Is a healthy person's temperature always 98.6ºF?

Updated February 21, 2017 | Factmonster Staff

Healthy or sick, our temperatures change throughout the day. Our temperatures cycle up and down in a rhythm. When we are healthy, our average temperature is 98.6ºF, but even when we are healthy our temperature could go up to 99º F or down to 97º F. When we are sick, our temperatures cycle to higher points. Someone has a fever when their body temperature is over 100.5º F, so a temperature of 99º F is not a reason to stay home from school!

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