Choosing the best thermometer for the whole family can sometimes be complicated by various factors. So, what you need to know about most of the basic types of device data.
Digital medical thermometer
Digital technology has already penetrated all areas, including, of course, medicine. A simple digital medical thermometer has a thermal sensor to determine body temperature, and to measure it, it must be placed in the oral cavity, armpit or rectum. To accurately determine the body temperature of a child using a digital "thermometer", it must be used rectally or orally. The rectal method is most effective for both infants and children under the age of 3 years. For adults and older children, the oral method is also accurate (if the mouth is constantly closed while taking readings from the “thermometer”). In the axillary region, the temperature is determined less accurately. So:
- Pros. A simple electronic medical thermometer can record the temperature by the oral, rectal or axillary method in less than a minute. It is suitable for newborns, infants, children and adults.
- Minuses. In the case of infants, taking rectal temperature is not always convenient. With a cold, it is difficult to keep your mouth closed all the time. If the temperature is taken both orally and rectally, then using the same one is unhygienic.
Digital Ear Medical Thermometer
These devices are also convenient. The ear medical thermometer also has the name “eardrum” (from the eardrum). It uses infrared rays to determine the temperature in the ear canal. So:
- Pros. When positioned correctly, ear thermometers are fast and accurate. Suitable for infants older than 6 months, older children and adults.
- Minuses. An ear medical thermometer is not recommended for infants. Ear wax, small and wriggling ear canals can affect the readings.
Digital Medical Nipple Thermometer
If your baby is sucking a pacifier, then you can use this type of thermometer. Your baby will simply do his favorite thing while the device determines his body temperature. So:
- Pros. The child will not even understand that his body temperature is currently being measured.
- Minuses. Medical nipple thermometer is not recommended for newborns. Because for accurate temperature measurement, the nipple should be in the mouth for some time (from 3 to 5 minutes). This is difficult to do for many young children, especially those with a runny nose. A large number of studies have not provided evidence that such thermometers measure temperature accurately.
Everyone also knows the old mercury thermometers. However, today there are not so many of them left, because they are gradually being replaced by electronic species. These glass thermometers are hazardous to the presence of mercury. But they can be used to measure the temperature of liquids, while no electronic thermometer is suitable for water.