Fascinating facts about body temperature
Your body temperature can reveal a lot about your health.💁🏽♀️ According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, body temperature is one of four major vital signals that clinicians consider.👨🏽⚕️ A fever might be caused by an infection, but your body temperature can also vary depending on your age and sex.
What is fever? 🤒
A fever is a temporary rise in your body temperature, often caused by an illness as the Mayo Clinic said. Fever normally disappears after a few days.
If you have a fever you may experience the following symptoms:
-Chills and shivering 🥶
-Headache 🤕
-Sweating 😓
-Muscle aches 😖
-Loss of appetite 😶
-Weakness 😵💫
-Dehydration 🌵
Men and women have different body temperatures👩🏼👨🏼
Researchers from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City discovered that women’s core body temperature is slightly higher than men’s. But, also they discovered that woman’s hands are colder compared to men.
Spicy pepper can cause higher body temperature🌶
Are you a fan of spicy food? If yes, keep in mind that spicy food may raise your core temperature and your metabolism. Participants in a study published in Physiology and Behavior added around 1 gram of red pepper to their diet. Although their core body temperature increased, their skin temperature decreased.
🌡The study demonstrated that people who ate red pepper had increased heat production and decreased feelings of appetite, which may suggest that spice could be helpful for people trying to manage their weight.💪🏼
Older is colder👵🏼
Studies have shown that, as we age our average body temperature declines slightly. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Nursing found that the body temperature of nursing home residents aged 65 to 74 was below average, even lower in people 75 to 84, and lowest among those older than 85. This is important to know, because seniors may have a fever at lower temperatures than younger adults.
A fever can help you fight an infection 🤒
Most people worry about a fever, but it can actually be helpful. According to the Mayo Clinic, various over-the-counter medications can help control fever, but in some cases it may be better to leave it untreated. This is because fever seems to help your body fight off infections. Still, your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic if he or she suspects a bacterial infection, such as pneumonia or strep throat.
In any case, always consult your doctor if you see abnormal changes in your temperature. And always listen to what your body is saying to you!