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The thyroid is a gland found in the neck region that secretes important body hormones. Examples of such hormones include triiodothyronine and thyroxine.
These hormones play major roles in your metabolism. They regulate the temperature of the body, your heart rate among other functions.
This therefore means that thyroid complications can affect a huge part of your health. Therefore, it is important that you always keep track of your thyroid’s performance and functionality. But how can you do this?
There are three simple tactics that you can employ in checking for complications in your thyroid. These are:
- Keeping a check on your body’s basal temperature
- Use of your hands to feel the thyroid gland
- Watching out for any symptoms of thyroid problems
Keeping A Check on Your Basal Temperature
Your thyroid is responsible for monitoring your metabolism. It, therefore, affects your basal temperature.
- For this test, you first need to buy a basal thermometer. This can be easily acquired at over-the-counter drug stores.
- You then need to be taking your temperature reading every morning immediately you wake up. Just put the thermometer in your armpit and wait for at least five minutes before taking the reading. This should be done for seven or so days.
- Your body should have a temperature of 36.6 to 36.8 degrees Celsius. If your readings are lower than this then it means that your thyroid may have a problem.
Note that the following factors can affect your waking temperature so void them if you can:
- Having drunk alcohol, the previous night
- Menstrual flow
- Extreme stress
- Birth control pills that affect your hormones
Feeling the Thyroid
This is an even simpler method. Here you will just use your hand to feel the gland. The thyroid gland is located right below the Adam’s apple. Its winged shaped extensions are on the sides of the trachea.
When feeling it, look out for any forms of swelling or bumpy features. Any kinds of swellings mean trouble for your thyroid gland.
Watching Out for Symptoms
The last and final way is to always be alert to notice any symptoms that scream out the thyroid is experiencing difficulties. There are quite a several symptoms that surface when your thyroid has a problem. Here is a list of several of them:
- Experiencing mood swings
- Feeling pain in your muscles and joints
- Experiencing cold when others do not feel the same way
- Cracking of skin
- Loss of hair
- Swelling of the neck
- Development of a hoarse voice
- Poor concentration and memory
- Increase in weight
- Waking up tired even after sleeping for eight hours
Always keep watch of your thyroid gland. If you start developing or noticing any abnormalities and complications with your thyroid gland, then go see a doctor as soon as possible.
Early detection of problems could save you from losing your thyroid gland. The above means should help you to ensure that you are aware of the health status of your thyroid always.
My daughter has thyroid issues and I was always looking for the best way to help her. This is an amazing post to help me check her thyroid and take precaution in time.
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This post helped me to determine some minor thyroid issue. Your post is helpful, short and smart, I recommend you to keep doing what you’re doing.
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