Simple Way to Check Your Thyroid

Figuring out if you have a thyroid problem can be frustrating. You can have all the symptoms and your blood work  (TSH) will show up in the normal range. This is the reason so many people suffer with thyroid issues,  without knowing it. They think they’re getting old and run down, staying up too late, stresses in life…a whole host of reasons they might feel bad, without realizing their thyroid isn’t working properly.

When I first discovered, quite by accident, that I had a growth on my thyroid,  all of a sudden all my symptoms made sense. I wasn’t getting old! I hadn’t just given upon life!!! There was a reason a physical reason I couldn’t lose weight. There was a reason I felt run down all the time  and something I could do something about! I can’t tell you how liberating that was to me.

Finally, there was a reason I was depressed. I was stressed. I didn’t want to be around people. I could go to bed at any hour of the day and sleep. I gained weight and didn’t over eat, at all.

Looking back tho, I realized, after much reading and studying, that there were tell-tell signs that I had a thyroid problem. I didn’t know what to look for and considered each problem separately without knowing there was a connection.  There seemed to be another reason for everything.

These are some telling signs I missed. Or we just wrote off as something else.

My heart skipped beats. I had an arrhythmia. I’m not exactly sure how this relates, but once I began taking thyroid hormones, this stopped. I’ve read that thyroid problems can lead to heart problems…so there must be a connection.

My temperature was subnormal. That’s a biggie. In fact, one of the tests you can do at home has to do with taking your temperature.  For years this was the way method of diagnosing hypothyroidism.

My pulse was slower than normal.

It’s was hard to take a deep breath. It’s as if my lungs couldn’t quite fill with air.

Another sign is thinning of the outer eyebrows. Don’t ask me why. I’m just reporting…Also your hair will begin to get coarser.

Of course, if  you are not aware of the thyroid connection,  then every single one of these symptoms can be explained away, easily. And that’s what I did.

I’m going to tell you  an easy way to check your thyroid. If you have any or all of the above symptoms,  you may want to do this.  Remember, for years this was the way method of diagnosing hypothyroidism. It is called the Basal Body Temperature….or BBT

Before you go to bed tonight. Take a thermometer and shake it down. Place it on your bedside table. In the morning when you first awaken, take your temperature under your arm.  Be Careful not to move around too much. Movement could raise your temperature.  Just reach for your thermometer and leave it under your arm for 10 minutes. Do this for 5 mornings and record your temperature each morning. If your temperature in below normal, then chances are great you have a thyroid problem.

The Basal Body Temperature Test was used for many years to detect thyroid problems. Doctors don’t use this method much any more, believing it is not ‘scientific’ enough.   It’s probably just too simplistic….. 😉  It is a pretty accurate way to check your thyroid.

My readings were way low, around 92. If your temperature is below 97.8  for several days in a row,  then chances are you have something wrong with your thyroid.  I have read that most medical tests are about 80% accurate in diagnosing hypothyroidism and  the funny thing is….this method is about 80% accurate.

Evidence of how inaccurate some “scientific” medical testing is apparent with the TSH test. Even if your TSH level is in the normal range, you still can have serious thyroid problems.  This is very important to know. Many women suffer needlessly just because a doctor relies on the TSH levels.

So this week, check your temperature in the morning, under your arm, for ten minutes, before you get up. Make a note of your temps and see if your thyroid is causing your problems….then go see your doctor.

And here are some more symptoms to consider~