Temperature

What is considered elevated temperature. For many mothers, the thermometer is a scarecrow. It is difficult for them to read his testimony. They are confused by the difference between the temperature of the mouth and anus.

Perhaps, it's better if someone in practice shows you how to use a thermometer, but the basics are as follows. Most thermometers are graded in the same way. A long dash denotes every degree, and a short one denotes a tenth of a degree. The figures for lack of space indicate only whole degrees. Usually the arrow( or red dash) indicates a normal temperature of 36.6 degrees.

First of all, it should be understood that the normal temperature of the child is not necessarily 36.6 degrees. It is always slightly higher or slightly lower, depending on the time of day and the occupation of the child. Usually it is lower in the early morning and higher in the evening. However, these fluctuations during the day are insignificant. In a perfectly healthy child, the temperature can be 37 degrees and even 37.8 if it has run a lot before( on the other hand, the temperature of 38.3 and above means that the child is ill, regardless of whether he ran before or not).In older children, the temperature is less dependent on the type of occupation. All of this means that if you want to check if a slight increase in temperature is the result of a disease, you should measure it after about a hour of rest.

In diseases accompanied by fever, it is usually the lowest morning and the highest in the afternoon. But do not be surprised if the temperature in the morning is high, and by evening it goes down. In some diseases, the temperature does not fluctuate, but remains constantly high. Most often it happens with pneumonia and child rubella. Sometimes at the end of the illness the temperature is below normal( 36 degrees);The same happens in healthy babies and small children on winter nights. If the child feels well, there is nothing to worry about.

Now about the difference between the temperature of the mouth and the rectal. Each part of the body has its own temperature. The temperature of the body is above all, because it is large and protected by clothing. The temperature of the anus is measured to five to six years, because the child can not hold the thermometer under the tongue or can bite it. Rectal temperature slightly higher than the temperature of the mouth, but not more than a degree. Usually the difference is half a degree.

Thermometer. The only difference between a rectal thermometer and a thermometer for the mouth is in the form of a mercury head. The rectal thermometer has a round thermometer that does not have angles. The thermometer for the mouth is long and thin, which allows mercury to heat up faster in the mouth. The marking of both thermometers is the same and has one value( in other words, they are not marked in different ways to compensate for the difference in temperature between the mouth and the anus).A clean rectal thermometer can be taken in the mouth, and a mouth thermometer used as a rectal, only carefully.

Most thermometers show temperature after a minute in the rectum. If you observe the thermometer in the baby's rectum, you will notice that first the mercury column rises quickly. This lasts for the first 20 seconds. Then the column almost stops and rises barely noticeably. This means that if you are nervous and the child resists, you can measure the temperature quickly, having obtained its approximate value.

To measure the temperature of the mouth, it takes more time - from one and a half to two minutes. This is because the mouth was open and warmed not immediately, but the mercury head is surrounded by air.

How to measure temperature. Before you measure the temperature, shake the thermometer. Firmly grip the upper end of the thermometer( opposite the mercury head) in the fingers. Vigorously, with sharp, jerky movements, shake. The bar should drop to 36 degrees or lower. If the post does not drop, shake again. While not used, shake the thermometer over the bed or sofa. In that case, it will not break if you drop it. The worst thing is to shake the thermometer in the bathroom, because there are solid surfaces.

If you are using a rectal thermometer, immerse the head in vaseline or cold cream. The best position of the child is on your stomach on your lap. In this position, he can not break free and his feet will not hurt you. Carefully insert the thermometer into the anus. Push it lightly, let the thermometer find the direction. If you keep the thermometer rigid, it can rest against the wall of the intestine and cause the child pain. When you have entered a thermometer, it is better to remove your fingers from the end of the thermometer, because because of the baby's jerks the thermometer can change the position and cause him pain. Instead, place your hand on the baby's buttocks and hold the thermometer between two fingers, like a cigarette.

An older child who can already lie peacefully can be laid sideways in bed, while he flexes his knees. It is more difficult to find the anus when the baby lies flat on the stomach. And the most difficult pose is on the back. In this position it is more difficult to get to the anus, and with your feet the child can hit you - accidentally or on purpose.

When you get used, reading the thermometer readings is very easy. Most thermometers resemble triangles in shape, with one more pointed side. This sharp side should be directed to you. In this position, the notation of degrees is at the top, and the numbers are at the bottom. And between them is the space in which the mercury column is located. Do not be very worried because of tenths of a degree. The difference of two to three tenths does not really matter. The doctor is interested in the approximate temperature. When you tell the doctor the temperature, name the number, and then add - the mouth or anus. I say this because some mothers believe that only the temperature of the mouth is right. They measure the rectal temperature, and then calculate what the temperature of the mouth should be. It is usually better to measure the temperature in the morning and in the afternoon.

Next question: how many days to measure the temperature? Here's how it happens. A child has a cold with a high fever. The doctor comes regularly and tells mothers to measure the temperature twice a day. Finally the temperature subsides, the child recovers normally, he now has only a slight cough and runny nose. The doctor at the next examination finds that everything is in order, and advises the mother to allow the child to walk, as soon as the cold finally passes. Two weeks later, the mother calls the doctor and reports that she and the child were tired of sitting at home, that a runny nose and cough disappeared ten days ago that the child looks fine and eats well, but the "temperature" is still 37.5 in the evenings. As I explained above, this is not necessarily a sign of illness. Ten days spent in confinement are a mistake. If the temperature is several days below 38, forget about it, unless the doctor has given other instructions and if the child does not look sick. Do not get used to measuring the temperature of a child when he is healthy.

What urgent measures to take when the temperature rises. Between a year and five a child's temperature can rise to forty degrees and higher in the most common illnesses, such as colds, flu, tonsillitis. On the other hand, dangerous diseases can occur at relatively low temperatures. Therefore, do not be alarmed if the child has a high fever, but contact the doctor if your child seems sick to you.

If on the first day of illness the child has a temperature of forty degrees or more and if it takes at least an hour before you can talk to your doctor even over the phone, it is reasonable, as an urgent measure, to slightly bring down the temperature with wet rubbing and aspirin, one "child"aspirin to a one-year-old child( one grain with a quarter), two tablets - between a year and five( two and a half grains).( Keep aspirin in a place where the baby does not reach it.)

The goal of wet rubbing is to draw blood to the surface and coolPthen evaporation of moisture on the skin.(Traditionally, alcohol was used for rubbing, but if applied in a small room, too much is inhaled, and in any case water is also suitable, although the smell is not so "sick".)

Undress the baby and cover with a light sheet or blanket. Wet your hands in a basin of water. Open one hand of the baby and gently rub it for several minutes, moistening every time the hands dry. Close your hand. Go to the second hand, then just rub your legs, chest, back. After half an hour again, measure the temperature and, if it does not fall below forty degrees, repeat grinding. You need to keep the temperature below forty before the doctor comes, because in young children, the high temperature causes a trembling of the body or even convulsions. If the child has a high fever and he is red, cover it only with a light blanket at room temperature, maybe even a sheet. You can not effectively knock down the temperature if it is warmly covered. Naturally, if the child is cold, you need to cover it warmer.

Many parents are convinced that the temperature itself is dangerous, and are ready to knock it down with medications, even if it is not high. But you need to remember that the temperature is not a disease. This is one of the ways by which the body defeats the infection. Temperature helps to monitor the course of the disease. In one case, the doctor wants to bring down the temperature, because it prevents the child from sleeping or tiring it. In another - he does not knock it down, but focuses on treating the disease itself.