Managing Your Thyroid Condition in The Winter

Originally published on 10th October 2017
Last updated on 23rd February 2024

With cooler seasons comes the importance of prioritising your thyroid health.

We often feel cold more easily (thank you, cold intolerance!), may find that we catch illnesses rather easily and suffer from a dip in mood.

So, I’ve put together some information on looking after your thyroid health this winter!

1. Optimise Thyroid Levels

Did you know that one of the key functions of your thyroid gland is thermoregulate the body’s temperature? Yes, the thyroid gland is in charge of regulating the temperature of the body and then maintaining it at that temperature, too.

Therefore, when temperatures around you drop, your thyroid has to crank it up a notch and work harder to help maintain a normal body temperature.

This would explain why, when you feel colder, you can feel more hypothyroid symptoms such as aches and pains, brain fog and fatigue, as it increases your body’s need for thyroid hormone, which can cause your TSH to rise, and Free T4 and Free T3 levels to drop.

The inability to maintain a normal body temperature, with the average being 98.6 Fahrenheit/37 degrees Celsius, can lead to cold intolerance.

Just as I have covered in my post Why Do We Often Need Less Thyroid Medication in Warmer Months?, many of us also need more thyroid medication in colder months.

Not a lot, but a slight medication increase can help our bodies stay warm and function without pesky hypothyroid symptoms returning or worsening in the colder months.

Of course, don’t make this adjustment on your own but rather speak to your doctor. You’d likely benefit from a retesting of a full thyroid panel, which is always wise to check when the seasons change.

If your doctor won’t check the full thyroid panel (TSH, Free T3, Free T4, Tpoab, Tgab) then it’s worth knowing that you can check this yourself with online laboratory testing options. Medichecks are a popular choice in the UK, with LetsGetChecked in the US.

2. Optimise Body Heat

Wrapping up properly (this may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many of us don’t wear enough layers), meaning jumpers, scarves, gloves, hats and of course a substantial coat, is important for body heat too, as well as sleeping under a thick duvet, staying inside in warm places where possible and using warm blankets to keep warm, which can all help to support your thyroid and the thermoregulation too.

Eating and drinking lots of warm food and drink such as tea, soups and warm lunches as oppose to salads and sandwiches, may also be beneficial when the weather changes. Nutritious homemade soups, and plenty of protein to keep your body fuelled and blood sugar well-balanced can go along way. Good sources of protein can include meats, cheese, eggs, nuts, seeds, yoghurts, beans and legumes.

There are also thermogenic foods which are named as such as they create heat when they’re converted in to energy. Common ones include chillies, pepper, mustard, coconut oil and even avocado.

Getting out for a walk can also gently warm up the body.

Interestingly, a study has also said:

“Living in a colder climate can also be a risk factor for developing thyroid cancer. Researchers looked at correlations between average temperature by state, and the rates of thyroid cancers. (They adjusted for exposure to radiation, a key risk factor for thyroid cancer). What they found was that living in colder areas significantly increases the risk of developing thyroid cancer. For example, living in Alaska actually doubled the risk of thyroid cancer, compared to a warmer state such as Texas. Maybe the snowbirds who head to a warmer climate for the winter have the right idea! At minimum, it’s clearly better for their thyroid health!” [1]

3. Support Your Immune System

We can also think about supporting our immune system in the winter, since many of us also report being more susceptible to catching illnesses and taking longer to recover from them.

You may consider whether the flu jab is suitable to you.

Supplementing Vitamin D, C and B-complex can help support your immune system. Always consult a doctor or pharmacist before supplementing anything, though, as what each individual needs can differ greatly.

Raising the amount of Vitamin C and Zinc you supplement, at the first sight of a cold or illness, may help your immune system to recover quicker, and taking probiotics may be a good idea, too.

Many of us also have low zinc levels which can greatly impact immune system function. Getting your vitamin and mineral levels tested at this time of year can be a good idea. See a list of tests here.

I always check my Vitamin D in the winter as it often needs some support.

Have your thyroid hormone levels checked often (namely Free T3 and Free T4) to ensure they’re kept optimal, and keep in mind that adrenal stress can greatly lower your immune system’s ability to fight things off.

4. Consider Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Low Vitamin D levels have been linked to SAD and various low vitamin levels are pretty common with hypothyroidism.

Even if you don’t experience full on SAD in the darker months, even twenty minutes a day in the sun, soaking up some Vitamin D can help. It’s a good idea to get your Vitamin D levels checked before supplementing and you can also explore SAD lamps.

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What tips do you have for looking after your thyroid health in the winter?

References:

[1] https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/ct.2014%3B26.273-276