Here's a Quick Test to check your Basal Body Temperature if you suspect you have an under or over active thyroid.
Women are affected more than men and it is estimated that one woman in eight will develop a thyroid problem in her life and women are five to eight times more likely than men to have thyroid dysfunction.
You will need a thermometer for this test
Plan to take the test first thing in the morning after you wake up, because it's important to measure temperature after you have had adequate rest. Before going to sleep, if you are not using a digital thermometer shake down a regular thermometer and place it by your bed.
> Immediately upon waking, place the thermometer in your armpit (if using a regular thermometer keep it there for a full 10 minutes without getting out of bed). Hold your elbow close to your side to keep the thermometer in place.
> Read and record the temperature and date.
> Repeat the test for at least three mornings (preferably at the same time of day & not during menstruation).
If your temperature is consistently 36.4oC to 36.8oC (Celsius) or between 97.8 and 98.2 degrees Fahrenheit, you have a well-functioning thyroid gland. If below temperature, this may indicate hypothyroidism and you may need to take urgent measures to bring it up to speed.
Note: Menstruating women must perform the test on the second, third, and fourth days of menstruation. Men and postmenopausal women can perform the test at any time.
Hypothyroidism:
When too little TH is released, the body's metabolic rate decreases, and the body slows down. Hypothyroidism often goes undiagnosed because its symptoms are often mistaken for or attributed to other conditions. Symptoms include: fatigue, depression, low body temperature, weight gain, dry or itchy skin thin, dry hair/hair loss, slow heart rate, constipation, poor memory hoarseness/husky voice, high cholesterol, goiter (enlarged thyroid gland).
Hyperthyroidism:
When too much TH is released, the body's metabolic rate increases, and your metabolism speeds up. Symptoms of hyperthyroidism include: palpitations, heat intolerance, nervousness, insomnia, breathlessness, increased bowel movements, fast heart rate, weight loss, muscle weakness, warm moist skin.
Hyperthyroidism can be caused by nodules composed of thyroid cells that produce thyroid hormone without regard to the body's need. It can also develop during or after pregnancy and may be caused by Graves' disease. Symptoms of hyperthyroidism may also result from over treatment of hypothyroidism with synthetic thyroid hormone or from thyroiditis, an inflammation of the thyroid gland, which leads to an overproduction of
thyroid hormone.
Graves' disease, another autoimmune condition, is the leading cause of hyperthyroidism, accounting for 85 percent of hyperthyroidism cases. Graves' disease differs from hashimoto's thyroiditis in that the antibodies turn the thyroid on, causing the thyroid gland to enlarge and overproduce TH. Other antibodies may also attack eye muscle tissue and the skin on the front of the lower leg. Graves' disease was named after Robert Graves, an Irish physician (born 1797) who first discussed this form of hyperthyroidism.
Hypothyroidism is the most common reason for a visit to the doctor when thyroid issues are suspected. Most often blood tests are used to diagnose the problem and one of the tests might be for TSH which measures the amount of thyroid stimulating hormone. Other tests might be total T4 (total thyroxine) Free T4 or total or free T3.
There are many reasons why our thyroids may malfunction: Mercury from dental amalgams and other sources, blocks an enzyme called thyroid peroxidase which converts T4 to T3. This is potentially a very significant issue. Fluoride and chlorine found in our water supply are major endocrine disrupters.
Both fluorine and chlorine belong to a group of elements known as halogens and are chemically related. Iodine is a halogen too but fluorine is much more active. Both fluorine and chlorine block iodine receptors in the thyroid gland. Interestingly up until the 1950’s European doctors used fluoride to reduce the activity of the thyroid gland for patients with an over-active thyroid. The dose of fluoride found to achieve this was approx 2.3 - 4.5 mgs per day. The daily dose of fluoride for people living with fluoride in the water supply has been assessed at up to 6.6 mgs per day. In the U.S., Synthroid a synthetic hormone medication used to treat hypothydroidism was in 2000, the fourth most prescribed drug. Clearly there are some huge issues that need to be addressed and while treating the symptoms of the condition might make a lot of money for pharmaceutical companies, we should be looking to the environment for answers.
For anyone interested in reading more about thyroid health – the best book on the subject is “Solved: The Riddle of Illness” by Stephen Langer MD.
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