Overweight, tired, sluggish, cold and a tad depressed? Then lovely, it might be worth checking in with your thyroid. It is something I talk to with about 50% of my one to one clients as I think it is way more prevalent than we think.
But how do we do that? Obviously, you start by heading your GP and getting some blood tests done. They will alas only test your TSH hormones and *maybe* your T4 hormones which unfortunately does not give you a good picture of what is actually going on. Just because those test results come back ‘normal’ doesn’t mean your thyroid is in tip top condition.
(Now, of course, there could be many other things going on too other than your thyroid for the above symptoms. So be wise and work with a team of experts, but I do find that SO many women live with undiagnosed thyroid issue for years before discovering they’re not crazy.)
If you missed my last post all about thyroid health click here to recap.
So How Do You Know If Your Thyroid Is Off? {Simple Home Test}
Well, the best way is to get a full blood test panel done. This can be done privately or through working with an endocrinologist. It will test for TSH, T4, T3, antibodies, reverse T3 and often things like iron, vitamin D, and other inflammatory markers. (You often need to specifically ask for reverse t3 to be included as its super important but the endocrinologist I worked with refused to test for it.)
Alas, I have had lots of clients whose doctors refuse to refer them to these specialists. You can pay £180 for a private test which is the best option but before you invest in those tests it probably worth doing some rudimentary home tests first before you pull out the ‘big guns’.
Now as with most DIY home test this is not 100% accurate but can be a helpful indicator of potential imbalance.
How to check in with your thyroid health at home?
The best way to check in with your thyroid at home is to take your basal temperature for about 30 days.
Your basal temperature is your waking temperature. So upon waking you immediately, before peeing or drinking or really moving, grab your thermometer from the bedside table, shove it under your tongue and take your temp. Record the reading over the 30 days and notice any patterns.
In general, your temperature should be around or a tad below 37 degrees and if you are still menstruating you will see a slight shift over the 30 days as temperature increases during ovulation. But if like me you find that your temperature can be 36.2 in the morning then there could be a chance of thyroid issues.
- ‘Overactive’ temperature (seek medical) -37c +
- ‘Normal’ temperature range – 36.7-37c
- ‘Questionable’ range – anything under 36.6c consistently
(According to Dr Broda O’Barnes)
Now you do need to be consistent with taking temperate, use a quality thermometer and make sure you take it correctly, holding it under your tongue for at least a minute. I have to say I am slightly rubbish at taking mine but even if you manage every few days then its better than nothing 😉
*Confession – consistency is not my greatest strength so I am slightly rubbish at taking mine but even if you manage every few days then its better than nothing 😉
Your actions
- Buy a quality thermometer and set up according to instructions
- Place it by bedside
- Upon waking place it under your tongue for a minute and record temperature.
- Write temperate down somewhere -phone, note pad – whatever!
- Notice any patterns and maintain this throughout an entire cycle so you can factor in natural fluctuations with temperature due to hormonal cycle.
And if you want more support but not ready for private one to one support?
Then join me for The Thyroid Workshop!
A LIVE group coaching workshop all about the thyroid. You will leave with a clear action plan, a plan of what to eat, testing, supplements and fully equipped to HEAL.
Wednesday 20th August – Click here to find out more.
What does your temperature how to do with anything??
Your thyroid is, on a basic level, the bodies thermostat. It regulates metabolism (hence the belly that won’t shift), temperature and even mood. So if your thyroid is struggling you overall temperature lowers, or in the case of over active thyroid, it can increase.
For years I just thought I was a ‘cold person’ but really the fact that I would take hours to warm up after being cold was a sign of a slightly under par thyroid.
Also, HPA dysfunction (also known as adrenal fatigue) also impact your basal temperature too (Click here to find out more about that). And getting into the habit of tracking your basal temperate is also great for tuning into your menstrual cycle too and can be part of a practicing natural contraception – winner.
So if you suspect your thyroid is wonky, know that thyroid issues run in your family or are suddenly WAY more fatigued than you used to, then grab a good quality thermometer and track you basal temperature of 30 days and if you have consistently low temperature then make sure you download my cheat sheet below to know more about how to support your thyroid or join me for the workshop!
0 Comments