Dr Oz: How To Detect a Sluggish Thyroid
If you can’t seem to lose weight no matter what you do, or just don’t seem to have the energy you should, Dr Oz said you could have a problem with your Thyroid. Do you have a sluggish Thyroid?
But first, he recruited an Assistant of the Day from the audience. She explained that she had been diagnosed with Hypothyroidism.
Dr Oz: Hypothyroid Symptoms of Low Thyroid
Dr Oz shared the Phalen Maneuver and two other self-tests you can do to determine whether you may have a sluggish Thyroid, if you have other symptoms. (Sebastian Kaulitzki / Shutterstock.com)
Do you have any of these symptoms? You might have a sluggish thyroid.
- Fatigue
- Weight Gain
- Constipation
- Cold Sensitivity
- Dry Skin
- Thinning Hair
- Depression
Dr Oz: Where is the Thyroid? What Does Thyroid Do?
Dr Oz did a quick anatomy lesson to explain that the Thyroid is beneath the Adam’s apple, near the windpipe. It generates the body’s Thyroid hormone, which performs functions such as controlling the metabolism.
Dr Oz: Thyroid Tendon Test
Look at your tendons, like the one below your knee (when it is bent). Are your reflexes too wild? If so, you might have too much of the Thyroid hormone. If you have slow reflexes, you may have a sluggish Thyroid.
Dr Oz: Thyroid Eyebrow Test
Dr Oz called this Eyebrow Test by its other name, Queen Anne’s sign. That’s because in a famous painting of Queen Anne, her eyebrows did not go all the way across her eyes. Doctor Oz said the arch should go all the way over to the far edge of your eye, but this is lost in patients with a slow Thyroid. Use a mirror to test this on yourself.
Dr Oz: Thyroid Phalen Maneuver
The last test is the Phalen Maneuver. Place your hands back to back, with fingers pointing down. If you have trouble doing this, or can’t hold the position for 30 seconds without tingling, you might have Carpal Tunnel syndrome, which Dr Oz said is associated with a sluggish Thyroid.
If you think you have a sluggish Thyroid, ask your doctor for help with testing or treatment options. Dr Oz recommended using the AskMD app to learn more about your symptoms and health.
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