I. Is the ear thermometer accurate?
The ear thermometer is a non-contact telemetry (although it may be less than one centimeter) temperature measuring instrument (equivalent to the hypothalamus) emitted by the infrared spectrum to determine body temperature.
There is a place deep in the human brain called the hypothalamus, which has a fixed-point structure that controls the body’s constant temperature. It is the central point of the human body’s temperature. Once the human body has a fever, the fixed-point will receive some tours in the blood. The result of the increase after the flow of inflammatory chemicals, so the hypothalamus is the first place where the body temperature rises, and the blood flow that supplies the eardrum and the hypothalamus just communicates with each other, so using the eardrum temperature to reflect the temperature of the human body is the most important. At the same time, the eardrum is also the first place to detect whether there is a fever in the human body.
The accuracy of the ear thermometer is relatively high, but it also allows for errors, usually ±0.2°C in the range of 36-39°C, and is higher than 39°C and lower than 36°C ±0.3°C. When used, incorrect use can also bring additional errors, such as a large amount of earwax in the ear canal, which can lead to errors. Since the ear thermometer plugs the ear hole during measurement, the temperature field in the ear hole will change, and the indication value will change if the measurement time is too long. When repeating multiple measurements, each reading will be different if the measurement interval is not appropriate.
So compared with mercury thermometers, the accuracy of ear thermometers is relatively poor, but in terms of convenience, ear thermometers are more convenient and more hygienic and they are not as prone to rupture as ordinary thermometers, resulting in mercury contamination.
II. How to use the infrared ear thermometer
The use of the ear thermometer is very simple. Check whether the optical glass at the front end of the temperature measuring head is clean. If it is dirty, please wipe it with a cotton swab; if the dirt cannot be removed with a cotton swab alone, you can clean it with alcohol; but after cleaning with alcohol, please wait for 5 minutes before measuring the temperature. Otherwise, the measured temperature will be low. After each measurement, please use alcohol with a concentration of more than 70% to wipe the probe head to prevent cross-infection; after use, please put on the protective cover to avoid damage to the lens of the probe and keep it clean.
Press the switch key to turn it on; the display panel will display all symbols and a “beep” sound. When the symbol “℃” appears, you can use the ear thermometer to measure the body temperature.
When using the ear thermometer for newborns under one year old, it is advisable to pull the auricle back and down to fix it. The ear thermometer is easier to aim at the eardrum for measurement. When using the ear thermometer for children over one year old and adults, it is advisable to pull the auricle back and upward to fix it, so that the ear canal can be straighter, and the ear thermometer can more easily aim at the eardrum for measurement.
When the ear is fixed, insert the temperature measuring head to seal the ear canal (try as far as possible into the ear canal, but do not feel pain with force), and press the measurement button, when you hear a beep. When a sound is heard, it means that the measurement action has been completed. Take the ear thermometer out of the ear canal, and the display panel will display the measured temperature.
III. The misunderstanding of using the ear thermometer
- Insert directly into the ear canal
The ear thermometer measures the temperature on the eardrum, but the human ear canal is not a straight line, so the probe of the ear thermometer is directly inserted into the ear canal, and the temperature of the ear canal is measured, not the eardrum, and the measurement result is naturally inaccurate. Therefore, when using the ear thermometer, the auricle should be pulled back and upward, so that the ear canal tends to be straight.
- Take it out of the box
Many people use ear thermometers out of the box, which is actually wrong. When the ear thermometer was just taken out of the box, it did not adapt to the ambient temperature. If you take it for measurement at this time, it may cause inaccurate results. Therefore, after the ear thermometer is turned on, it is best to leave it indoors for about 20 minutes before using it.
- Continuous measurement
When the baby has a fever, the mother is usually anxious and afraid that the measurement will be inaccurate, so she will measure several times in a minute. In fact, this is also unscientific. Because people’s hands are warm, frequent and continuous measurement will affect the accuracy, so the time interval between two measurements must be more than one minute.
- Alternate measurement of left and right ears
Under normal circumstances, the temperature in the left and right ears of a person is not the same. You have the real situation, so try to measure the same ear every time you can.
- The measurement time is optional
In addition to fever, the body temperature is measured after bathing, feeding, crying, exercising. It will rise slightly after eating hot food. In addition, lying on the side can also lead to an increase in the temperature in the corresponding side ear. Therefore, when using the ear thermometer, these time periods should be avoided, and it is best to wait for half an hour before measuring.