# Defining fever - seeking medical opinion **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 18, 2020, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defining-fever-seeking-medical-opinion/849734 "2020-03-18T15:35:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2020, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defining-fever-seeking-medical-opinion/849734/1 "2020-03-18T15:35:07Z")
I have what seems to be a mild cold or allergies, mostly head cold symptoms so I don’t think it’s coronavirus. But I’m being safe and taking my temperature several times a day. Which leads to my question. Something I’ve always wondered but I never thought it would be a “need answer fast” situation. But it kind of is. My body temperature usually clocks in at well below 98.6. Over the past several days, the range has been between 96.2 and 97.8. I just took my temperature and it was at 97.2. The 96.2 was an early AM reading yesterday. So, how do I define a fever? Suppose I take my temp in a few hours and it’s 98.6? Would this constitute a low grade fever -for me? Or is 98.6 normal, period? My late partner was kind of the same way and he frequently claimed he had a low grade fever at 98.6, but I always rolled my eyes at this. But now it might be kind of important to know. Any opinions? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2020, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defining-fever-seeking-medical-opinion/849734/2 "2020-03-18T16:05:12Z")
IANAD, nor do I play one on TV. > **[Fever Symptoms, Causes, Temperature, Types & Home Remedies](https://www.medicinenet.com/aches_pain_fever/article.htm)** > > Get the facts on severe fever treatment (in children and adults) and symptoms. Learn about causes of fever, home remedies to bring down a high fever, ways to prevent fever, and find out when to call a doctor. > [@](#): > > Although a fever (pyrexia) could be considered any body temperature above the normal temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (98.6 F or 37 C), medically, a person is not considered to have a significant fever until the temperature is above 100.4 F (38.0 C). We kept a few days of temperature recordings this week (AM and PM) to get a good baseline. We’re checking against that to see if our temps are elevated, but wouldn’t be concerned unless we get over 100. ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2020, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defining-fever-seeking-medical-opinion/849734/3 "2020-03-18T16:12:23Z")
IMHO, anything below 100 degrees on two different readings at least eight hour apart is borderline meaningless. On the other hand, you say you run low. You could well be the outlier. Stranger thing have happened. I would be less concerned about the actual reading and concentrate more on how you feel. Do you feel lightheaded, feverish, like your brain is running on half wattage? If not, don’t fret. It may be worth keeping a log of your readings. Should your condition take a turn for the worse, your physician will be glad to have the data. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2020, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defining-fever-seeking-medical-opinion/849734/4 "2020-03-18T16:37:19Z")
Note that 97.5 F is the [new normal](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/are-human-body-temperatures-cooling-down/). I routinely clock in at 97.2. I don’t think the guidelines as to what constitutes a fever have changed. IMHO, I think ~2.5 degrees above your average might be a good place to consider yourself as warm enough to start isolation steps. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2020, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defining-fever-seeking-medical-opinion/849734/5 "2020-03-18T16:40:35Z")
Remember to compare like with like. Oral temperature with oral temperature, IR-ear temperature with IR-ear temperature. ---
**Author:** ![Dobbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Dobbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dobbs)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2020, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defining-fever-seeking-medical-opinion/849734/6 "2020-03-18T17:11:43Z")
I would recommend [780.6. What is a fever? | Science-Based Medicine](https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/780-6/) It’s written by an infectious disease doctor (because the world needs more Mark Crislip) who deals with fever every day. ---
**Author:** ![shh1313](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shh1313/32/8020_2.png) [@shh1313](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shh1313)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2020, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defining-fever-seeking-medical-opinion/849734/7 "2020-03-18T19:22:20Z")
> [@Dobbs](#): > > I would recommend [780.6. What is a fever? | Science-Based Medicine](https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/780-6/) > > It’s written by an infectious disease doctor (because the world needs more Mark Crislip) who deals with fever every day. Excellent site, thank you for posting! ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2020, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defining-fever-seeking-medical-opinion/849734/8 "2020-03-18T19:32:49Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Note that 97.5 F is the [new normal](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/are-human-body-temperatures-cooling-down/). I routinely clock in at 97.2. I don’t think the guidelines as to what constitutes a fever have changed. IMHO, I think ~2.5 degrees above your average might be a good place to consider yourself as warm enough to start isolation steps. I was pleased to see that, because my normal is about 97.4, and I always wondered if I ran low. Now I know I have a pretty normal temperature. Anecdotally, if I peak 99F I know I am sick. I mean, it’s not a fever that doctors care about or anything, but it correlates highly with my being ill. I have a job where it’s pretty easy to work from home, and I do that if I clock in at 99F or above. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2020, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defining-fever-seeking-medical-opinion/849734/9 "2020-03-18T23:37:27Z")
Thanks everyone! I’m being careful and staying home in any case. But within the last two weeks I’ve traveled by air to NYC and back, moving through crowded airports, staying in hotels and interacting with lots of people. Then when I returned I made several long visits to the nursing home where my mom lives. That’s why I’m monitoring my temperature and if I had a fever I’d want to contact the nursing home. And I don’t know what would happen from there. Now I have a better idea what to do. Interesting article, BTW. I’ve always suspected I wasn’t an outlier in terms of low body temperature but it’s nice to have it confirmed. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2020, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defining-fever-seeking-medical-opinion/849734/10 "2020-03-20T02:08:21Z")
I usually run between 95.7 and 96.6 (verified at the doctor’s office). I figure 2 or 2.5 degrees above my normal is a fever. StG ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2020, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defining-fever-seeking-medical-opinion/849734/11 "2020-03-20T02:52:49Z")
As many are, I am tracking my temperature. My median temp in the morning is 96.7 with a standard deviation of .56. That is first thing in the morning, so it comes up a bit during daily activities. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2020, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defining-fever-seeking-medical-opinion/849734/12 "2020-03-20T03:38:40Z")
I got my second Shingrix shot yesterday. My temperature has been between fluctuating 97.5 (my norm) and 100.6 with a headache and myalgia. Good times. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2020, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defining-fever-seeking-medical-opinion/849734/13 "2020-03-21T02:52:00Z")
98.6 is the number you get by converting 37-C into F. Normal is 37-C when rounded, or 36.5-37.5, which converts to 97.7-99.5 degrees F. Any clinician will consider that range to be normal. IANAD, but for home use, a bit above 99.5, I’d re-check in an hour. If still high, take an aspirin or two, wait a couple hours. If still high, worry about it. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2020, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defining-fever-seeking-medical-opinion/849734/14 "2020-03-21T12:12:35Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > 98.6 is the number you get by converting 37-C into F. Normal is 37-C when rounded, or 36.5-37.5, which converts to 97.7-99.5 degrees F. Any clinician will consider that range to be normal. While factual, it is out of date. Here’s the direct [link](https://elifesciences.org/articles/49555) to the study I referred to above. It’s all Celsius. And “normal” is lower. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2020, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defining-fever-seeking-medical-opinion/849734/15 "2020-03-21T21:57:31Z")
I’ve heard some discussion that the average body temp may be going down, I have not heard any discussion that we should change our definition of a fever. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2020, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/defining-fever-seeking-medical-opinion/849734/16 "2020-03-22T13:24:51Z")
> [@outlierrn](#): > > I’ve heard some discussion that the average body temp may be going down, I have not heard any discussion that we should change our definition of a fever. The best explanation I’ve heard is that our body temperature isn’t going down so much as there are fewer people in the sample pool with higher than average temps due to modern sanitation and health care. This was “normal” all along.