Does anybody know what the normal or average range of skin temperature for humans is? And how much difference there must be before one person feels warm to another? I tried searching google, but have not hit on the right combination of search words yet. Chiropractors and Porn, I have found.
I was wondering because when I snuggle up to my sweetie, I’m always the warm one and he feels little cool to me.
The Devil’s Grandfather feels a little cool to you?
Well… relative to our surroundings, yes.
Seriously, he doesn’t smoke or seem to have any circulatory problems. Why would two people is mostly the same environment have different skin temps?
IANAD, but my guess is this: 98.6F is the average body temperature. As an average, it means there’s variance on both sides of that. My normal body temp, according to my doctor, runs a little high. My wife’s runs a little low, and yes, I do notice the difference when we touch. She always feels a little cool to me, temperature-wise.
There’s no simple answer. Unlike core temperature, which is more or less set, skin temperature is highly variable. The body uses the blood vessels under the skin to carry excess heat away from the core and out of the body. Similarly in cold conditions the blood vessels under the skin are constricted to prevent heat escape. The skin temperature in your hands and feet is most variable. It’s possible for a healthy person to have a skin temperature in the fingers of around 10[sup]O[/sup]C if they are cold and inactive, while the same person can register 38[sup]O[/sup] in warm conditions. It’s entirely possible that if you have been moving around while your husband has been lieing down inactive that he will feel considerably cooler then you, particularly if he’s asleep or falling asleep which causes a reduction in circulation and a slight drop in core temperature anyway.
There are also other factors like body mass, level of fitness and resting heart rate that determine how much blood is pumped around the body that will affect skin temperature. So long as someone is feeling OK and and has no other symptoms (skin turning blue, low pulse rate, abnormal BP etc.) a low skin temperature shouldn’t be a cause for concern.
[sub](Standard disclaimer: IANAD, seek medical advice, take with a grain of salt, give way to pedestrians at cross walks, brush after meals etc)[/sub]
Also, areas that store a lot of fat are colder at the surface than areas that are more muscle or organs. Fat storage areas don’t get as much blood as muscle and other working tissues.
So, if he’s got a beer gut or love handles, put your hand there and notice how much cooler it is there than, say, on his deltoid.
Well, I’m just coming off a nasty cold, complete with a fever of 103, as measured by a $4 digital thermometer I picked up the other day.
In the instruction leaflet that came with the thermometer, it says that you can use it under the armpit, and that if you do, you should add 1 degree to the measured temp to get the equivalent oral temperature.
Of course, the armpit is going to be one of the warmest areas of the skin, since it’s near the torso and doesn’t get much air circulation. Other areas of the skin, especially those exposed to the air, will probably be somewhat cooler.