Dropping temperature

I have never posted in this topic area, so I apologize if this has been covered before, but I think it is very interesting, and I suppose that this is as good a place for it as any. Did you know that the "normal" body temperature, however taken, has been dropping a few tenths of a degree per decade? The adoption of the widely-accepted 98.6 F was made decades ago, but it is not linked to any specific biochemical process: it was just a statistical average of a relatively small number of locals which some doctor measured and published his findings. The apparent reason for the steady drop in the statistically normal temperature is that fewer and fewer people have chronic infections and inflammations which raise the average body temperature slightly. I recall that these days the normal body temperature is something above 97 F. I read this in the past month.

- jillie

I had not seen this anywhere. However, I have been taking my temperature more often since COVID and have noticed that I am more typically 97.1 degrees.

I've read similar articles. Does it have to do with evolution, climate change, improved healthcare, or just more accurate temperature- taking technology ? Also, when were the studies done, and on what segment of the population ?

Well, buddies, here's the story which I must have read as the source for my recent post: "Time to redefine normal body temperature?" from Harvard Medical School. (Harvard Health Blog, March 2020: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/time-to-redefine-normal-body-temperature-2020031319173 )

I find that my own orally measured body temperature is most always in the mid 97's.

- jillie

It is surprising that this standard has been been accepted to almost 200 years without being challenged.

I have taking my rectal temperature time to time too and I have gotten a lot of 98 even readings.