Checking the Thyroid with Basal Body Temperature

Basal Body Temperature for Thyroid Function is used to monitor fluctuations in a woman’s monthly cycle and to determine how well the thyroid is working.  Historically, one of the most consistent ways of assessing one’s thyroid function is by checking body temperature because this reflects the thyroid’s influence on the body’s metabolic rate.

A basal body temperature that is consistently less than 97.8° F over a period of one month may indicate low thyroid function.  Other tests, primarily blood tests, have been developed to check thyroid function.  However, these values may come back normal even though symptoms of hypothyroidism are present.

Signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism include any of the following:

Dry or thinning hair, fatigue, dry skin, short nails with white spots, poor circulation with cold hands and feet, shivering spells, fluid retention, difficulty losing weight, slow digestion, constipation, mental tiredness, depression, poor memory, habitual headache that is usually worse in the morning, ringing in the ears, disturbed sleep, achy, stiff joints, low/high blood pressure and a slow heart rate.

MEASURING YOUR BASAL BODY TEMPERATURE

1. Shake down the thermometer below 95°F, and place it beside the bed before going to sleep.
2. On waking, place the thermometer under your armpit or in your mouth and rest for 5-10 minutes.  The less movement you make, the more accurate the reading.
3. Record the date and your temperature on the chart on the back of this page.  For women, make day 1 the beginning of your menses.  So you know where you are in your cycle, you can start on that day i.e.., if you are on day 15 of your cycle, you would put your first day’s reading under day 15. 
4. Record subsequent temperatures for the rest of the month and start over on day 1, the first day of your menses.  If you don’t know where you are in your cycle, record your basal body temperature on a separate piece of paper until you begin your menses, then fill in the chart.
5. Please bring your chart in with you to your next appointment.

This will aid us in determining if low thyroid function contributes to your state of health.

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Reference

1. Hypothyroidism-The Unsuspected Illness, B. Barnes & L. Galton, 1976.