Body temperature can be affected by thyroid problems

Hyperthyroidism patients often feel too hot and hypothyroidism patients feel too cold. Until now this phenomenon was blamed on the hormone’s effect on the metabolism in the cells themselves. But a new study has uncovered some new information. The study was conducted on mice with defective thyroid receptors. They were hyperthyroid in the muscles of the blood vessels. Previous studies conclude that these mice have very high metabolic rate. When infrared images of the mice were taken, the researchers noticed that there was a considerable amount of heat lost through the tail. So, the researchers came to the conclusion that the mice were unable to regulate the constriction of their blood vessels. "At room temperature, the mice in our study were unable to properly control the blood flow to their tails, which caused heat loss," says Dr Jens Mittag, lead author on the paper. "They therefore needed a backup plan to keep themselves warm and so they produced heat through their brown fat. This tells us that people with a thyroid disorder also might be feeling the cold, but unlike mice, they can partially compensate with extra clothing or turning up the thermostat at home."