Which Thermometer Is Best For You

The thermometer is one of the most important instruments to have in your medicine cabinet. When you feel some malaise or feverish, you would want to know whether your body temperature is rising. A thermometer will help you to know the temperature level of your body and help you decide if there is a need to visit the doctor.

 This simple device, used to measure the temperature of a body, is ubiquitously present with the doctors in clinics and in the medical box at homes. For us non medical people, it becomes very important to more about thermometers before buying them. We have to keep in mind accuracy, dependability and specific utility.

Medical thermometers are generally classified as:

1.       Liquid-filled thermometers

2.       Digital/Electronic thermometers

3.       Infra red thermometers

1.       Liquid-filled thermometers:

These are the traditional type of thermometers and the only ones available earlier. It consists of a glass tube filled with a liquid like mercury or alcohol. The liquid expands when heated and goes up along the glass column. Similarly, it contracts when cooled, and the liquid level comes back to normal. The time taken for a temperature reading is longer when compared to digital thermometers.

Though accurate and reliable, nowadays, the use of liquid filled thermometers is being discouraged due to the risk of the glass tube getting damaged. Another reason being, mercury is a poisonous metal and there is a risk of inhaling the vapors, in case there is breakage.

2.       Digital/electronic thermometers:

These types of thermometers are most commonly used to record body temperature. They use electronic heat sensors to measure body temperature and display it on an LCD. Since the reading is displayed, ‘reading error’ is removed. Digital thermometers are very fast and can record temperature in as less as 30 seconds! Some brands even come with back light and a beep or a ring as an alert for fever. 

Easy to read, inexpensive, accurate and durable are the features, which make it the best digital thermometer in India.

3.       Infrared thermometers

Infrared thermometers measure temperature by recording thermal radiation emitted by the body. Some expensive models of these can measure temperature without making any contact with the body!

Body Temperature

The normal body temperature is 98.6F or 37C. If the temperature goes beyond 103F, a doctor should be consulted.

There are generally five ways to measure temperature:

1.       Under the armpit

2.       Under the tongue

3.       Through the rectum

4.       In the ear

5.       Without contact

You can choose to take body temperature in any of the above ways, keeping in mind the age of the person.