How to check your thyroid gland at home: 4 easy tests

The malfunctioning of the thyroid gland instantly affects the state of health and well-being. It can squeeze nearby organs, cause coughing, a lump in the throat, and even asthma attacks. In special cases, there is a lack of strength, hair falls out and weakness occurs.

These 4 easy ways to help determine if your iron is normal? If at least one of the tests shows you an unsatisfactory result, you should immediately consult a doctor.

How to check at home: iodine deficiency test 

Thyroid hormones (thyroid) are 65% iodine. They affect energy metabolism in cells, free the body from harmful substances, fight infections and even are responsible for the work of the pancreas. Imagine, the thyroid gland contains 50% of iodine, which is contained in the person himself. She extracts it and blood and synthesizes the necessary hormones that support us at the proper physical and mental levels. When there is not enough iodine, the thyroid gland increases in size - this is how a goiter appears.

Also, if there is not enough iodine, the skin becomes dry, for unexplained reasons, weight grows, constipation, low blood pressure appear, and the menstrual cycle is disturbed in women.

People who do not have enough iodine are often apathetic and depressed. It is difficult for them to concentrate and remember.

Test

Of course, this test does not claim to be the ultimate truth. It is necessary to understand that this is not a medical quality test, but thanks to the test, you will understand whether your body needs iodine in principle.

1. Using a cotton swab, draw a 5 by 5 centimeters iodine mesh on your wrist and, after a couple of hours, look at what remains of the drawing. If he disappeared, iodine is sorely lacking. If there are traces, everything is normal.
2. Before going to bed, draw three stripes on your arm with iodine. Very thin, medium, and a stripe, a centimeter wide. If in the morning you see that the thinnest one has disappeared, then everything is normal. If all three have disappeared, including the widest one, then you should consult a doctor for additional diagnostics.

How to check if the thyroid gland is enlarged?

The thyroid gland increasesif it does not work properly for a long time. How to understand if it is normal for you?

Test

1. Take a lot of water in your mouth and go to the mirror. Swallow water slowly. If you see swelling on the neck, then the gland is enlarged.
2. Hypothyroidism is known to contribute to hair loss. And if the fact that the braid is thinning, we may not notice or associate it with stress, a change in weather, then a decrease in eyebrow hairs is an alarming marker of the problem. Place the pen vertically on the outer corner of your eye. Keep it parallel to your nose. If the tip of the eyebrow protrudes beyond the line of the pencil - everything is fine, you do not need to worry.
   

   Take a lot of water in your mouth and go to the mirror. Swallow water slowly / istockphoto.com

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