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When one is hot, the blood vessels in the skin dilate and
carry the excess heat to the skin surface. You begin to
sweat and as the sweat evaporates it helps to cool the
the skin is decreased allowing conservation of body heat.
The involuntary act of shivering causes the muscles to
generate more heat that can be conserved. Under normal
conditions, these reactions of the body to hot and cold
keep body temperature within a narrow safe range.
Body temperature can be measured in many locations of
the body. Most commonly temperature measurements are
taken in the mouth, ear, armpit or rectum. For convenience
and accuracy, an ideal place to measure temperature is the
forehead.
Normal Body Temperature
Body temperature is a characteristic of a person’s
metabolic condition and therefore an indication of health.
Traditionally, an oral temperature of 37°C/98.6°F has been
considered “normal” body temperature. In fact, this gure
is a result of a centuries old study indicating the average
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