With depression, anxiety, heart problems, and weight being large issues here in the United States, more people are wondering about their thyroid function. Your thyroid can play a large roll in your health.
The thyroid glad is responsible for many functions.
• regulates our metabolic rate
• protein metabolism in cells
• glucose absorption
• absorption of nutrients in the intestinal tract
• controls children's growth rate
• affects adult metabolic repair
• the balance of heat and energy in cells
• increases oxygen consumption
• also affect heart rate, central nervous system, muscle function, quality of sleep, and even respiration.
When these many different areas are slowed or sped up you can have a imbalance causing symptoms of varying degrees.
• digestive disorders, weight problems
• poor thinking and memory loss
• fatigue, non restful mornings, insomnia
• depression and lowered sex drive
• nervousness, anxiety, chest pains, panic attaches
• heart irregularities
While you may be experiencing some of these symptoms it does not mean that your thyroid is dysfunctional. It means its time to talk to a physician and see if it is your thyroid. While testing can be expensive, and often does not show unless the problem is sever, you can test yourself to see if there is a issue.
This technique is the Basal Temperature Study. Reading your temperature upon waking from under the arm, while show you if your temperature is running high, low, or just with normal ranges. Readings from 97.4-98.2 are considered normal values. Temperatures over 98.2 are indication of Hyperthyroidism. Temperatures under 97.4 will concern for hypothyroidism.
How to take the test at home.
Step 1
Before bed, shake down the mercury, basal, thermometer and have laying by a near by chair or table. You want the reading to be at least 96 degrees.
Step 2
Upon waking, and still in bed, place the thermometer under your armpit and hold arm down as to make sure the thermometer will not slip. Be sure there is no cloths touching the thermometer and you are not laying under a blanket as this will increase the temperatures and not a accurate reading.
Step 3
Hold thermometer under armpit for 10 minutes, while still sitting in bed, your not up and moving around as this increases body temperatures. After the 10 minutes record your time on a nearby sheet of paper.
Step 4
You will be recording your waking temperatures for 14 days straight. Note if you have a menstrual cycles and any symptoms of illnesses.
If your temperatures are below 97.4 degrees you may want to talk with your physician about supplements that can balance your thyroid. There are also methods of thyroid support that can be helped through your diet and lifestyles. You can email me for suggestions to help or questions.
Have a Blessed and Healthy day
