Body Temperature
Body
Temperature
Definition:-It is the balance between the heat
production and heat loss from the human body. Body heat is measured in degrees
Purposes of measuring body
temperature
•
To
have baseline data about patient
•
To
asses the patients condition
•
To
determine the effectiveness of treatment
Physiology of body
temperature
There are two
types of body temperature
Core Body Temperature:- it
refers to the temperature of the body’s internal organs, such ,as the heart,
liver, brain and blood. The normal range of core temperature is between 36.5°C
and 37.5°C
Surface Temperature:- It is
the temperature of the outermost surface of the body. Surface temperature
fluctuates more depending on the external environment. Temperature readings
taken under the tongue, in the ear canal and in the rectum are considered as
important sites for measuring surface temperature. While typically 98.6°F
(37°C) is considered as normal temperature, some studies have shown that normal
body temperature can be within a wide range, from 97°C (36.1°C) to99°F(37.2°C).
Regulation of body temperature (thermoregulation)
·
A process called thermoregulation controls the
physiological and behavioural mechanisms that regulate heat loss and heat
production. The relationship is regulated by six mechanisms.
·
Neural and vascular control is governed by the
hypothalamus, located between the cerebral hemisphere. The hypothalamus works
like a thermostat, which establishes a comfortable 'set point’. The anterior
hypothalamus controls heat loss, while the posterior hypothalamus controls heat
production.
·
Heat product is a by product of metabolism.
Food is the primary source of the body’s metabolic process. Heat production
occurs through the basal metabolic rate (BMR),as well as through shivering and
non shivering thermogenesis, which occurs in neonates
·
Heat loss occurs through the processes of evaporation,
conduction, convection and radiation.
·
The skin, subcutaneous tissue, and fat keep
heat inside the body.
·
Behavioural control depends upon a person’s
ability to control body temperature
through
o The
degree of temperature extreme
o The
ability to sense comfort or discomfort
o
Through processes or emotions
o
The person’s mobility or ability to add or remove clothing
It is a
function of the body to maintain a constant temperature of internal organs by
regulating the heat. The heat of the body is measured in units called degrees.
The core internal temperature of 98.6°F does not vary more than 1.4°F and is
contrast, the external temperature rises and falls according to the changes in the environment. There are a number of factors, which can
affect the heat balance by affecting the heat production and heat loss.
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