Dear Dr. Roach: I am a healthy 79-year-old male. My doctor tells me that my blood pressure and pulse are better than most men half my age. I feel good.
I have been taking my temperature about three times a day, using both digital and mercury thermometers, careful to wait at least an hour after eating or drinking. My temperature is consistently about two to four degrees below the 98.6 “normal” standard even after activity.
Are my temps normal for someone my age? Are there age-related temperature charts for men and for women? Does 98.6 indicate a low-grade fever for me?
— J.R.T.
Answer: Older adults have lower body temperatures than younger adults or children. Further, the average temperature seems to have been falling over the past hundred years, and the new normal being closer to 97.5 degrees — but some people can have a “normal” that is quite different from even the new normal of 97.5. That being said, four degrees is at the far end of the range of normal variability, even for older adults.
While this may be just your normal, it is worth considering whether your numbers are due to a condition that can cause an abnormally low body temperature, such as low thyroid or low cortisone.
Finally, because your body temperature is low, and because people nearing or in their 80s often show less or no fever even with infection, take a low-grade fever seriously. Also, be aware of other symptoms besides fever that indicate infection — for example, cough and confusion might indicate pneumonia.
