Body Temperature

Temperature Measurement

Why It Is Done

Body temperature is checked to:

• Detect fever.
• Detect abnormally low body temperature (hypothermia) in people who have been exposed to cold.
• Detect abnormally high body temperature (hyperthermia) in people who have been exposed to heat.
• Help monitor the effectiveness of a fever-reducing medicine.
• Help plan for pregnancy by determining if a woman is ovulating.

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Author:	Bets Davis, MFA	Last Updated: February 20, 2009
Medical Review:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
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