Thyroid and regulating body temperature
When you feel hot or cold at home or work, it’s easy enough to adjust the thermostat to feel more comfortable. But what if the temperature problem is inside your body? The thyroid, an endocrine gland just above the collarbone, produces hormones to regulate functions such as heartbeat and metabolism. The gland also controls your body temperature. Cold fingers can be a sign of hypothyroidism. While feeling cold isn’t enough to diagnose hypothyroidism alone, it may be a sign that it’s time to test for it. When the body makes too much thyroid hormone, body temperature rises. With hypothyroidism, however, body temperature tends to decrease because of a deficiency in thyroid hormone. A small rise or fall in thyroid levels can change the body temperature enough to significantly affect the levels of proteins in the bloodstream.
How thyroid disorders affect the internal temperature of the body?
Thyroid disorders have different symptoms; in hypothyroidism, metabolism slows, body temperature drops and the patient may feel cold even in a warm environment.
Hypothyroidism symptoms:
- Constipation
- Fatigue
- Joint or muscle pain
- Increased sensitivity to cold temperatures
- Elevated blood cholesterol level
- Dry skin
- Weight gain
- Depression
** Of course, it should be noted that feeling cold in the hands and feet isn’t enough to make a hypothyroidism diagnosis. These sensations may also be symptoms of a wide range of other conditions, including anemia and impaired circulation.
Definitive diagnosis of thyroid disorders and its treatment
While feeling cold isn’t enough to diagnose hypothyroidism alone, it can be a sign that its function is tested by the test. Therefore, the doctor examines the presence of other signs of the disease and, if necessary, prescribes a blood test to check the function of the thyroid gland. If a positive diagnosis is made, the next step is to undergo thyroid hormone treatment, which can help to reverse a low body temperature and any other hypothyroidism symptoms.
Reference:
https://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/healthy-living-with-hypothyroidism/temperature/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hypothyroidism/symptoms-causes/syc-20350284
https://www.verywellhealth.com/thyroid-disease-symptoms-3233221
https://www.mydr.com.au/first-aid-self-care/thyroid-gland-disorders
https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/thyroid/hypothyroidism-too-little-thyroid-hormone
https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/thyroid-disease
