Hey! Are you know the How to Check Fever Without a Thermometer. When using touch to diagnose fever in somebody else, touch your own skin first, then touch the opposite person to match the 2 temperatures. If the opposite person may be a lot hotter than you, they’ll have a fever.
Whether you’re dealing with a sudden wave of chills and aches and pains, or you just feel a little hotter than usual, the desire to know if you have a fever ASAP is understandable.
After all, a fever tends to serve as an indicator that your body is fending something off (like a virus or a bacterial infection) and trying to return to its normal, according to the Mayo Clinic.
But if you don’t have a thermometer laying around, or the only one you could find was buried deep in some bathroom drawer and you’re not sure just how long it’s been in there, you might be wondering: Is there any legit (or at least somewhat legit) way to gauge whether your temperature is above normal without a thermometer?
How to Check Fever Without a Thermometer
Read on to find out what to try if you’re feeling feverish, regardless of your thermometer situation, with insight from immunology docs.
First thing’s first: Do you *need* a thermometer to tell if you have a fever?
The only thanks to knowing needless to say that you simply have a fever (meaning a temp above 99 to 99.5 degrees. Fahrenheit or 37.2 to 37.5 degrees Celsius) is by taking your temperature with a thermometer, confirms David Erstein, MD, an allergist, and immunologist based in New York.
Unfortunately, your chances of accurately guessing whether or not you’ve got a fever without a thermometer are fair at the best, he says.
Case in Point
Patients who self-reported feeling feverish at a rural teaching hospital in India had a 58 percent chance of *actually* having a fever, according to a study in Tropical Medicine and International Health.
If you’ve managed to dig up an old thermometer, digital and old-school glass thermometers alike should do the trick (as long as they’re not damaged or out of juice), says Robert Witches.
MD, an allergist-immunologist and fellow of the American Board of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. But if there’s any indication that your old-school thermometer is cracked or broken, wrap it up during a Ziploc bag and throw it away.
Mercury (a silvery-white liquid still present in some household thermometers) could leak, and it’s toxic. Of course, before you pop a thermometer under your tongue, you’ll want to wash it. Here’s how to clean a thermometer properly:
Lather up some soap and water in your hands, scrub down the part of the thermometer you put in your mouth for 20 seconds and rinse it off.
After that, if you have rubbing alcohol on hand, wipe down the thermometer applicator with a cotton ball soaked with rubbing alcohol to sanitize it, then rinse it off again to remove the alcohol, advises Dr. Erstein.
If you don’t have any rubbing alcohol at home, no worries washing it off with soap and water is absolutely fine (as soap alone can break down and remove bacteria and viruses, including the novel coronavirus), he says. How to Check Fever without a Thermometer.
What if you don’t have a thermometer on you? Are there any other ways to tell if you’re feverish?
If you don’t have immediate access to a thermometer but you’re feeling, well, warm and icky, there are a few ways you can make an educated guess as to whether or not you actually have a fever. Both digital and old-school glass thermometers are fine to use to live fever.
Listen to your body. Chances are, you’re already well-acquainted with what a fever feels like for you, from burning up so much so you have to throw off your sheets and turn up.
The A/C to out-of-the-ordinary shaking chills, tiredness that goes beyond the typical end-of-day fatigue, or headaches, body aches, and pains that can’t be explained.
If any of the above sounds were familiar, you would possibly have a fever, notes Dr. Erstein.
Take a Look in the Mirror
When you’re really burning up from a fever, you’ll appear flushed, red within the face, and sweaty, says Dr. Erstein.
Get moving. Working out with a cold is the worst, and you shouldn’t try this if you feel really run down. But if you’re up for a few gentle movements, continue a brisk walk, jog up and down the steps at your house, or attempt to lift a couple of weights.
Have someone else feel your forehead. While it’s tough to gauge your own temperature with the old’ back-of-hand-to-forehead trick (because if you are feverish.
“If somebody else feels your forehead and it feels hot, you presumably have a fever,” says Dr. Erstein.
Again, though, the sole thanks to being totally sure your temperature’s off the charts are to use a thermometer.
When Do You Have to Seek Medical Attention for a Fever?
Otherwise? “In general, if you’re experiencing fever associated with other symptoms such as shortness of breath. A rash, or confusion, it’s probably best to seek medical attention,” he says. How to Check Fever without a Thermometer.
(FAQs) About How to Check Fever without a Thermometer
Q. How do you know if you have a fever?
A. The most shared indications related to fever are feeling hot or red-faced, chills, body pains, sweating, thirst, and weakness.
Q. How can you tell if you have a fever orally?
A. Oral method (in the mouth)
• Prudently place the tip of the thermometer under your child’s tongue.
• With your child’s mouth closed, leave the thermometer in place for about 1 minute until you hear the “honk”
• Eliminate the thermometer and read the temperature.
Q. Why do I feel feverish but no fever?
A. There are many details why someone might feel hot but have no fever. Conversational and lifestyle factors, medications, age, hormones, and expressive state all have an impact. In some cases, feeling continuously hot may signal an underlying health disorder.
Q. Are you able to take blood heat with an infrared thermometer?
A. Yes, most infrared thermometers can be used for monitoring the temperature of both bodies and objects. With a one-touch button, you’ll adjust the settings to urge accurate readings whenever you’re measuring the temperature.
Conclusion on How to Check Fever without a Thermometer
If you are feeling ill and you’ve got a moderately high fever (think: above 102 degrees Fahrenheit or 38.9 degrees Celsius), that’s your cue to call a doctor to work out the next steps, says Dr. Eitches.
