98.6 Degrees Fahrenheit Is No Longer The Average Normal Body Temperature

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Someone tell me what constitutes a fever. Everyone knows that a normal body temperature is 98.6°F. Or is it?

That number is a bit archaic, apparently. WAY back in the late 1800s, a study was done on 25,000 patients, and doctors found that the average normal body temperature was 98.6°.

This has been the gold standard by which we tell how sick a person really is.

Well, times have changed — as they tend to do.

There have been a couple dozen MODERN studies done on the topic of “normal” body temperatures, and it shows that this average is now much lower.

These studies have shown that the average “normal” body temperature is now 97.5°.

I’m a little shaken by this news. I have always gone off the old 98.6° scale when assessing the temperature of myself and my kids. My husband can fend for himself here. I joke.

I guess the new standard makes since, from a medical standpoint. Way back in the day, people used to work fields, walk everywhere they had to go, and were general more active*. Their Basic Metabolic temperature would have been a bit higher, to deal with all the moving and working.

Society has changed A LOT.

We simply don’t exist on a day-to-day basis like our relatives from the turn of the century lived. So, our bodies have adapted — I guess there was something to that evolution thing I learned in elementary school.

I suppose the prudent thing would be to check the average normal oral temperatures of my family over a period of time. This would help more accurately tell when they are sick and fevered.

As always, don’t take all your medical advice from me — although I am pretty darn smart. Check with your doctor next time you are there.

Did you ALSO know that you MAY need a new Measles Vaccine? Ask your doctor if you might need a titer test. Those born before 1990 may need another dose to keep the Measles at bay. I know I’ve had MY second vaccine. Better safe than sick.

*According to me.

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11 Comments

  1. You used the wrong sense should not be since.

  2. You used the wrong “ since” it ships be sense. Thanks

  3. I doubt normal temp has changed much as it would begin to affect chemical processes in the body but the way we take temp has changed 98.6 is normal internal temp taken at rectum you should deduct a degree if taken orally or in the ear and up to 2 degrees if on forehead because the farther away from the core the cooler you get now today we are using thermal detectors so one would expect 96.6-97.6 as normal if taken superficially.

  4. Mine has always been much lower, as is my daughter’s. I never even get up to 99 unless I’m VERY sick. This has always been frustrating when trying to convince healthcare professionals that I actually do have a fever (especially the school nurse when I was younger! )

  5. My temp has always been 97.3 so a year or so ago when I got sick and my temp was 99.9 I told the nurse that I have a fever. Got the weirdest look told them my temperature is normally 97.3. they said that my temperature should be 98.6 for normal and I said nope not me minds always been 97.3. I get the weirdest looks every time LOL

  6. please check your spelling. You used since for sense.

  7. My normal temp is 96.8. When I mention this to a nurse, they always just ignore it. So I think if my temp shows 98.6 I have almost two degrees of temp. I discovered my normal temp when taking chemo 30 years ago. I had to take temp several times a day.

  8. My normal temperature is almost always 95.7 to 96.8… It jumps around within those boundaries. I knew I wasn’t as weird as is thought.

  9. My normal temperature is almost always 95.7 to 96.8… It jumps around within those boundaries. I knew I want as weird as is thought.

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