  Oral temp will still be l another 0.5 degrees C (sometimes more) less than actual core temperature. Ear temps, on the other hand, if done correctly with an accurate thermometer are very close to core temp.

 

Important consideration with oral temperature is not to have taken any liquids or food for 10 minutes or more prior, and to do it properly (thermometer up against the underside of the tongue and mouth closed.

 

Digital thermometers in my experience stop working correctly after not much time.

 

The definition of hypothermia is a core  temperature below 35 C.   With an axillary temp of 34.9, OP's core temp would have been around 36, maybe even a bit more. He is not hypothermic.  I would never take an axillary temp on an elderly person unless there was really no other choice. 

 

 

[brianthainess]

21 hours ago, ezzra said:

As being not flexible enough to do that I will need the help of a lovely young woman to reach to where the sun don't shine...

Bob's wife can help. 

[thaibeachlovers]

On 12/23/2023 at 2:29 PM, SAFETY FIRST said:

Thank you for your feedback and what you are saying is correct. 

 

I made mention it may have been faulty but the OP just wanted to argue. 

 

Thanks for your efforts over the years taking care of people. 👍

 

You are welcome and thank you for saying. Didn't get many thanks while doing the job.

Given that everyone on here is likely to need a hospital at some stage try and thank the people that actually look after you.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 12/23/2023 at 3:39 PM, Sheryl said:

The definition of hypothermia is a core  temperature below 35 C.   With an axillary temp of 34.9, OP's core temp would have been around 36, maybe even a bit more. He is not hypothermic.  I would never take an axillary temp on an elderly person unless there was really no other choice. 

Thank you for your reply. When I did my military first aid instructor course it was just after several military men had died of hypothermia during adventure training after being caught above the snowline in a storm. Obviously there was some concentration on hypothermia. From what we learned ( though I never had to treat a real case of hypothermia ) if someone is suffering from actual hypothermia they ain't going to be capable of posting anything on a forum.

We also learned that if caught in a snowstorm it's not a good idea to go walking around in it.

 

PS, Hypothermia was obviously something to avoid in Antarctica ( where I was lucky enough to spend a year ), and we spent a great deal of effort to avoid it.

https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,914801,00.html

At U.S. bases in the Arctic and Antarctic, the newcomer must quickly learn the 30-30-30 Rule of Survival: when exposed to a 30-m.p.h. wind at —30° F., human flesh freezes solid in 30 seconds.