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CONSTITUTIONAL MEDICINE
- Ancient wisdom in the modern world

An underactive thyroid can have widespread adverse effects on health including causing a low basal (baseline or resting) temperature. Conventional blood tests for thyroid function are only sensitive enough to show overt disease so we use the following test to help rule out a milder low thyroid function. Our normal temperature resting should be between 36 and 36.5 degrees so being under this level may mean your thyroid is underactive.

Over the space of 4 consecutive days take your temperature each morning, before rising. If you are getting fluctuating readings over the 4 days, then keep the tests going for another couple of days. It is preferable to use an old fashioned mercury thermometer but digital ones are an ok option though you might need to be doubtful about their accuracy if you are getting widely fluctuating readings. When you wake, if using a mercury thermometer, shake it down a couple of times towards the end that goes in your mouth and then put it in your mouth, under your tongue, for at least 3 minutes. Read, and then record your temperature on the chart below by marking a mark in the box.

Practise taking your temperature, at least once, the day before starting so you can get a comparison of what you are like after movement and also so you can easily make sense of the thermometer before you start the morning tests when you may be a little sleepy! With the mercury thermometers, there is a simple trick to turning the thermometer to catch the light that will clearly show the silver strip you are looking for.

Note for women: Do not do this test at the time you are menstruating or
if you suspect you will be ovulating during the test period.

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