DIY THYROID CHECKS: How To Spot Early Signs of Thyroid Problems and Safeguard Your Well-Being
Chapter 1: The Thyroid Unveiled: Your Key to Radiant Well-Being
What do your sleep cycle, metabolism, and respiration all have in common? They’re essential bodily functions regulated, in part, by your thyroid gland.
The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located in front of the trachea at the base of your neck. It only measures about 2 inches wide but its proper function is absolutely essential for your overall health. After all, it’s responsible for producing two major hormones that help regulate key functions like breathing, heart rate, energy metabolism, body temperature, and more.
These two hormones are called thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). Let’s take a closer look at how they work and what they do in the body.
What Are Thyroid Hormones?
The thyroid gland produces T4 and T3 hormones, but it’s the job of the pituitary gland to tell the thyroid when to get to work. When the pituitary gland, located at the bottom of the brain, detects a need for more thyroid hormone in the body, it sends a signal to the thyroid in the form of its own hormone called thyroid-stimulating hormone or TSH.
What makes thyroid hormones unique from other hormones the body produces is that they contain iodine atoms. Thyroxine is called T4 because it contains four iodine atoms and triiodothyronine is called T3 because it has three. In order to produce these hormones, there has to be iodine in your blood for the thyroid to draw from—the body doesn’t naturally produce iodine, so it has to come from your diet.
What Do Thyroid Hormones Do?
Thyroid hormones play a role in almost every physiological function in the body. T3 regulates the production of certain proteins your cells produce by binding directly to the cell’s DNA. Whenever a cell needs a specific protein, they’re able to draw on free T4 or T3 from the bloodstream to stimulate the production of that protein.
Though your cells all utilize this process, different types of cells have different receptors called T3-nuclear receptors. The type and concentration of these receptors dictates the effect T3 has on the specific cell.
Some of the functions thyroid hormones help regulate in the body include:
1. Metabolism – How your body produces and utilizes energy
2. Heart rate – Speeding it up or slowing it down as needed
3. Body temperature – Raising or lowering it as needed
4. Digestion – How quickly food moves through your digestive tract
5. Reproduction – Supporting the structure and function of reproductive tissue
Thyroid hormones also influence brain development, memory, muscle contraction, and skin and bone maintenance. When your thyroid isn’t working properly, you may develop an imbalance in thyroid hormones which may then impair the function of other bodily processes.
Why Proper Thyroid Function is Essential
Because your thyroid is responsible for producing the hormones which regulate everything from energy metabolism to cognitive function, thyroid health is essential for total health and well-being. Thyroid imbalances are generally categorized in two ways: overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) or underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism).
Hyperthyroidism is characterized by the overproduction of thyroid hormones. It may result in various bodily functions being sped up— particularly heart rate and metabolism. Hypothyroidism, on the other hand, involves low production of thyroid hormones and may slow down processes in the body.
Now that you understand how integral the thyroid is to healthy bodily function, you can imagine how there are many ways in which either hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism can develop. Some instances of thyroid dysfunction involve a problem with the thyroid gland itself while others are triggered by issues with the pituitary gland, the blood, or specific tissues or organs in the body.
Let’s take a closer look at the common symptoms of thyroid dysfunction and the signs your body might send you that something isn’t right.
Chapter 2: Decode Your Body’s Whisper: Unveiling Hidden Thyroid Clues
The thyroid is integral in myriad bodily functions, so the signs of thyroid dysfunction are highly variable. If you suspect your thyroid isn’t working properly, pay attention to your symptoms and try to determine whether they’re indicative of an under-active or overactive thyroid.
Signs of hypothyroidism or under-active thyroid may include:
- Fatigue
- Slow heart rate
- Hoarseness
- Dry skin and hair
- Hair loss
- Unexplained weight gain
- Forgetfulness
- Menstrual abnormalities
- Increased sensitivity to cold
Hyperthyroidism, or overactive thyroid, often produces symptoms on the opposite end of the spectrum. Instead of gaining weight, you may lose weight without trying. You may notice a fast and sometimes irregular heartbeat, increased anxiety, muscle weakness or tremors, trouble sleeping, and increased sensitivity to heat or light.
In some cases, issues with the thyroid gland may present with a very obvious physical symptom: a goiter. Goiter is simply a term that refers to the enlargement of the thyroid gland. A goiter may present as a complete enlargement of the thyroid gland or as the development of one or more smaller lumps known as thyroid nodules.
Tune in to Your Body’s Clues
While the physical enlargement of the thyroid is easy to notice, some of the internal signs of thyroid dysfunction may be subtler. In many cases, they can easily be confused with symptoms of other conditions and therefore overlooked.
For example, rapid heart rate and increased sweating related to hyperthyroidism could easily be confused for anxiety or nervousness. You may notice an increase in bowel movements but might confuse it for a digestive problem. Weight loss may not present as a symptom if you recently changed your diet or started exercising. Problems with your hair, skin, and nails might be attributed to a vitamin deficiency.
If you’re experiencing symptoms of an underactive thyroid, you might simply think you’re coming down with a cold. Passing illness could explain things like fatigue, muscle pain, and brain fog. Heavy or irregular periods might be confused for a reproductive disorder and weight gain might be attributed to an unhealthy diet or lack of exercise.
No matter what is causing your current issues, it’s important to be attuned to your body’s communications. Take note of your symptoms—especially their frequency, intensity, and any changes. Keep reading to learn how to monitor your thyroid function at home.
Chapter 3: DIY Thyroid Health Checks: Your Passport to Wellness Begins Here
If you’re experiencing significant health issues, it’s always a good idea to consult your doctor. A simple blood test can detect elevated or depleted thyroid hormone levels. If you’re unable to seek medical care or simply want to keep an eye on your thyroid function at home, however, there are a few simple things you can do.
How To Monitor Thyroid Health at Home
As you’ve already learned, the thyroid gland plays a key role in many essential bodily functions. So, monitoring your thyroid function may involve keeping track of numerous aspects of your health and wellness.
1. Monitor Your Symptoms – You are the expert when it comes to your own body, so pay attention to how you’re feeling and any changes you experience over time. If you notice multiple symptoms, ask yourself whether they might be connected in some way. For example, do they all correlate with increased or decreased bodily activity? Asking questions and checking in with yourself are key elements in effective self-assessment.
2. Perform Physical Checks – Many symptoms of thyroid dysfunction a some physical checks you can perform as well. Have you gained or lost weight? Does your hair and skin appear dry or dull? Is there noticeable swelling at the base of your neck?
3. Track Your Vital Signs – Your thyroid regulates the core function of your heart, lungs, and metabolism, so tracking your vital signs can give you clues about thyroid dysfunction. It may help to take your temperature daily, monitor your body weight, and establish a baseline for your heart rate.
These DIY thyroid checks are not a substitute for professional medical advice. They can, however, offer a proactive way to monitor your thyroid function in order to provide your doctor with detailed information about your symptoms if they develop.
If you’re going to monitor your thyroid health at home, consistency is key.
Consider starting a thyroid health journal to keep track of your vital signs and to make observations about any symptoms you may experience. If you’re going to track vital signs like heart rate and body temperature, be sure to do so at the same time and under the same circumstances each day. It may help to set a reminder in your phone or to pair your assessment with a recurring daily activity like getting up in the morning or going to bed.
Now, let’s dive into the details of how to perform various DIY thyroid checks at home. We’ll start with how to perform a neck check.
Chapter 4: The Neck Check: Thyroid Health at Your Fingertips
While many signs of thyroid dysfunction are internal, an enlarged thyroid gland is an obvious physical sign that something is wrong. If you’re experiencing other symptoms, a quick neck check may be all you need to confirm it’s time to call your doctor.
Here’s how to perform a thyroid neck check (you’ll need a mirror and a glass of water):
- Sit or stand in front of a mirror in an area with adequate lighting.
- Focus your attention on the lower front area of your neck— your thyroid is located below your voice box and above your collarbone.
- With your eyes focused on this area, tilt your head back.
- Take a mouthful of water and swallow it.
- As you swallow, look for any bumps, lumps, or protrusions where your thyroid is located.
- Note that your Adam’s apple is higher on your neck than your thyroid—don’t confuse the two.
- Take a second swallow of water and look closely for abnormalities.
- Use your finger tips to feel your neck around your thyroid—it may be easier to feel abnormalities under the skin than to see them.
If you’re not a medical professional, it can be difficult to tell what’s normal and what isn’t. While a goiter is generally fairly obvious, smaller thyroid nodules may be harder to detect. If you felt any lumps, bumps, or protrusions during your neck check it’s wise to contact your doctor.
The Significance of Thyroid Nodules
Enlargement of the entire thyroid gland is known as a goiter but any unusual lump of cell growth on the thyroid gland is called a thyroid nodule. If you feel nodules on your thyroid, don’t panic. Thyroid nodules are very common and are almost always non cancerous—in many cases, they don’t even cause symptoms.
While thyroid nodules aren’t necessarily something to worry about, they shouldn’t be ignored. They may be an indication of thyroid disease, whether or not you’ve noticed other symptoms.
Common symptoms that may accompany thyroid nodules include hoarseness or changes to your voice, pain in the front of your neck, and difficulty breathing or swallowing. Thyroid nodules may also accompany the symptoms of hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism as previously discussed in this guide.
If you notice thyroid nodules or any other abnormalities during your neck check, it’s important to contact your doctor. Even if you don’t, further monitoring may be warranted. Keep reading to learn how to track your metabolism to keep an eye on your thyroid health.
Chapter 5: Energy Unleashed: Tracking Metabolic Marvels Within
Your metabolism is simply the process through which your body converts food into energy. Every person’s metabolism is unique and some simply burn energy faster or more slowly than others. When it comes to thyroid dysfunction, the key is to detect any unexplained changes in your metabolism. There are a few ways you can do it.
Monitor Your Energy Levels
The key to monitoring your energy levels is to make notes throughout the day, organizing them all in one place. Think of it like an energy journal.
Start with a daily planner—something that has plenty of room to make notes for each day. Each day, write down what time you get up and how rested you feel. Throughout the day, write down a score that represents your energy level at the moment. You can choose a scale that works for you but either 1-3 or 1-5 should work well. Be sure to write down what you’re doing at the moment you note your energy level as well.
At the end of each day, take a look at your scores to familiarize yourself with your daily average. It may also help to take some additional notes if you noticed anything that could have impacted your energy levels during the day.
From there, keep up the habit for a good 10 to 14 days then take a closer look back to see if you can spot any patterns. Are there certain times of day when your energy levels are particularly high? Or low? Do certain activities typically precede an energy level change? Keep this information in the back of your mind as you track other aspects of your metabolism.
Track Metabolism-Related Changes
If you find it difficult to gauge your energy levels, or you simply want a more practical method of tracking metabolic changes, try tracking vitals like your heart rate, temperature, and weight.
Tracking your body weight is simple enough. Invest in a decent digital scale and step on it first thing every morning before you get dressed for the day. This is also a good time to take your temperature. Keep in mind that normal body temperature ranges from 97.8°F to 99°F. It’s easiest to use a digital thermometer, placing it under your tongue to get a reading.
Finally, take your pulse by placing your first and second fingertips gently but firmly on the artery on the inside of your wrist. Count your pulse for 60 seconds to calculate beats per minute, or count for 15 seconds and multiply by four. It may be best to set a timer and focus on counting rather than watching the clock.
Use the same journal to track your vitals so you can more easily review them to look for patterns or to identify changes. If you can’t find a decent daily planner that works for your needs, look for a template online or design one yourself to print out.
Chapter 6: Unblocking Beauty Secrets: Thyroid Magic for Hair, Skin, and Nails
One of the most overlooked symptoms of thyroid imbalance is changes to the hair, nails, and skin. Symptoms like dry hair or brittle nails are easily attributed to nutritional deficiencies or poor hygiene habits, but they could be a sign of something internal.
Here’s what you need to know in order to identify thyroid-related changes to your hair, skin, and nails. Make note of these changes in your thyroid health journal to share with your doctor.
HAIR CHANGES
Early on, thyroid hormone imbalances can cause your hair to become dry. You may notice a change in its texture at first or it may break more easily. Over time, changes in hair thickness may occur. When hair loss occurs due to prolonged hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, it usually occurs across the entire scalp instead of just along the hairline.
SKIN CHANGES
Dry skin is a common symptom of thyroid imbalance. Over time, the skin may lose its ability to retain moisture which could result in severe dryness, flakiness, and even deep cracks in the skin. Some people experience changes in their complexion or unusual rashes. Slow wound healing is also common in people with thyroid disorders and many people experience an increase in sweating.
NAIL CHANGES
Dryness may also affect the nails in people with thyroid problems. Your nails may become thick, dry, and brittle—sometimes with visible ridges. You may notice your nails are growing faster or more slowly than usual. In some cases, the nails soften and crumble or break easily. Others find that their nails become curved, the fingertips swelling and the skin thickening above the nail.
Chapter 7: Mood Makeover: Say Hello to Happiness and Weight Loss
Symptoms of thyroid imbalance aren’t always physical. In addition to changes to your hair, skin, and nails, you may also notice abnormalities in your mood. Thyroid hormones play a role in regulating brain chemistry, so if your thyroid starts over or under producing, you may notice that you feel more anxious than usual, or more depressed.
With hyperthyroidism, you’re more likely to experience mood symptoms that trend toward anxiety. Are you feeling more nervous than usual without a reasonable explanation? Do you feel like you’re tightly wound and on- edge? Are you unusually irritable with a quick temper?
On the other side of the coin, hypothyroidism may cause low mood symptoms. You might feel down or depressed, unusually tired or fatigued.
THE THYROID WEIGHT CONNECTION
For many people, mood-related symptoms aren’t the only sign of thyroid imbalance. If your thyroid issues are severe enough to cause noticeable mood changes, you may also have experienced changes in your body weight. In some cases, the weight change may be significant enough to further impact your mood.
The same fluctuations in thyroid hormones that alter your brain chemistry can also alter your metabolism. With hyperthyroidism, it’s more common to see unintentional weight loss. An excess of thyroid hormones can speed up your metabolism, causing your body to burn more energy than usual. If you’re not eating more to compensate, your body might start taking the excess energy from stored fat or muscle.
With hypothyroidism, weight gain is common and isn’t always associated with any change in diet or exercise habits. Your metabolism slows down and you simply burn calories at a slower rate than previously.
If you’ve experienced unexplained weight changes, do some self-reflection and ask yourself whether you’ve also noticed changes to your mood. If you haven’t already, start keeping track of these things, as they could be indicators of thyroid issues.
Chapter 8: Savoring Life: Delectable Diet and Exercise for Thyroid Triumph
A healthy lifestyle is the key to long-term health and wellness. You’ve heard the advice a thousand times, but what exactly does a thyroid-healthy diet look like?
Some of the most important nutrients for a healthy thyroid include iodine and selenium. Iodine is an essential mineral the body uses to produce thyroid hormone. It’s easy to get from iodized salt but other dietary sources include animal proteins, dairy, sea vegetables, and seafood. Selenium is also needed for thyroid hormone production but it also helps protect the thyroid against the damaging effects of oxidative stress. Selenium-rich foods include tuna, sardines, legumes, eggs, and brazil nuts.
Just as important as including thyroid-healthy nutrients in your diet is avoiding foods that might negatively impact your health. For individuals with hypothyroidism, foods that trigger inflammation or digestive sensitivities should be avoided. You might find it helps to avoid gluten or to follow an autoimmune elimination diet to identify specific triggers.
In addition to following a thyroid-healthy diet, try to incorporate regular exercise into your routine. Daily exercise can help regulate your metabolism, reducing the effort your thyroid has to put in to get the job done. Even something as simple as a 20-minute daily walk can help. The trick is to find a form of exercise you enjoy so it doesn’t feel like something you’re forced to do.
Finally, consider other lifestyle factors that might help you improve or maintain your thyroid health.
Sleep is a major one. Try to cultivate healthy sleep hygiene by keeping your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet at night. If you struggle to fall asleep due to thyroid issues, taking a low dose of melatonin may help-just be sure to take it at the same time each day to optimize the benefit. Getting a good night’s sleep will also bolster your body’s defenses against stress, though it doesn’t hurt to find your own ways to manage stress.
Chapter 9: Professional Aid or Solo? Navigating When to Get Help For Thyroid Health
You know your body better than anyone and regular self-assessment is the key to staying in-tune with yourself. Whether you’re completely healthy or concerned about your thyroid health, it’s a good idea to keep a health journal.
Whatever metrics you choose to monitor related to thyroid health, be consistent about it. If you have trouble remembering tasks, try taking all your vital signs when you first get up in the morning. Not only is this something you do every day, but you’ll get a decent baseline reading without factors like food or activity skewing the results.
Remember that you’re looking for patterns or sudden changes—these will be the indicators you can use to gauge your thyroid health.
For example, if you start to notice that your body temperature is below average, it might be an indication that your thyroid is having trouble regulating your internal temperature. Rapid heart rate in the morning before you’ve done any activity could be an indication of an overactive thyroid. Just be sure to take note of anything that could impact your readings, just so you have a context in which to understand them when you look back.
WHEN TO SEEK MEDICAL HELP
After you keep a steady health journal for a few weeks, look back over it to see if you can identify any patterns. Even if you don’t, it’s a good idea to keep tracking your vitals. If something changes in the future, you’ll have concrete evidence of the change instead of having to rely on your memory.
If at any point a neck check or vital sign measurement appears abnormal, it’s wise to contact your doctor. The benefit of keeping a thyroid health journal is, should this become necessary, you’ll have plenty of specific data to provide during your exam. This could make the difference in ruling out other potential causes for your symptoms.
Remember, self-assessment and monitoring is not a substitute for a medical evaluation.
While tracking your symptoms can help you identify signs of a thyroid issue, medical tests and a professional exam are necessary for a precise diagnosis. Blood tests can measure the amount of free T4 and total T3 in your bloodstream as well as the amount of TSH your pituitary gland is producing. Your doctor will be able to interpret the relationship between these three test results to diagnose a thyroid disorder or to rule one out.
Thyroid Legacy: Unveiling Your Lifelong Path to Wellness
By fostering an understanding of thyroid health and incorporating DIY thyroid checks and self-assessment into your daily routine, you can have a greater hand in protecting your long-term health and wellness.
Thyroid health is just one aspect of whole-body health, but if your thyroid isn’t healthy it’s going to impact other systems in your body. This is where keeping a daily or weekly health journal comes in handy. It may take some work to get into the habit of updating it, but you’ll be glad you have it if you find yourself in your doctor’s office.
Use the information and tools you’ve gathered from this guide to become more proactive about monitoring and protecting your thyroid health. Best of luck!
