How can you measure your body temperature without a thermometer?

“You have a runny nose, you have a headache but you aren’t sure whether if you have a fever or not. In addition to this, you don’t have a thermometer at hand. What should we do in such situations?” Doctor Oleg Abakumov from Doctorpiter gave us the answer to this question.

“Some things have a very simple answer.For example you have a very high fever like your forehead is on fire and then you start freezing. Your body reacts in this way because it’s fighting the virus. The general advice of doctors is to wrap the patient tightly with a blanket and allow them to sweat properly which is a very good advice.

However, there are situations when it is not always clear whether a fever is present. Despite all the symptoms, you still need to consult a thermometer to be sure. But the thermometer may not be available at that very moment. Also, electronic ones are not always trustable or they may be broken.”

Therapist Oleg Abakumov shared with us a proven method that is suitable for both children and adults and will help you understand exactly whether your fever is rising.:

First of all we need to measure the patient’s pulse!

“So set a 60-second timer, place your fingers on the sick person’s wrist and count how many pulses they have beat during that time. 1 degree increase in temperature equals 10 beats per minute. So, if you noticed that the sick person had 20 more beats than the normal number. There is an increase of 2 degrees, so in this case, the patient’s current fever is 38 degrees which is a very serious condition.

As far as we know, the average pulse for children over 10 years old and adults is 60-80 beats per minute. Therefore, a pulse rate with 90 beats on the wrist corresponds to a temperature of 37.5 degrees, while a pulse rate with 100 beats indicates a temperature of 38.5 degrees. While a pulse up to 120 beat is considered normal in preschool children; a pulse up to 130 for one to two years old and a pulse up to 160 for infants up to one year old are considered normal.

We should not forget about traditional and proven methods. Touching your forehead, back, stomach… They should be warmer than usual when you have a fever. Cheeks may turn red in high fever, especially in children. If the sick person is shivering, complaining of a severe headache and still feeling cold, then necessary measures should be taken to lower the body temperature,” added Dr. Abakumov.