Senior Friendly Guide to Digital Thermometers

Thermometers, of course, measure temperature. While there are various purposes for thermometers — to measure outdoor temperature, to measure boiling water, to measure heater — we are going to look at medical thermometers that measure body temperature.

Medical thermometers measure human body temperature as a safety precaution. The closer you are to the standard healthy human body temperature, 98.6 degree fahrenheit, the less you have to worry about. The further you deviate from “normalcy,” the better the chances you have of contracting certain medical problems. As your body temperature rises close to 100 degrees, you are prone to contracting a fever. Conversely, if your body temperature drops, then you are more likely to catch hypothermia.

Taking your temperature, in and of itself, doesn’t stop these sorts of unhealthy rising and falling body temperatures but it informs you about these risky deviations. Think of the medical thermometer as an essential household safety device, especially for seniors who find it relatively difficult to naturally monitor proper body temperatures. While both low and high body temperatures can be life threatening, identifying an extreme body temperature and seeking proper medical care in due time is essential for your well being.

We are going to look with digital medical thermometers, as opposed to mercury thermometers which are generally difficult to read and pose a safety hazard if the thermometer breaks and the mercury leaks. Even within the subset of digital thermometers, not all thermometers are made the same. We have taken this opportunity to point out the features that seniors should look for when purchasing a digital thermometer.What to Look For in a Thermometer:I. Accuracy -The more accurate a read of human body temperature, the better the thermometer. The fact of the matter is that not all digital thermometers provide spot on measurements but accuracy is essential, especially if you want to trace a temperature over an extended period of time. This is particularly important for seniors who need accuracy because an inaccurate reading (or a series of inaccurate readings) might put the more sensitive senior body at risk. In other words, with reading body temperatures, estimation doesn”t do us much good.Omron Digital ThermometerThere are a number of thermometers that can take a temperature instantaneously but those thermometers do not always provide us with an accurate body temperature read. Alternatively, there are a number of thermometers that take at least twenty seconds, if not more, to take a temperature but provide us with a spot on reading. The Omron Digital Thermometer falls into the latter camp, as tests shows that is registers the correct body temperature on nearly a consistent basis.II. Grip -Even with a thermometer, a grip is an essential senior-friendly feature. As many seniors loose their eye-hand coordination as they age, they find it more difficult to grasp and hold certain objects. A grip is an ergonomic safeguard, which makes it easier to hold a thermometer. One might need the grip to situate thermometers in specific positions and a grip makes it easier to properly navigate the unit.Prestige Medical Infrared Ear ThermometerThe Prestige model has been designed with certain grooves to provide a natural grip for your hand. This sort of design accommodation enables the user to easily situate the device in the correct location.III. Large LCD Screen -With digital thermometers, a temperature”s results show up on an LCD Screen. Thus, in order to see your temperature, you need to be able to read the numbers on an LCD Screen. For seniors with diminished eyesight, it might be difficult to decipher the numbers on a small LCD screen. While each thermometer is a different size, we suggest that you look for thermometers with large LCD screens.Lumiscope 2220 No-Touch Thermometer with Large LCD DisplayThe Lumiscope was created with a large LCD display in mind; the numbers are quite easy to read. No need to squint or get a magnifying glass out if you want to see your temperature.IV. Memory Functionality -It is common to find yourself in a situation where you need to trace your rising or falling temperatures over an extended period of time. Seniors with inadequate memorizing skills might find it difficult to recall specific numerical values. Relatedly, they might confuse numbers, swapping 98.6 for 96.8. Even if your memory is usually intact, this might not be the case if you have a fever. These sorts of cognitive mistakes can be a disaster for your health, so it is important for seniors with inadequate memory to seek a thermometer that has a built in memory mode.BV Medical Ear ThermometerThe BV Medical Ear Thermometer automatically recalls the last temperature it took. Consider this handy feature a safeguard against memory lapses.V. Large Easy to Press Buttons -Like we stated previously ,for many seniors, trouble with controlling eye-hand coordination accompanies the aging process. When it comes to digital thermometers, seniors might find it troubling to control the functionality (turing the device on and off) if the buttons are too small. Thus, it is essential for seniors with limited eye hand coordination to find a thermometer with big, easy to press buttons.Mobi Technologies Inc MOBI-70119 Digital Ultra ThermometerWith this digital thermometer, the user can check his/her temperature via ear or forehead by pressing the large, round “start button.” One doesn”t necessarily need fine coordination to activate this Mobi Technologies model.