Measuring Your Temperature

Measure your temperature, accurately and at the same time of day

It's important to measure your temperature accurately and at the same time each day to compare yourself against our charts. Our charts are based on measurements taken the first thing in the morning. That's an easy time to take your temperature without something interfering. Use a liquid metal thermometer. If you have an old mercury one, that's fine. If not, you can buy one made of Gallium. It looks like mercury but it's safe.

Taking your measurement

At night, shake down your thermometer below 94 degrees and put it on your bedside table. Then in the morning, while still lying in bed, measure your oral temperature by placing it under your tongue near the middle of the back for 3 minutes. Read you temperature and write it down to the nearest tenth, like 96.6. Do this for at least three days. (if you miss a day, just do an extra one) Add the temperatures together and divide by the number of readings. That's your average morning temperature. (if you're a woman and your menstruating, avoid the first two days. Also, watch for ovulation. It will raise your temperature above your other readings by approximately .8 degrees. Discard the reading and do another).

Comparing your average temperature

Let's see how your compare.

The key is low temperature AND chronic symptoms (with the important exception in the next paragraph). If you have both, it is definitely worth trying a remedy for hidden hypothyroidism (doctors call it a called a clinical trial). There is no other way to know for sure. If your symptoms decrease or go away altogether, you had hypothyroidism, regardless of what your thyroid blood test said. This is what doctors did reliably for 60 years before the TSH test.

I have symptoms but my morning temperature is above 97.6

You could still have hidden hypothyroidism. How? If you have a temperature that is genetically fairly high, even when it drops it would still not register below 97.6. If you have symptoms, consider their impact on the quality of your life. Is it worth trying a remedy?