How Does Thyroid Protect Against Heat/humidity?

Ben

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I saw a quote from RP somewhere (which I couldn't find) that hypothyroidism results in heat intolerance, and thyroid protects against both heat and humidity. If thyroid increases heat production, then logically heat tolerance should be lower. And since humidity prevents sweating and dissipation of heat, having a high heat production in a hot and humid environment would logically feel very uncomfortable.

My own experience with thyroid is that the surrounding temperature seems more frequently hot to me, and I now wear less clothes than before. I notice my chest now gets sweaty when I'm hot, but I remember I sweated very little before. I used to be able to wear the same socks for days without a problem, but now a clean pair of socks smells after just one day of wearing them. Maybe thyroid increases the ability to regulate temperature if it's too high?

I found this quote, and I happened to be curious about "dry scabs" when there is a cut or wound.

The regeneration of finger tips, including a well-formed nail if some of the base remained, will occur if the wounded end of the finger is kept enclosed, for example by putting a metal or plastic tube over the finger. The humidity keeps the wound from forming a dry scab, and the cells near the surface will consume oxygen and produce carbon dioxide, keeping the ratio of carbon dioxide to oxygen much higher than in normal uninjured tissue.

I thought dry scabs would keep the CO2 in and help wound/cut healing. The air has much more O2 and much less CO2 than the body, and RP has commented that excessive O2 and too little CO2 is health-damaging and prevents wound healing. Maybe carbonated water would be a good choice if I cut off a part of my finger.
 

Blossom

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The key here is that the wound is "enclosed" which is therefore trapping in the protective co2. I'm recalling the video done with the buteyko practitioners where Peat discussed at length on the protective and restorative nature of co2. He also mentions co2 in many of his articles. I believe he even advised the audience at the end of the video to focus their efforts on co2. Of course optimizing thyroid function helps increase co2 production. I came to this approach because it rang true with my experiences. I was taught that co2 is a metabolic waste but I've seen people die when it was lowered too quick. Reducing any waste product shouldn't kill.
 
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Ben

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I'm still curious about the mechanism via which thyroid would make one more comfortable in heat and humidity. My experience was that thyroid made me comfortable at a lower temperature, so how can I be more tolerant of heat, and especially humidity this way? Humidity prevents sweating, so in hot and humid weather a person can't cool off.
 

Blossom

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Ben said:
I'm still curious about the mechanism via which thyroid would make one more comfortable in heat and humidity. My experience was that thyroid made me comfortable at a lower temperature, so how can I be more tolerant of heat, and especially humidity this way? Humidity prevents sweating, so in hot and humid weather a person can't cool off.
I'm sure someone has a more scientific explanation than I do but I just think that we become less susceptible to the negative impact of environmental extremes when our internal environment is more stable. It seems like my body has become more efficient at cooling and warming me as needed. It's probably a sign of a healthy metabolism. I don't fully understand the intricate details but I'm enjoying the positive results just the same. I'm guessing that healthy respiring cells also stay properly hydrated more easily which probably effects our ability to maintain an adequate temperature. I'm just speculating.
 

Kasper

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Well increase of sweating seems to me the easiest explanation for increased heat tolerance.

I think less water retention is also really important for better heat tolerance.
 

aguilaroja

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Ben said:
I saw a quote from RP somewhere (which I couldn't find) that hypothyroidism results in heat intolerance, and thyroid protects against both heat and humidity....Maybe thyroid increases the ability to regulate temperature if it's too high?

Cold intolerance OR heat intolerance can be signs of low thyroid function. Some people have both. I did, extremely. Part of it involves how a person compensates for low metabolism. Sadly, if health care providers recognize thermo-regulation problems at all, many providers only recognize COLD intolerance as a LOW thyroid condition. They associate overheating only with thyroid excess and fail to notice when heat intolerance reflects low thyroid function.

Here are a few factors in hypothyroid heat intolerance and its relief as metabolism improves:

(1) When metabolism improves, basic cellular respiration improves, utilizing glucose and generating more water. Some of that (extra) water is free to evaporate as sweat:

C6H12O6 (s) + 6 O2 (g) → 6 CO2 (g) + 6 H2O (l) + heat

(2) When the overall "core" temperature improves, people no longer need to conserve heat through reduced sweating. They have better heat distribution throughout and can afford to sweat.

(3) With improved thyroid function, there is improved circulation (and heart function) which leads to more effective blood supply to the skin and sweat glands, making perspiration more ample and effective.
 

mujuro

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I've noticed this phenomenon myself. It is summer here, and I've made a point of dressing is slightly warmer clothes than would be expected for a typical citizen in my area. Years ago I was always the one walking around in T shirts just to stay cool. My temperatures now hover around 37.1'C when underfed (high 37s when well fed) and I find myself shockingly unfazed by these sweltering summer days. Usually stepping out into the hot, sticky air would immediately invoke that visceral "euch!" feeling. Instead, strange as it may sound, I feel like I am "one with the heat", as though my body is perfectly prepared to negotiate whatever temperature alterations take place. Everyone else around me - family, friends - has greater trouble than me in tolerating day to day temperatures. Indeed, this time last year I would wear a T shirt to bed and sweat, whereas now I can wear a thin, loose sweater and sleep soundly.
 

fyo

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Ben said:
I thought dry scabs would keep the CO2 in and help wound/cut healing.
They do. But adding some additional way to retain moisture/CO2 is only more helpful, as now the full would is fully exposed, and your wound need not waste materials on scabbing.
Sugar and honey also help a lot, occasionally has been used in medical contexts. Probably lots of other things too.
 
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Ben

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fyo said:
Ben said:
I thought dry scabs would keep the CO2 in and help wound/cut healing.
They do. But adding some additional way to retain moisture/CO2 is only more helpful, as now the full would is fully exposed, and your wound need not waste materials on scabbing.
Sugar and honey also help a lot, occasionally has been used in medical contexts. Probably lots of other things too.
I took RP's recommendation with honey a few times, and it works. It is antibacterial, but isn't sugar probacterial, feeding bacteria? For example, diabetics get infections because of hyperglycemia.
 
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Ben

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aguilaroja said:
Ben said:
I saw a quote from RP somewhere (which I couldn't find) that hypothyroidism results in heat intolerance, and thyroid protects against both heat and humidity....Maybe thyroid increases the ability to regulate temperature if it's too high?

Cold intolerance OR heat intolerance can be signs of low thyroid function. Some people have both. I did, extremely. Part of it involves how a person compensates for low metabolism. Sadly, if health care providers recognize thermo-regulation problems at all, many providers only recognize COLD intolerance as a LOW thyroid condition. They associate overheating only with thyroid excess and fail to notice when heat intolerance reflects low thyroid function.

Here are a few factors in hypothyroid heat intolerance and its relief as metabolism improves:

(1) When metabolism improves, basic cellular respiration improves, utilizing glucose and generating more water. Some of that (extra) water is free to evaporate as sweat:

C6H12O6 (s) + 6 O2 (g) → 6 CO2 (g) + 6 H2O (l) + heat

(2) When the overall "core" temperature improves, people no longer need to conserve heat through reduced sweating. They have better heat distribution throughout and can afford to sweat.

(3) With improved thyroid function, there is improved circulation (and heart function) which leads to more effective blood supply to the skin and sweat glands, making perspiration more ample and effective.
Man, this is what doctors do for a living and they can't get it right because of all of the misinformation.

Do you have any idea whether waking up covered in sweat, or having to take one's undershirt off after a walking trip is a good sign? I have never sweat as much as I do now, and I don't even take thyroid.
 

tara

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fyo said:
Ben said:
isn't sugar probacterial, feeding bacteria?
It feeds the human cells moreso, and then they take care of the rest.

See http://www.functionalps.com/blog/2013/0 ... as-healer/
and Google: "sucrose open wounds"
Granulated sugar or honey has been used to dress wounds and protect against infection - it works partly by being too highly concentrated to grow bacteria, as well as fuelling cells in repair. Honey doesn't go off unless you dilute it with other stuff. Sugar works as a preservative in high enough concentration.
 

tara

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aguilaroja said:
Ben said:
I saw a quote from RP somewhere (which I couldn't find) that hypothyroidism results in heat intolerance, and thyroid protects against both heat and humidity....Maybe thyroid increases the ability to regulate temperature if it's too high?

Cold intolerance OR heat intolerance can be signs of low thyroid function. Some people have both. I did, extremely. Part of it involves how a person compensates for low metabolism. Sadly, if health care providers recognize thermo-regulation problems at all, many providers only recognize COLD intolerance as a LOW thyroid condition. They associate overheating only with thyroid excess and fail to notice when heat intolerance reflects low thyroid function.

Here are a few factors in hypothyroid heat intolerance and its relief as metabolism improves:

(1) When metabolism improves, basic cellular respiration improves, utilizing glucose and generating more water. Some of that (extra) water is free to evaporate as sweat:

C6H12O6 (s) + 6 O2 (g) → 6 CO2 (g) + 6 H2O (l) + heat

(2) When the overall "core" temperature improves, people no longer need to conserve heat through reduced sweating. They have better heat distribution throughout and can afford to sweat.

(3) With improved thyroid function, there is improved circulation (and heart function) which leads to more effective blood supply to the skin and sweat glands, making perspiration more ample and effective.

Also maybe by reducing estrogen dominance and therefore changing the 'structural temperature' of cellular water? When estrogen is high, it lowers the body's thermostat, so one may feel too hot/have cellular structure beginning to 'melt'/lose stability even when body temperature is at an otherwise perfect 37 deg.
 

Collden

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When your thyroid function is good your body will have its internal thermostat set higher to maintain a high body temperature. This means more of the heat you generate will be used just to maintain your body temperature, and less will be dissipated. When you are hypothyroid your internal thermostat is set low, and more energy will have to be dissipated to maintain that low body temperature, which you feel as being too warm. The extreme example is fever when your internal thermostat is set very high and you consequently always feel cold. Scandinavians and people from higher latitudes are stereotypically seen as very tolerant to cold weather and intolerant to heat, and have a high prevalence of hypothyroidism.

My anecdotal experience is that people with good thyroid function/high body temperature tend to prefer warm weather and will dress to minimise heat loss in colder weather.
 

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