Humans are cooling down, body no longer 37°C

[Still Waters]

Everybody knows that the average human body temperature is 37°C – but everybody is wrong. It turns out that the bodies of people in the US have been cooling since the 1860s.

Physicians who have studied body temperature have known for decades that 37°C was too high, says Julie Parsonnet at Stanford University in California. “But they’ve always thought that it was just measurement error in the past, not because temperature had actually dropped.”

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2229715-humans-are-cooling-down-so-average-body-temperature-is-no-longer-37c/

Quote

Human bodies have been getting COLDER since the 19th century: Scientists claim that 'normal' body temperature is now 36.6C NOT 37C

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7868747/Human-bodies-getting-COLDER-19th-century.html

 

[SHaYap]

Maybe that's why cryogenics isn't more successful as of late....

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[+Desertrat56]

So 98.6 F is 37 C?  My normal temperature has always been 97.4, and doctors do know that it is normal.  I was told there has never been a constant normal body temperature, just a range.

[+susieice]

My temperature has always been around 97.5. Sometimes I go into the 98 range, but it isn't considered a fever. That requires a 99.0. It's considered low grade fever until it reaches 100.0.

[Bendy Demon]

We have had it hammered into our collective heads that the 'normal' body temp is 98.6 but the range can be between 96.5 -/+ to 99 +/-  so we are not 'cooling down'. I really detest misleading and ignorant articles like this.

[Kenemet]

1 hour ago, Desertrat56 said:

So 98.6 F is 37 C?  My normal temperature has always been 97.4, and doctors do know that it is normal.  I was told there has never been a constant normal body temperature, just a range.

I had problems with this throughout my life.  When my temp hits 99, I am Really Really sick.

[Kenemet]

11 minutes ago, Bendy Demon said:

We have had it hammered into our collective heads that the 'normal' body temp is 98.6 but the range can be between 96.5 -/+ to 99 +/-  so we are not 'cooling down'. I really detest misleading and ignorant articles like this.

Did you read the article?  They've historically tracked temperature data and our body temps are indeed trending lower.  They've made adjustments for technology as well as gender.

[+Desertrat56]

1 hour ago, susieice said:

My temperature has always been around 97.5. Sometimes I go into the 98 range, but it isn't considered a fever. That requires a 99.0. It's considered low grade fever until it reaches 100.0.

Once, my daughter had a strange episode when she was 4.  I am not sure what happened.  My sister babysat while I worked and I would go to her house for lunch.  One day my daughter and my niece were playing in the back room.  It was july and the house had no air conditioning because the walls were thick and the house stayed cool.  Anyway, my daughter came into the living room pale and shaky and said I don't feel very good.  She got in my lap and fell asleep.  She felt ice cold so my sister got a thermometer and her temp was 90 degrees.  I called the doctor and they said to bring her in at 1, so she slept until time to go.  I got her to the doctor and her temperature was 94 degrees.  I explained to the doctor why I brought her in but the doctor did not believe me.  She said I don't understand why you are here, she seems fine.  She didn't act like she thought I was lying but she really didn't see why I was worried about my daughter.  I took her home and kept an eye on her.  She did not have another episode like that luckily.  I have no clue why that would happen unless it was her heart.

[+susieice]

I'm so glad your daughter recovered and has not had any more episodes. I'm frankly, surprised at the doctor's reaction. She should have given her a physical to see why her temperature dropped like that. Even at 94. I found this about some of the causes of low body temperature. The most common is being in cold weather.

Low body temperature usually happens from being out in cold weather. But it may also be caused by alcohol or drug use, going into shock , or certain disorders such as diabetes or low thyroid . A low body temperature may occur with an infection. This is most common in newborns, older adults, or people who are frail.

Edited January 10, 2020 by susieice

[SHaYap]

I'm just hot, yeah... the thermometer agrees, nice and hot... 

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