9 reasons for low body temperature

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

It is possible that your personal temperature limit is lower than generally accepted.

The normal temperature of the human body is not the famous 36.6 ° C. The limits of the Body temperature norms fluctuate within a fairly wide range: from 36, 1 ° C to 37, 2 ° C.

In the same person, the temperature can float during the day: it depends on age, time of day, phase of the monthly cycle (in women), nutrition, level of physical activity. So, if you put a thermometer under your arm and saw on it, let's say, 36, 2 ° C, there is nothing to worry about.

But sometimes the temperature drops below the normal range. And here it is already worth figuring out why.

What does low body temperature mean and when it can be dangerous

It makes sense to talk about a lowered temperature when it drops below 36, 1 ° C. This is not that dangerous, and sometimes there are quite natural reasons for such a decrease (about them below).

You need to worry if the body temperature drops below 35 ° C. This condition doctors call hypothermia Hypothermia (hypothermia). And now it is already threatening health and even life.

With hypothermia, metabolism is disturbed. The heart, brain, nervous system, internal organs do not receive enough nutrition and oxygen and begin to malfunction. If a person is not helped in time, hypothermia can lead to cardiac arrest, respiratory failure and, as a result, death.

When to call an ambulance

Dial 103 or 112 immediately if you suspect the person is hypothermic and experience the following symptoms of Hypothermia:

• Shiver.
• Pale, cold, dry skin.
• Lips, nails, gray or bluish skin.
• Slurred speech.
• Slow, shallow breathing.
• Clumsiness, lack of coordination.
• Drowsiness, weakness.
• Clouding of consciousness.

If we are talking about a child, the signs of hypothermia may be slightly different:

• Skin that is cold to the touch with a bright red hue.
• Passivity, lethargy.
• Sleepiness, refusal to eat.

Please note that a person whose temperature has dropped below 35 ° C often does not understand the danger in which he is. The fact is that symptoms appear and increase gradually. And when they become distinct, the victim of hypothermia no longer has enough concentration and clarity of thought to be aware of them.

What are the causes of low body temperature

Hypothermia is a key cause of hypothermia. For example, a person fell into cold water. Or it has simply been kept below Hypothermia 10 ° C for too long. This is an extreme situation.

If we are talking about a temperature below normal, but still above the level of hypothermia, it can occur for other reasons. Here are the most common ones.

1. Individual feature

Modern doctors are very careful in determining the normal body temperature. In particular, when it comes to the characteristics of a particular human body.

Typically normal temperatures range from 97 to 99 degrees Fahrenheit (36, 1–37, 2 ° C). But there are times when a perfectly healthy person's body temperature may be slightly higher or lower than this level Body Temperature: What Is (and Isn’t) Normal? …

Donald Ford M. D., in an article for the Cleveland Clinic blog

Try to measure the temperature at different times of the day for fun. If it is always slightly below the generally accepted norm, perhaps this is your unique feature, nothing more.

2. Age

Body temperature may decrease over the years. This is due to the different factors of When Is Body Temperature Too Low. For example, with age, the thickness of subcutaneous fat decreases, and the skin becomes drier - because of this, the body loses more heat. The metabolism, which is associated with heat production, also slows down.

Specialists from Harvard Medical School mention When Is Body Temperature Too Low a small study, according to which, in healthy elderly people, a thermometer on average shows values between 34.4 and 37.5 ° C). So even a temperature of about 35 ° C, if a person feels good, is not a serious deviation.

3. Disorders of the thyroid gland

The thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate the body's metabolism. Including help to maintain a normal body temperature.

However, sometimes hormone production deteriorates (this condition is called hypothyroidism), which causes the 5 Possible Causes of Lower-Than-Normal Body Temperature to lower the temperature somewhat.

4. Diseases of the pituitary gland, adrenal glands

The pituitary and adrenal glands, like the thyroid gland, produce hormones important for metabolism. If organs malfunction, hormones change and body temperature may drop from normal values.

5. Diabetes mellitus

Complications of diabetes, including low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) or metabolic disorders due to high sugar levels (hyperglycemia), can also cause a decrease in body temperature.

6. Diseases of the brain and nervous system

The key regulator of body temperature is an area of the brain called the hypothalamus. It is he who controls the entire thermoregulation system, forcing the body to retain heat or, on the contrary, actively give it away.

Disorders in the brain and nervous system can damage the hypothalamus, causing it to start giving incorrect signals. This can lead to a drop in body temperature.

Examples of such violations include:

• stroke (acute cerebrovascular accident);
• brain or spinal cord injury;
• brain tumors, benign or malignant;
• multiple sclerosis;
• Parkinson's disease.

7. Infections

Infectious diseases are thought to cause fever - that is, a rise in temperature. But this is optional. Certain serious infections, such as bacterial pneumonia or meningitis, sometimes cause the temperature to drop. This effect is especially common in infants and the elderly.

8. Taking some medications

A slight drop in body temperature can be a side effect of some medications. For example, those used to treat insomnia, anxiety disorder, depression, and other mental health problems.

9. Other reasons

Very rarely, body temperature can drop:

• overly harsh diet or severe malnutrition;
• due to chronic vitamin B1 deficiency (this condition is known as Wernicke's encephalopathy);
• due to certain skin conditions, such as severe psoriasis or exfoliative dermatitis;
• due to severe burns affecting a large surface of the skin.

What to do with low body temperature

We repeat: if it has dropped below 35 ° C, and even more so if there is a suspicion of hypothermia, call an ambulance.

You also need to consult a therapist as soon as possible if the thermometer regularly shows less than 36, 1 ° C and at the same time you observe unpleasant and unexplained symptoms: weakness, headache, dizziness, edema, and other health problems.

A reduced body temperature without symptoms may be a variation of your personal norm. But if this bothers you, consult your doctor.