Is 99.6F Ear Temperature a Fever?

What does a medical professional consider as ear temperature fever?

Most medical authorities consider an ear temperature fever to be 100.4°F or higher.

A person with a temperature of 99.6°F to 100.3°F may appear normal without any visible hot-to-touch sensation. Or it can potentially be a low-grade fever if it is accompanied by other secondary symptoms of feeling feverish or localized ache (including headache).

A fever is a rise in body temperature in response to an infection. The fever itself is generally harmless and probably helpful to the body in fighting the infection. 

The average body temperature is 98.6F. But normal body temperature can range between 97F and 99F. Your body temperature can vary depending on how active you are or the time of day. 

When NOT use an ear thermometer? | Ear Temperature Fever Measurement

Please avoid using an ear thermometer if there is excess “wax” in the ear of the person having their temperature checked. People normally have some wax in their ears. If there is too much wax to check an ear temperature, it may produce an inaccurate reading.

Do not use an ear thermometer when a person has a sore ear, an ear infection, or if they just had ear surgery.

A Note

As always, please consult your medical professional if the fever persists after a few days.

You may also be interested in the following fever temperature article

What temperature is a fever Read this detailed guide to know more about fever temperatures. Also, learn about the different types of thermometer measurements. Understand the correlation between the different thermometer readings with forehead, oral, ear & rectal.

Fever Thermometers To Consider