[Nursing School meets Steemit][Things that affect your body temperature]Follow along and educate yourself with me.

intrepidthinker (69)in #nursing • 7 years ago (edited)

Body Temperature

There are soooo many different things that can affect your body temperature. If you don't have any prior knowledge of anything to do with the way your core body temperature fluctuates, then you'll probably like this. There is some very interesting information.

The previous post I did was "normal vital sign ranges for all ages", so this will kind of go along with the temperature aspect of that last post:

[Nursing School meets Steemit][Normal vital sign ranges for all ages]Follow along and educate yourself with me.

The Various Factors Affecting Body Temperature:

Age -

Newborns have unstable body temperatures because of immature regulatory body mechanisms. Even a mild rise in temperature is significant in infants younger than 3 months of age. It is common for the baseline temperature to drop as the person ages. Infants and elderly people are more susceptible to environmental temperature changes.

So remember to keep the very young, and the very old bundled up in extreme temperatures. Their bodies literally cannot handle\adapt as well as yours can. Layers, Layers!

Exercise -

Body temperature increases with exercise as carbohydrates and fats are metabolized to provide energy.

If you are checking a temperature, make sure that no strenuous physical exertion has been done prior to obtaining the reading. This will prevent any false readings.

Hormone Flucuations -

Women typically have a higher temperature during ovulation. Thyroxine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine increae heat production and therefore can increase heat production.

I'm sure this explains a thing or two to all of the women out there experiencing Menopause. Lol I hear those hot-flashes are a real headache. And to any other women who have noticed they tend to burn up around the same time every month.

Circadian Rhythms:

The temperature of most people is lowest around 3 A.M., and highest around 6 P.M.

Who knew that just the time of day played a big part on your body's temperature? Did you?

Stress -

The levels of epinephrine and norepinephrine can increase during emotional or physical stress.

Those two neurotransmitters are usually associated with the "fight or flight" mode. Basically when you get an adrenaline rush.

Environment -

Extended exposure to extreme heat or cold can affect core body temperature. Heat and cold application used as treatment for pain, injuries, or swelling can affect body temperature.

That one was a no-brainer. Lol

Smoking -

Smoking causes vasoconstriction(blood vessel constriction), which can cause a drop in the temperature of the skin and mucous membrane.

Pretty much; smoking while being out in the cold, will just make you colder.

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Thank you for reading my post. I find stuff like this so interesting! I hope you did too!

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Here are some of my other recent medical posts: