What is considered a fever?

You probably always heard that the average human body temperature is 98.6°F. But the reality is that a “normal” body temperature can fall within a wide range, from 97°F to 99°F.

Thermometer

The 98.6°F standard dates to the mid – the 1800s. German doctor Carl Wunderlich measured the armpit temperatures of about 25,000 people and came up with an average of 98.6°F.

Despite the new research, doctors don’t consider you to have a fever until your temperature is at or above 100.4°F. But you can be sick if it’s lower than that.