Hi
If my normal tympanic temp is 97.5 F when I'm not sick, but I'm sick now and my oral temp is now 98.6 F; I have a cold or something now, sinuses full, sinus drip, no appetite (very rare for me), muscle aches, headaches and general malaise.
From what I've read, if my normal tympanic temp is 97.5F, my normal oral would most likely be 96.5 to 97 F. So.... Do I have a fever? That is, should I worry about the effects of the elevated temp, or should I only worry if my oral temp goes to 101 or 102 F no matter what my baseline temp is? Said another way, should I look at the relative change ( from baseline to when I'm sick) or look at the actual value.
Thanks
AVD