A basal thermometer is fundamentally the same type of instrument as a regular thermometer but the difference lies in the calibration and scale which is a bit more detailed in a basal thermometer. Regular thermometers are calibrated to markings at every 0.1 degree centigrade or 0.2 Fahrenheit and basal thermometers are calibrated to 0.05 degrees centigrade or 0.1 Fahrenheit. This minute difference is very important when measuring the basal body temperature. The basal body temperature is the temperature at the moment that one wakes up from sleep. This is considered basal because it is the temperature of body without any exercise that is induced. This would normally not be considered of any use as such in diseases; however, it is extremely important when trying to understand a woman's fertility cycle.
During ovulation, a woman experiences low basal body temperatures whereas if she was pregnant or not ovulating it is a high basal body temperature. Ovulation and pregnancy are fundamentally governed by two hormones - estrogen and progesterone. When estrogen levels are higher than that of progesterone it usually the follicular phase in the ovaries where an egg is being readied for ovulation. After pregnancy, progesterone takes over after the corpus luteum in the ovaries is kept intact. As long as the corpus luteum is intact, it is conducive to pregnancy and this carries on until the first trimester, after which the placenta takes over progesterone production.
If the corpus luteum continues to persist despite the lack of pregnancy, it could indicate the presence of a cyst as well. In fertility awareness and fertility treatments, the basal body temperature is used as a more accurate measure of a woman's fertile period rather than the menstrual cycle itself since there are more complicated factors that actually induce the destruction of the endometrial tissue.
There are some vagaries to account for like an ovulating woman who has irregular cycles and some have regular cycles but cannot create follicles. In any case, a sure sign of pregnancy is 18 days of elevated basal temperatures. The primary use of the basal body temperature is to either avoid pregnancy in the first place by abstaining from sex during ovulatory periods and, conversely, to try and get pregnant by predicting the exact date of the start of ovulation. Since the measurements and changes in temperature could also be minute, a regular electronic thermometer is a better investment rather than a mercury based one.
Author Resource:-
Kevin Pederson is the chief contributor of content for Medical Health Tests, an authoritative source for information on medical tests. The articles are not only informative and insightful, but they are also simple and intelligible. This makes them a reliable resource for anyone seeking information on medical tests.
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