The low body temperature in an adult and the child - why and what it means. What to do if low body temperature. How to raise low body temperature

Many factors affect the body temperature. Normal body temperature has a fairly wide frame and, contrary to popular delusion, should not be equal to 36.6 degrees Celsius. But if with the tactics of actions with an increase in body temperature more or less clear, then a decrease in the temperature of the body of many is at a dead end. Next, we will talk about how to properly measure body temperature, what indicator is considered a low temperature of the human body, about the possible reasons for the decrease and methods of raising body temperature.

Low body temperature. How to properly measure the temperature in the axillary cavity?

The temperature can be measured axisillarly (in the axillary hollow), orally (in the mouth), rectally (in the anus), and thympanically (in the area of \u200b\u200bthe external auditory pass).  It is axillar thermometry is most common in the territory of post -Soviet countries, but the subtleties of the proper use of the method are not known to everyone. For 3 ‒5 minutes, which are traditionally assigned to measure temperature, you can find out the temperature of the skin, but in no way internal temperature.

For proper axillary thermometry, you need:

1. Dryness of the armpit. Wet from sweat can distort the result.
2. The duration of the measurement should reach 10 minutes. You can facilitate the task when measuring body temperature for children, if before diagnostics, the child will sit for 5 minutes with his shoulder tightly pressed to the body. During this time, the temperature in the axillary cavity is equal to the internal temperature and the measurement time can be reduced to 5 minutes.
3. When using a mercury thermometer, a column of mercury before starting the measurement should not reach a mark of 35 degrees Celsius.

Low temperature. Norms of body temperature

The upper boundary of the norm for axillar thermometry:

1. Newborn and children under the ages of six months - 36.8 degrees Celsius.
2. Children aged six months to 6 years - 37.7 degrees Celsius.
3. Children over 6 years old and adults up to 65 years old - 37 degrees Celsius.
4. Adults over 65 years old - 36.3 degrees Celsius.

If the body temperature is below 36, but above 35.5 degrees Celsius, then there is no cause for concern.  The temperature of 35.5 degrees Celsius and below is considered a decrease. The body temperature below 35 degrees is regarded as hypothermia.

When using other thermometry methods, you should not be surprised at higher values. The oral temperature is higher than the axilular by 0.3 ‒0.6 degrees Celsius. The difference between the norms for the tympanum or rectal and axillar temperature is even greater, the latter is 0.6 ‒1.2 degrees below.

Low body temperature: Causes

Physiological causes of low temperature

The body temperature is influenced by many factors that are beyond us:

1. Age. In preschool children, normal body temperature is higher than in adults. The exception is newborn babies.
2. Floor. According to statistics, lower body temperature is observed in men: it is 0.5 ‒0.7 degrees Celsius are lower than that of the beautiful half of humanity.
3. The daily cycle of the sun. In the morning, the lower body temperature of all people, in the absence of complaints, is absolutely normal.

Moreover, the body temperature in 10 percent of healthy people does not fit into the norm. If at low body temperature there are no complaints and during the examination there were no pathologies, then this is considered a variant of the norm for a particular person.

Hypothermia as a cause of low temperature

The human body temperature is regulated using the mechanisms of heat production and heat transfer. Heat transfer intensifies when a person is exposed to a low ambient temperature. With an excessively debt in such conditions or immaturity of the thermoregulation system, the body temperature decreases and hypothermia may develop.

Diseases and injuries of the nervous system as a cause of low body temperature

• Thermoregulation center is located in the hypothalamus. When traumatized the hypothalamus, its functions can be disrupted.
• Neoplasms in the brain can squeeze the hypothalamus, provoke a violation of cerebral circulation, which can lead to a decrease in body temperature.
• With a cerebral infarction, a decrease in body temperature is possible. In addition to this symptom, the disease is manifested by common and focal neurological symptoms.

Low body temperature and immunodeficiency states

Immunodeficiency are primary and secondary.

1. Primary immunodeficiencies are congenital defects in the immune system.
2. Secondary immunodeficiency is called acquired immunological reactivity disorders. Secondary IDS can be caused by a lot of reasons, such as:

• insufficient nutrition and subsequent cachexia;
• parasitic invasions;
• chronic infectious diseases: HIV, tuberculosis, herpes, viral hepatitis in chronic form, rubella, pneumococcosis, staphylococcosis, etc.;
• extensive or hidden bleeding;
• strong burns;
• stress syndrome;
• diarrhea syndrome;
• severe injuries;
• recently undergone surgery;
• acute or chronic poisoning caused by the use of drugs, chemical toxic substances. A decrease in body temperature during intoxication is associated with inhibition of the nervous system, with the participation of which it is maintained by constant body temperature. The cause of the low body temperature 34.5 degrees Celsius is often a radiation disease;
• injection of antipyretic or vasoconstrictor means, reducing body temperature often occurs during the treatment of respiratory infections in children.  Excess of the daily dose of antipyretics or too high a single dose leads to the fact that the child has either high or low body temperature;
• alcohol abuse, use of narcotic substances. In a person under the influence of these substances, an adequate perception of reality is disrupted. Alcohol and opiates have a vasodilating property, which creates a false impression of heat.  Because of this, a person who is intoxicated may not feel cold and even fall asleep on the street in the cold season, which can lead to sad consequences;
• due to physiological reasons, reducing immune defense in children, elderly, pregnant women.  The upper limit of the norm of body temperature for pregnant women is higher than for women who are not in an “interesting” position. But it happens that the body temperature of the future mother decreases.  The low body temperature during pregnancy can be the result of insufficient nutrition caused by early toxicosis. Also, a decrease in body temperature is observed with low hemoglobin, gestational diabetes;

• autoimmune diseases;
• malignant oncological diseases;
• diseases of the endocrine system. In the regulation of body temperature, hormones of the thyroid gland play a huge role. Especially in this situation, hypothyroidism is distinguished: one of the most common reasons why low body temperature is observed in people aged 45 ‒50 years.

Low body temperature at acute respiratory infections

• People are not unreasonably associated with diseases from the group of acute respiratory, primarily with elevated body temperature. But low body temperature with colds is also possible. This happens when, due to acute respiratory infections, the functionality of the body is depleted.
• Low body temperature after the disease can persist for several weeks. In the absence of complaints, this is a variant of the norm.
• Low body temperature and cough can be caused by bronchitis. When this symptoms appear, it is important to see a doctor in order to start treatment in time and prevent the development of complications.

Low body temperature for diseases of the cardiovascular system, liver, kidneys

• High pressure and low body temperature are infrequent and can be manifestations of heart failure or kidney function.
• At low pressure, the vessels are expanded, heat transfer increases and temperature drops. People who have low body temperature are observed in combination with reduced blood pressure, first of all, it is recommended to examine the liver and adrenal glands.

Low temperature and period of newborn

The low body temperature in a child of the first month of life is a common phenomenon. This is due to an immature thermoregulation system. Factors that increase the risk of hypothermia in newborns include:

• non -prematureness;
• low body weight at birth;
• oxygen starvation;
• intrauterine development delay;
• Acute respiratory infections;
• some innate anomalies.

Hormonal fluctuations in the puberty period low temperature

During puberty, the low body temperature in a teenager in the absence of other complaints is an absolutely normal phenomenon. Body temperature in girls stabilizes at the age of 13 ‒14 years. In boys, this process occurs later, at about 18 years old.

Plaints about well -being in combination with low body temperature in children, what to do? Carefully examine the child. The diagnosis of vegeto-vascular dystonia is absent in the territory of post-Soviet countries. —10 and in practice means the underlife or incompetence of the doctor.

Climate and low body temperature

Menopause is natural and artificial. The first occurs due to the depletion of the stock of follicles in the ovaries and occurs, on average, at the age of 45 ‒55 years. The artificial menopause is provoked by the use of some drugs, the radiation effect on the ovaries, and the oo -gractomy.

The low body temperature in women in menopause is caused by a significant decrease in the production of the hormone estradiol, which takes part in the process of thermoregulation. Also, menopause leads to a slowdown in metabolic processes in the woman’s body, which can also be manifested, among other things, a decrease in body temperature.

Acute deficiency of vitamin C and low body temperature

With acute deficiency of ascorbic acid in the body, a disease develops, which is called scurvy. A decrease in body temperature, suppressed condition, lethargy, pallor and roughness of the skin are the first manifestations of scurvy. In the absence of treatment, the disease progresses: scurvy gingivitis develops, a hemorrhagic rash occurs, most often on the legs. In particularly neglected cases, scurvy leads to hemorrhages into the muscles, hemorrhagic pleurisy, and myocardial insufficiency.

What does low body temperature mean?

The reduced body temperature in the absence of complaints from the patient is usually determined by an individual feature of the body.  But the development of hypothermia already indicates the difficulty of the normal functioning of the body.

Moderate hypothermia is considered a state in which body temperature is within 32 ‒35 degrees Celsius. Signs of low body temperature at moderate hypothermia:

• drowsiness;
• apathetic;
• inhibition of consciousness;
• tachycardia;
• tachypnoe;
• shiver;
• stunning.

In severe hypothermia, body temperature is significantly lower than the norm and does not exceed 32 degrees Celsius.

Clinical manifestations of severe hypothermia:

• inhibition of cardiovascular, respiratory systems;
• violation of nervous conduction;
• decrease in mental activity;
• inhibition of metabolism.

Why is the low body temperature dangerous?

In severe hypothermia, the patient cannot warm up independently due to the cessation of the thermoregulation center. If you do not take measures to normalize body temperature, then the person will die.

Low body temperature: how to increase?

With an insignificant decrease in body temperature can be dealt with at home. To do this, take a number of measures:

• Determine the reason for lowering temperature and, if possible, eliminate it.
• Lead a healthy lifestyle, eat right, not overwork.
• To rapidly increase body temperature, a person can take a hot bath or fall off his legs, put on warm clothes, drink hot liquid, use heating heating pads, heated sheets, wrapped in a warm blanket, leaving only a face uncovered.

With severe hypothermia, it is necessary to provide qualified medical care. How to raise a low body temperature in a hospital:

• Reduce heat transfer of the heated.
• Put thermo -insulating dressings on the limbs when frostbite.
• Drinish introduce saliva, heated to 42 ‒45 degrees Celsius.
• Heat the respiratory mixture.

Active warm -up measures are terminated after patients reach the central temperature 33 ‒34 degrees Celsius.

Low body temperature: what to do?

A moderate decrease in body temperature, in the absence of complaints about well -being, does not need treatment. It is necessary to consult a doctor in cases where the thermometer does not reach 35 degrees Celsius or a person feels weakness, dizziness, nausea, etc.

Low body temperature: treatment

Tactics of treatment depends on the cause of the temperature. To identify it, you will need to come for an inspection to the therapist and take at least the following tests:

• General and biochemical blood tests.
• General urine analysis.
• Blood test for TSH.

At the discretion of the doctor, radiography, tomography, ultrasound can be added to the list of studies.

Conclusion

Far from always low body temperature is a sign of the disease. For children of the first month of life, adolescents, men over 65 years old, women in menopause and a certain number of absolutely healthy people, reduced body temperature is a variant of the norm.

The people of 35.5 degrees Celsius considered the underground - the lower boundary of the norm for an adult with axillary thermometry. In the absence of other complaints, this condition also does not harm the body.

However, in addition to the physiological causes and individual characteristics of the body, a low temperature may indicate the development of a number of sufficiently serious diseases. Therefore, the proceedings in the question of what the low body temperature speaks in each case, it is better to leave your doctor.