The coronavirus pandemic is over, but who can forget the frantic days when people were stockpiling medial supplies, including thermometers? That midnight panic is real. Your child feels burning hot, or you're shivering with chills, and your medicine cabinet is bare, except for that meat thermometer sitting in the kitchen drawer. While it can accurately tell if the safe minimum internal temperature of chicken has reached, have you ever wondered if a meat thermometer could also be used to check your body temperature?
The short answer is yes, but it’s not recommended. In this post, we’ll explore why using a meat thermometer to check for fever is often a last resort rather than a viable solution, and share some tips on how to improve its accuracy if you find yourself in that situation.
Can You Use a Meat Thermometer to Take Your Temperature?
A meat thermometer can be used to take your body temperature. After all, it is a device designed to measure temperatures within a certain range. According to Lifehacker, a meat thermometer might be useful in a pinch if you’re feeling unwell and can’t find a medical thermometer.
However, a meat thermometer is not meant for medical use, which is specially used for cooking. It is not advisable to use a meat thermometer to check for your body temperature. This can be unsafe, unsanitary, and inaccurate, especially if you use a dial thermometer.
How to Use a Meat Thermometer to Take Body Temperature?
In an extreme emergency, where no other option exists, you can try using a meat thermometer to check your body temperature.
Before doing so, it’s crucial to clean the probe with hot, soapy water, rinse it for a minute under running water, and then disinfect it with 75% medical alcohol. Since these thermometers often come into contact with raw meat that may harbor harmful bacteria like E. coli or salmonella, which could lead to additional health issues. Make sure your meat thermometer is waterproof like the INKBIRD RHT-11K, otherwise, it may be damaged.
To take your temperature, place the probe under your tongue, between your lips, or hold it tightly under your armpit, and wait for about 5 seconds for the reading to stabilize. Press the button to lock the reading. If you are using a smart wireless thermometer, simply open the app to see the temperature.
It should be noted that the tip of some meat probes can be quite sharp and may pierce your skin. Additionally, no matter which type of meat thermometer you use, do not insert it in the rectum to avoid cross-contamination.
How to Get More Accurate Body Temperature with Meat Thermometer?
Achieving a truly accurate body temperature reading with a meat thermometer is challenging because they are simply not designed for it. However, if you find yourself in a situation where you have to use one, here are a few tips to help you get a more accurate reading:
- Use an instant-read digital thermometer. This is the most common meat thermoemter, which responds quickly, taking only a few seconds to get the result.
- Calibrate the temperature before use. Place your thermometer in ice water and it should read 32 degrees Fahrenheit or 0 degrees Celsius. If it doesn’t, calibrate it.
- Try to position the thermometer close to your skin. The pointed, rigid probe is designed to pierce the flesh and may not comfortably conform to human anatomy, so you need to adjust the angle to keep it close to your skin to get an accurate reading.
- Take advantage of the infrared function. If you have a thermometer equipped with an infrared thermometer function, like the INKBIRD IHT-1M, you can use this feature directly. Basically, you can get the same quick and accurate temperature readings as a temperature gun.
Why It’s Not a Good Idea to Take Body Temperature with Meat Thermometer?
Using a meat thermometer to check body temperature might seem like a creative and humorous idea, but there are several compelling reasons why it is not a good choice:
Hygiene and Safety
This is the biggest, most immediate danger. Meat thermometers are used to test raw poultry, beef, and pork, which are major carriers of bacteria like salmonella and E. coli. Inserting the probe into the mouth or rectum is a direct route to serious foodborne illness. While they can be cleaned and sterilized, it is extremely difficult to keep them completely sterile. Plus, these probes are hard and can cause direct damage to the skin.
Inaccuracy and Misreading
Meat thermometers are designed for high-temperature environments and are not subject to the same strict accuracy and safety standards as clinical thermometers. They prioritize fast measurements in meat over accurate measurements within the narrow temperature range of the human body. Even after calibration, meat thermometers are off by about 1 degree, which is almost too much error for human health.
Conclusion
The question "Can you use a meat thermometer to take your temperature?" has one definitive answer: Yes, but not advisable. While a meat thermometer can technically give you a number when you're desperate for a temperature reading, the risks of cross-contamination, inaccuracy, and discomfort far outweigh any perceived benefit. Medical thermometers are inexpensive, and investing in one is a small cost for peace of mind and accurate health monitoring.
