Temperature without a thermometer - ways to measure by heart rate and respiratory rate. How to determine if there is a temperature without a thermometer Determining the temperature by pulse

Body temperature rises in response to infection. This is a kind of protective reaction, the functioning of the immune system. Doctors advise against knocking down if the thermometer is less than 38 degrees. You need to give the body the opportunity to fight itself. But the fever is dangerous: the body becomes dehydrated, the state of health worsens. You cannot do without drugs.

It happens that loved ones feel bad, and there is not even a thermometer at hand. It is necessary to do something, to give some medicine. How to determine which one? Maybe it's not the temperature? A situation that brings us closer to panic, and those close to us - to fainting. Knowing how to determine the temperature without a thermometer will come in handy.

  • the person feels weak;
  • he is shivering;
  • face and neck redden or red spots appear on the skin.

Sometimes bones ache and the eyes become inflamed. Sweating sometimes increases.

All these signs cannot be absolute for determining a high body temperature. It's even more difficult with small children. Some of them rush about the house with heat, as if healthy. And if an adult wants to drink often, then the kids have to be forced.

External indicators of heat are individual for each person. Therefore, you should not rely on observation results.

How to measure temperature without a thermometer?

There is a measuring device in every home medicine cabinet. Anyone knows how long a thermometer needs to be held, how to use it, read readings (if the thermometer is not electronic). Why check the condition without a thermometer?

Situations are different. It can become bad in any place where there is no home first aid kit and no life-saving thermometer. And there may be no thermometer at home. Crashed. And they haven't bought a new one yet.

We will measure in other ways:


When a loved one begins to have a fever, convulsions, delirium appear, we urgently call an ambulance. It's not up to measurements. Most likely, a loved one is tormented by a strong fever.

All of us have long been accustomed to various home medical devices that help us to control our health. The simplest and most unpretentious of these devices is a medical thermometer. Although most of us call it simply - "thermometer". So, this very thermometer may not always be available, and you suddenly have a suspicion that your body temperature has crept up. How can you measure it if for some reason you didn't have a thermometer? It turns out that everything is quite possible without a thermometer. Blood pressure is measured without a tonometer (here it is shown how this is done), and the body temperature is not as complex as the pressure. If you know what to "catch on", then you can accurately determine the body temperature without a thermometer.

How do you know if there is a temperature without a thermometer?

36.6 is the indicator of our body temperature, which we consider the norm. But, this temperature is not always the case (more on this in more detail). But, if you do not go into the subtleties, then you need to proceed from this indicator. It is known that if the temperature rises by a degree, the pulse will accelerate by eight beats. So, it would be nice to know your And, already based on these data, you can easily determine the body temperature.

Determine body temperature using this data

If your resting heart rate was 70 beats per minute, and now it is, say, 84, you need to calculate the difference. 84 minus 70, we get 14 and divide by 8 (based on this sentence "the temperature has risen by a degree, the pulse will accelerate by eight beats.") We get - 1.75 (that is, we divided 14 by 8). This means that the body temperature has increased by 1.75 degrees and has become a little higher than 38 degrees!

So, REMEMBER:

  1. plus 12 strokes to the norm - a temperature of 38 degrees;
  2. plus 20 \u003d 39 degrees;
  3. plus 30 \u003d 40 degrees.

At elevated temperatures, warm or almost hot skin will be at the elbows, in the popliteal caps and at the base of the skull. Sweat can appear on the forehead and cool it. Therefore, touching the forehead is not entirely reliable.

How to reduce body temperature without pills?

Here is what the herbalist Tatyana Vladimirovna SHCHERBAKOVA (Moscow) advises at high temperatures

Cucumbers do well with this symptom. They have cleansing and cooling properties. If the temperature is over 38.5 degrees, you can drink half a glass of fresh cucumber juice. Maximum per day - up to 200 ml. Additionally, wipe the body with cucumber juice - and go straight to bed.

For antiviral and antipyretic action, with ARVI, mix 100 ml of fresh cucumber juice, 1 tsp. chopped garlic and 1 tbsp. honey. Take 3 tbsp. two to three times a day until recovery.

Use with caution in people suffering from gastritis with high acidity.

By the way, a thermometer (if you did find it) will help you

And watch the video, where they will tell you about some more ways to measure body temperature without a thermometer. Including about this one. Part of the video is in Ukrainian, but all important information is in Russian. Look, I think you will understand everything without problems.

Body temperature is a very important indicator that indicates serious malfunctions in the body. A high or low temperature indicates that the body is fighting and resisting negative factors.

Therefore, having a temperature is not bad, but very good. Indeed, in many people suffering from autoimmune diseases, the temperature simply does not rise, because the body does not resist a virus, bacteria or other factors. As Hippocrates said - "Give me a fever, and I will cure the patient!"

But what if there is a suspicion of changes in body temperature, but there is no thermometer at hand? Of course, you can touch a person's forehead and roughly estimate changes in his body temperature. But some people feel the temperature only with serious deviations, and minor fluctuations can go unnoticed. But what if you suspect you have a high fever, but no one is around? In this article we will try to answer all these questions and tell you about popular methods of measuring body temperature without a thermometer.

How to understand if a person has a high temperature

Here are some signs of a fever in an adult and a child.

  1. Rapid breathing. The breathing of a patient with an elevated body temperature becomes more frequent, especially after 38 degrees. Normally, the number of breaths of an adult is per minute. Children breathe a little more often, breaths per minute. If this number is significantly higher, the person is likely to have a fever.
  2. Red cheeks. At elevated body temperature, the complexion changes, especially in children. The cheeks turn bright red - this is noticeable with the naked eye.
  3. Thirst. This is a common symptom of fever, since the body loses a large amount of moisture during heat exchange. If a person complains that their mouth is dry and thirsty more often than usual, they most likely have a fever.
  4. Hot breath. Ask the patient to blow into your palm. This is a very effective way to check your body temperature. Even at low temperatures, the breath will be noticeably hot. The method is also effective in that you can measure the temperature yourself. Blow on the clenched fist of the hand - at elevated temperatures, breathing will seem burning.
  5. Cold limbs. Often, at high temperatures, the baby's feet and hands remain cold and cannot get warm in any way. This is due to the narrowing of the blood vessels. This is a rather dangerous phenomenon - in addition to antipyretics, you need to rub legs and arms, massage, wrap, apply to a heating pad. Such manifestations indicate a temperature above 40 degrees.
  6. Pulse. If you have a stopwatch and know how to measure your heart rate, this will help you determine the approximate level of body temperature. Measure your heart rate and compare it with the norm. For example, a healthy eight-year-old child has a heart rate of approximately 100 beats per minute when at rest. If the measured pulse is equal to 120 beats, then the difference is 20. Multiply it by 0.1 and get the number 2. This means that the temperature is increased by 2 degrees, that is, it is 36.8 degrees. The diagram, of course, is not accurate, but it allows you to at least roughly find out the level of temperature rise.
  7. Hot areas of the body. You can quickly check the temperature by simply placing your hand on your forehead, temples. There are some areas of the body that get hotter at high temperatures, they can be identifiers. This is the armpit, knee bend, groin fold.
  8. Convulsions. If the child is seized by convulsions, especially long-term convulsions, it means that the temperature has exceeded 40. It is very dangerous, you cannot self-medicate. You need to give the child an antipyretic, call an ambulance, remove the top layer of clothing, wipe the baby with warm water and wait for a doctor.

To determine the body temperature of a child, you can use special thermometers that are built into the nipple. You can measure body temperature with ear and infrared thermometers, which give the result after bringing the device to the patient's temple in just a matter of seconds.

An elevated temperature may indicate viral, bacterial and infectious infections. In general, a huge number of diseases can be accompanied by high fever. If the temperature is above 39 degrees or a small child in the role of a patient, it is very dangerous to self-medicate - call a doctor immediately. You should also call an ambulance even at low temperatures, if the child has neurological abnormalities - the risk of seizures in such a baby is high.

Low temperature signs

Much less often, a situation of low body temperature may occur, which also requires timely attention. If the baby's temperature has dropped, he may become sleepy, lie down on the bed, his hands and feet become cold, his face becomes pale. At the same time, the forehead and chest begin to grow cold, tingling is felt in the limbs.

In this case, you need to drink a glass of hot sweet tea, wrap the patient in a warm blanket and put him to bed. A short-term and insignificant drop in temperature is most often not dangerous and can occur as a result of overstrain - both emotional and physical. If the temperature does not rise after the measures taken, it is better to see a doctor. In women of fertile age, a decrease in temperature may be associated with the onset of pregnancy.

Low or high body temperature is just a reaction to an underlying disease or external influence. The human body is very smart and in many cases tries to "get rid" of the problems on its own. Even if you managed to bring the temperature back to normal, pay attention to the disease itself and try to find out the cause of the incident. Monitor your body temperature - it will tell you about the state of your body.

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How to determine body temperature without a thermometer: measure without a thermometer

The temperature of the human body always rises in response to the penetration of a pathogenic infection into the body. That is why we observe the temperature in case of colds.

By and large, an increase in body temperature is a kind of protective reaction of the immune system, which thus tries to destroy the infection.

Interestingly, even doctors do not advise to start knocking down the temperature if the reading on the thermometer scale is not higher than 38 degrees.

However, high heat for the body and the body is dangerous:

  • There is a risk of dehydration.
  • The state of health decreases.

In such cases, antipyretic drugs are necessary, but how to determine the temperature if there is no thermometer. The choice of the drug depends on the degree of heat, but without a thermometer it is quite difficult to determine the temperature, but it is possible.

External signs

First of all, it is necessary to monitor the patient's well-being, external signs of his behavior and well-being will help determine the presence of temperature even without a thermometer.

The patient will experience the following symptoms:

  1. Weakness in the body.
  2. Chills.
  3. The face and neck turn red.
  4. The eyes become inflamed and the sclera redden.
  5. Sweating intensifies.

Each of these signs can be absolute in order to correctly determine whether a person has a temperature even without using a thermometer.

It is somewhat more difficult to determine the temperature in young children, since sometimes they can run and play with heat, as if they are healthy, and the parents simply do not notice the temperature in the child for a long time.

How to determine the temperature

Every person knows how to measure the temperature with a thermometer, but how to do it if there is no device?

There are a few easy ways to get the temperature information you need without a thermometer. The data may not be very accurate, but it will allow you to determine whether there is a fever, and accordingly, it will be possible to make a decision about treatment or the choice of an appropriate drug.

The easiest way to find out if there is fever and fever is by touching the patient's forehead. This is the simplest method and does not always give an accurate result.

You can touch your forehead with your palm or lips, and by how hot it is, you can conclude that there is heat.

Erroneous perception of temperature can be in the event that cold perspiration appears on the forehead, which cools the forehead in a peculiar way, and does not allow us to know for sure whether there is a temperature.

Another point is the temperature of the toes and hands. If they are cold, this means that the patient has a high fever, and even without having to measure it with a thermometer, it is clear that the fever is above 38 degrees.

The second method of determining body temperature without using a device is to monitor the patient's breathing. The following criteria can be noted here:

  • Breathing at a temperature becomes rapid and heavy.
  • A healthy person makes 12 to 17 breaths in minutes. A higher number indicates fever.
  • The number of inhalations and exhalations at temperature more than doubles.

For completeness, the patient's pulse can be measured. At a temperature, the pulse always jumps, a person's heart beats much more often during a heat. And there is a pattern - every extra 10 beats per minute, this is 1 degree of temperature.

That is, at a rate of 80 beats per minute, it can be understood that if a person's pulse is 100, then his temperature at that moment is approaching 38 degrees.

And, of course, there are signs of a serious complication when no thermometer is needed to determine the heat. If the patient begins to feel fever, convulsions and delirium are observed, an ambulance must be called urgently.

At extremely high temperatures, there is a risk of damage to both internal organs and the brain.

The video in this article will show you how, from a medical point of view, to measure body temperature.

When one of the family members is sick, I can understand the high temperature without a thermometer. I immediately notice the heartbeat. If it is more frequent, then in any way the temperature is not less than 38 degrees.

We measure the temperature without a thermometer

Methods for determining body temperature

There are several ways to determine body temperature without a thermometer, taking into account the symptoms of a sick baby.

  1. "Fire" on the body. Doctors recommend checking the temperature in places such as the groin and axillary region, the hollows under the knees. You need to put your hand to these places with the back side. If the folds of the fingers feel heat, then it is safe to say that the body temperature has risen above 38 degrees.
  2. Cold feet and hands. If you can see that your child has a fever, but the fingers and toes are cold to the touch, it also indicates that there is a fever.
  3. Thirst. This symptom does not always appear, but often the patient may complain of dry mouth. It also speaks of dehydration of the body due to the rise in temperature.
  4. Hot stomach, neck and forehead. If you feel that the tummy or forehead of the crumbs are very hot, and this cannot be confused with anything, then the body temperature is close to 39 degrees.
  5. Pulse. If you know the baby's pulse when he is healthy, then if you suspect a fever, you can determine the temperature from the pulse. To do this, calculate the frequency of beats per minute. Let's say you get 130 hits. Now subtract the normal heart rate from this value (for children under 5 years old, it is equal to 100 beats). It turns out a figure that needs to be multiplied by 0.1 and add the normal temperature value of 36.6. In our case, we get the following result - () * 0.1 + 36.6 \u003d 39.6
  6. Convulsions. If you notice that the baby has seizures that last less than 3 minutes, then this also means that the temperature has risen to 39 degrees.
  7. Face colour. With an increase in body temperature, the skin changes. You can see that the baby's face turns red or has bright red spots, usually on the cheeks.
  8. Breath. When a child has a fever, his heart works at an increased speed. This can be clearly seen in the baby's breathing. If the temperature does not exceed 38 degrees, then changes in breathing will not be noticeable. But as soon as the value rises to 39 degrees, the baby will begin to breathe much more often and it will be more difficult for him to do it.

By these signs, you can always find out the temperature without using a thermometer. It is not possible to determine its exact meaning in this way, but it is quite possible to understand that the baby needs to be given an antipyretic or call an ambulance.

Danger of dry heat

In addition to how to determine without a thermometer whether the baby has a temperature, it is worth learning about what speaks of extremely high rates. A temperature of 40.5-41 degrees can be noticed by symptoms such as inflammation of the mucous membranes of the eyes and the absence of sweating. If you gave your baby an antipyretic, but he continues to "burn" and does not sweat, then you need to urgently call an ambulance. At such moments, the clock goes on. Urgently wipe the baby with water at room temperature, insert a candle and expect an ambulance to arrive.

You can measure the temperature of your baby in different ways, but it is simply not possible to do this for sure. Therefore, try to always keep a spare thermometer in the house, and at the first symptoms of the disease it is better to stay at home.

Where do you measure the temperature? Under your arm? In vain - this is not the best place. Experts from the University of Örebro (Sweden) were able to help us decide where to put the thermometer at the first symptoms of influenza and acute respiratory infections. During the study, they measured the temperature of the volunteers in the armpit, mouth, ear, vagina and rectum. Who do you think won?

323 patients University clinic bravely endured the hardships of the experiment. As it turned out, not in vain. The word "shove" in the end really turned out to be the most appropriate. Scientists have obtained convincing data that the most accurate result is given by measuring the temperature in the rectum.

According to scientists, ear thermometry readings distort hair and earwax, it is difficult to hold a thermometer in your mouth correctly, and the result of axillary thermometry is affected by deodorant and clothing. But measuring degrees in the rectum may not be very convenient, but accurate.

Vaginal thermometry also gives a correct result, but statistics prevented from calling this method the most preferable one.


Normal temperature readings

    02.08.2016 - 31.08.2020

    235d left.

    And so, here are the normal temperature readings for different measurement methods:

    • - orally - 35.7-37.3;
    • - rectally - 36.2-37.7,
    • - axillary (in the armpits) - 35.2-36.7.
    • - inguinal fold 36.3 ° -36.9 ° C.
    • - vagina - 36.7 ° -37.5 ° C

    Important: Oral and rectal temperature measurements are more accurate than armpit temperatures.

    The most familiar way of measurement - axillary, by the way, turned out to be the most inaccurate. The normal temperature in the armpit starts not from 36.6 ° C, but from 36.3 ° C. Normally, the difference between the armpits is from 0.1 to 0.3 ° C. So it turns out that an error of 0.5 ° for axillary thermometry is common. And if the thermometer shows 36.9 ° for several days, and you actually have 37.4 °, it can already be dangerous.

    Basic rules for measuring temperature


    Not ready to change habits, then here's to you 10 basic rules for measuring temperature.

    1. 1. The room temperature should be 18-25 degrees. If less, the thermometer must first be warmed in the palms for about half a minute.
    2. 2. Wipe the armpit with a tissue or dry towel. Doing so will significantly reduce the chances of the meter cooling due to sweat evaporation.
    3. 3. Do not forget to shake the mercury thermometer or turn on the electronic one (Gamma, Omron, Microlife).
    4. 4. The metal tip of an electronic thermometer (or a conventional mercury column) should fall into the deepest point of the depression, tightly in contact with the body. It should be noted that the density of the abutment must be maintained throughout the measurement period.
    5. 5. The temperature is not measured immediately after a walk, physical activity, a hearty meal, hot tea, a warm bath, and nervous overexcitement (for example, if the child cried for a long time). You need to wait 10-15 minutes.
    6. 6. During the measurement, you cannot move, talk, eat, drink.
    7. 7. Measurement time for a mercury thermometer - 6-10 minutes, electronic - 1-3 minutes... Remember: electronic thermometers are safer than mercury thermometers.
    8. 8. You need to get the thermometer smoothly - due to friction against the skin, a few tenths of a degree may be added.
    9. 9. During illness, the temperature should be measured in the morning (7-9 am) and in the evening (between 17 and 21). It is important to do this at the same time, before taking antipyretic drugs or 30-40 minutes after.
    10. 10. If the thermometer is used by all family members, it should be wiped with a disinfectant solution and wiped dry after each use.

    Question answer

    The questions are answered by a therapist of the highest category Sulimanova Elena Petrovna

    Why is the reading of an electronic thermometer sometimes different from a mercury one?

    Because we are using the first wrong. After the device beeps, you need to hold it for about a minute - then the result will be correct.

    How to properly hold a thermometer under your arm?

    The thermometer probe must be positioned exactly in the middle of the armpit.

    To obtain an accurate result, the thermal sensor of an electronic thermometer should fit as closely as possible to the skin under the arm. The hand must be firmly pressed against the body until the end of the measurement.

    Under which armpit should the temperature be measured correctly?

    There is no difference, usually it is the armpit of the non-working hand, but again, there is no difference. There is a slight difference when measuring pressure.

    How to measure temperature without a thermometer?

    Lips, the touch of the lips to the forehead of the sick person. If there is really a fever, it will be simply impossible not to feel it in this situation. The lips, unlike the hand, with which you can also try to measure temperature, are more sensitive.

    Another way to determine fever without a thermometer is to set the heart rate. According to medical research, with an increase in body temperature in people by 1 degree, their pulse is proportionally able to increase in frequency by about 10 beats per minute... Therefore, a high heart rate may be a direct consequence of a patient's fever.

When it is necessary to help a loved one, you can determine the fever and high temperature without resorting to the help of a thermometer. Although it is important to remember that any such symptoms are a reason to see a doctor!

1. Touch your lips to your forehead or neck

You can also do this with the back of your hand or eyelid. In young children, the tummy first becomes hot.

2. Listen to your heart

This advice will help not only in matters of the heart, but when an elevated temperature is detected. A sick person's heart beats much more often.

Scientists are sure that there is a certain pattern - an increase in body temperature by 1 degree leads to an increase in the frequency of contractions by 10 beats per minute.

If the normal human pulse is 80 beats per minute, then with an increase in this indicator to 100, the temperature can be about 38.5 ° C.

3. Constant thirst

Very often, although not always, at elevated and high temperatures, a person is thirsty. Find out if the child is thirsty? Or see how often he drinks water.

4. Breathing will tell

At rest, a person without pronounced health problems can take 12-17 breaths / exhalations per minute. If breathing is rapid during rest, this is a sign of fever. In case of fever and fever, adults and children breathe on average 2 times more often than usual.

5. Red or pale cheeks

Severe pallor or, on the contrary, a bright blush on the cheeks may indicate an elevated body temperature, depending on the type of fever.

During winter, very high temperatures can be a sign of seasonal flu. It is important to remember that this disease is contagious and it is transmitted by airborne droplets from a sick person to a healthy one.

At a high temperature in one of the family members, it is better to try to isolate him from small children, the elderly and pregnant women. This disease is the most dangerous for them.

In a person, it can take 5-7 days between infection and the first symptoms of influenza from the moment of infection. During this period, he is a danger to others, although he does not look sick at the same time. That is why it is so important to treat it according to modern protocols.

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