Skin temperature

Skin temperature is the temperature of the outermost surface of the body. Normal human skin temperature on the trunk of the body varies between 33.5 and 36.9 °C (92.3 and 98.4 °F), though the skin's temperature is lower over protruding parts, like the nose, and higher over muscles and active organs.[1] Recording skin temperature presents extensive difficulties. Although it is not a clear indicator of internal body temperature, skin temperature is significant in assessing the healthy function of skin.[2] Some experts believe the physiological significance of skin temperature has been overlooked, because clinical analysis has favoured measuring temperatures of the mouth, armpit, and/or rectum. Temperatures of these parts typically are consistent with internal body temperature.[2]

Patterns in skin temperature often provide crucial diagnostic data on pathological conditions, ranging from locomotion to vascular diseases. Such information can prove significant to determination of subsequent therapeutic treatments.[3]

  1. ^ Bierman, William (1936-04-04). "The Temperature of the Skin Surface". Journal of the American Medical Association. 106 (14): 1158. doi:10.1001/jama.1936.02770140020007. ISSN 0002-9955.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Clark, R. P. (1984), "Human Skin Temperature and Its Relevance in Physiology and Clinical Assessment", in Ring, E. Francis J.; Phillips, Barbara (eds.), Recent Advances in Medical Thermology, Springer New York, pp. 5–15, doi:10.1007/978-1-4684-7697-2_2, ISBN 978-1-4684-7697-2
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.