Buying body thermometer is becoming a little more complex because unlike in yesteryears when there was only one type of mercury-based thermometer, there are many more types of thermometers available in the market, which instead of facilitating the purchase decision, confuses the customers.
How to take body temperature
Before we move towards discussing types of body temperature available in the market, let’s first understand what is the right way to take body temperature.
To take body temperature, a thermometer is placed at any of the following three locations:
- Mouth
- Rectum
- Armpits
And if the temperature is recorded axillary then one degree should be added to the temperature shown by the thermometer to get closer to the accurate reading. In the armpit, the tip of the thermometer fails to touch any mucous membrane, so it generally does not give accurate temperature.
Types of body thermometer
Glass thermometer
A glass thermometer is your classic thermometer made of glass, which has measuring units indicated on its wall, but unlike thermometers of the past, a glass body thermometer does not contain mercury. Instead of rising and falling mercury against the scale, a glass thermometer contains colored alcohol to record the temperature.
Digital thermometer
The working of a digital thermometer is same as that of the glass thermometer. The difference lies in the way a digital thermometer displays the reading and the speed with which it records temperature. A digital thermometer, as the name suggests, gives the reading in numbers on the screen, which is a standard part of a digital thermometer, and it does so much quicker than its counterpart discussed above.
Tympanic thermometer
The usage of a tympanic thermometer is much like the usage of an otoscope. It is inserted into the ear to record the temperature of the eardrum or the tympanic membrane. This thermometer is considered as the most accurate because tympanic membrane shares the blood supply with hypothalamus, which gives the most accurate reading.
Forehead tape thermometer
A forehead tape thermometer was one-time use throwaway tape. It is no longer used because of its inability to stick to the forehead and inaccuracy of the result.
If you are going to use one body thermometer to record temperature of more than one person then do not forget to sterilize the tip of the body thermometer each time before the use. You can have any of the above-mentioned thermometers, but for home use, digital thermometer is the best option. It is very much safe to use.