Body Temperature (BT) of a person varies depending on gender, recent activity, food and fluid consumption, time of day, and, in women, the stage of the menstrual cycle. Normal body temperature can range from 97.8 degrees F (or Fahrenheit, equivalent to 36.5 degrees C, or Celsius) to 99 degrees F (37.2 degrees C) for a healthy adult.
Body temperature may be abnormal due to fever (high temperature) or hypothermia (low temperature). A fever is indicated when body temperature rises about one degree or more over the normal temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. Hypothermia is defined as a drop in body temperature below 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
Normal Body Temperature Range: 97.8-99.0 F (36.5-37.2 C)
Median Body Temperature: 98.6 F (37.0 C)
Elevated Body Temperature: > 99.60 F (37.55 C) [Commonly referred to as a "fever"]
Low Body Temperature: < 95.0 F (35.0 C) [Known as Hypothermia]