Here's what you need to know about possible causes and when to worry. Searches were carried out in MEDLINE, CINAHL, and … Close your mouth around the thermometer for the recommended amount of time or until the thermometer beep indicates it's done. What is the Normal Body Temperature for Adults? Place the thermometer tip under your tongue. Normal oral, rectal, tympanic and axillary body temperature in adult men and women: a systematic literature review The purpose of this study was to investigate normal body temperature in adult men and women. If a temperature is taken rectally, the results will be about 0.5 to 0.7° higher. You can take a temperature using the mouth (oral), anus (rectal), armpit (axillary), or ear (tympanic). Turn on the digital thermometer. Using a tympanic thermometer (for adults and children over 2 years old) These subtleties must be kept in mind when interpreting the results of a thermometer reading. The “normal” body temperature of 98.6°F is actually not so normal. A systematic review of data was performed. Oral temperature measurement is common and reliable because it is close to the sublingual artery. Temperatures taken under the arm usually generate results that are 0.3 to 0.4° lower. Older subjects have mean oral body temperatures lower than 98.6 degrees F. Relatively few even achieve this temperature. The normal oral temperature is 35.8–37.3ºC (OER #1) or 96.4–99.1ºF. The Harvard Medical School also states that fever is when a body’s temperature reaches 100.4 °F (38 °C) or higher (for adults). You'll need an oral thermometer, used in the mouth. The normal range discussed above refers to temperatures taken with oral thermometers. Medical research … New research finds that the average human body temperature of Americans has dropped. Oral and axillary temperature readings are about ½° to 1°F (.3°C to .6°C) below rectal. But the temperature readings vary depending on which one you use, and you need an accurate body temperature to determine if a fever is present. In nursing home residents, the oldest were coldest and failed to demonstrate a diurnal rise in body temperature. If you've been eating or drinking, wait 30 minutes before you take a temperature by mouth. Temperature in the mouth (oral) is about 36.8°C (98.2°F) Temperature under the arm (axillary) is about 36.5°C (97.7°F) Temperature in the anus (rectum/rectal), vagina, or in the ear (otic) is about 37.5°C (99.5°F) At What Temperature … Add these numbers to oral and axillary temperature readings for the most accurate reading. A lower-than-normal body temperature can occur due to environmental or medical conditions. Normal body temperature and the effects of age, sex, ambient temperature and body mass index on normal oral temperature: a prospective, comparative study Int J Nurs Stud 2009 5 Possible Causes of Lower-Than-Normal Body Temperature | Livestrong.com An oral thermometer is …