Cold intolerance and the Thyroid
“Why am I so cold all the time?” Do you feel like this, or know someone who always seems to wear layers of clothes, despite the temperature? There are a number of possible explanations. But for me as a practitioner, the most obvious is that your thyroid gland is under functioning.
The thyroid gland, a butterfly shaped organ sits at the front of your throat. When it’s under functioning, it has to work harder to achieve the desired body functions which are many!
What does the thyroid gland do?
· Metabolic rate: keeping our body warm and maintaining healthy weight.
· Maintaining our mood: being positive and resilient
· Cholesterol maintenance: the liver helps keep our cholesterol levels in healthy balance.
· Skin health: if the thyroid is sluggish, skin is prone to dryness
· Digestive support: bowel regularity and optimal digestion
· Muscular skeletal health: keeping aches and pains at bay and maintaining rapid reflexes.
· Circulation: low thyroid activity means the hands and feet are often cold.
· Hormone stability: assists regular menstruation and flow. Heavy periods may indicate that the thyroid needs some support to keep hormones in balance.
How do I know if my Thyroid Gland needs support?
If you feel cold all the time, or your circulation is poor, then you can do a simple test to evaluate your thyroid function. Simply take your morning temperature for 3 days of the week.
On waking, take your temperature before getting out of bed; preferably at the same time each day. Getting up will alter the reading, so keep your thermometer within easy reach by the bedside.
Other reasons for feeling cold include:
· Nutrient deficiency: you might need to have iron, zinc and other nutrients checked.
· Low body weight: body fat insulates our vital organs; if we don’t have a small layer of adipose tissue, then we can feel cold. However, you can still have high fat levels and have cold intolerance.
But I don’t have Goitre!
We often associate underactive thyroid function (hypothyroid) with an enlarged, obvious swelling at the neck (called goitre). But you can still be hypothyroid and have a non-visible goitre. Your health practitioner can examine your throat by palpation (touch) to determine this. I had a thyroid doctor tell me I had one and I have quite a skinny neck!
If you have difficulty swallowing or breathing, then it might be worth getting an ultrasound of your thyroid gland to rule out the presence of nodules. These little bumps on the thyroid gland can obstruct the surrounding tubes (trachea; windpipe and oesophagus.) If left untreated, they can lead to damage of the gland.
What caused my Thyroid Problem?
Thyroid issues are usually a symptom of an underlying health problem. These are many and varied and it’s important to determine the root cause to have any lasting impact with treatment.
What Next?
If you want to know if your thyroid needs help, book in with me for a free 15 minute discovery call. Let’s work together and help you warm up your body!