A change of seasons means different things to different people- for some, it is a relief from the summer heat or vice versa, while for others seasonal transitions mean taking extra care of their health. If you’ve got a form of hypothyroidism, the changing seasons can trigger your condition or introduce a whole new set of symptoms.
The summer and winter months can prompt changes in your thyroid gland function due to environmental temperature, and natural light exposure. Here we discuss the effects of natural seasonal variations on your thyroid and how you can better manage your hypothyroidism in all types of weather.
Winter
Thyroid symptoms tend to surface during the cold winter months. Exposure to cold can cause T3 and T4 levels to drop, while thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels rise. A rise in THS levels indicates that your thyroid isn’t keeping up with your body’s hormone needs. As a result, the production of the thyroid hormone typically increases slightly to help compensate for exposure to the cold. Elevated TSH levels is known as subclinical hypothyroidism and it happens when your thyroid function becomes slightly impaired and the thyroid gland is unable to produce enough thyroid hormone to meet your body’s needs.
Studies have shown that TSH increased in the cold winter-to-spring months in both healthy people and those with subclinical hypothyroidism. Fat metabolism also slows down due to low T3, which means T3 hormones work slower during colder months.
Changes in the amount of daylight can furthermore impact your thyroid activity and hormone output and result in depression, another common symptom of hypothyroidism. Shorter days and limited exposure to sunlight can make depressive episodes worse.
Summer
Sunlight and vitamin D are very important for thyroid function as it can directly impact your thyroid. Longer exposure to daylight will also alter your circadian rhythm and changes in your sleeping pattern might impact your thyroid hormone levels. THS levels also decrease during the summer season. People with subclinical hypothyroidism were nearly 1.5 times more likely to revert to normal TSH levels during warm weather.
In the extremely hot weather, your stress hormone cortisol may rise as well. Hashimoto’s patients typically have high cortisol levels. It usually counters inflammation in the short-term, however, a long-term rise in cortisol can cause your immune system to become resistant to the hormone. This can cause an increase in your immune response and flare-ups.
How to Manage Your Thyroid in Every Season
Here are a few ways you to support your thyroid function during different seasons so you’re better equipped to manage your symptoms and get the right treatment.
- Have your levels checked. Checking your blood values of cortisol, TSH, T4, T3—and comparing your previous measurements can be helpful in determining if changes in temperature and daylight impact your thyroid activity. You may need an increase in your thyroid hormone replacement dosage for the colder months to rev up your metabolism and make you feel warmer.
- Soak up on Vitamin D. Your thyroid is integral to heat regulation and metabolism, and it can make you susceptible to the effects of wintertime temperature changes. Vitamin D is necessary for a healthy thyroid, immune system, and bones. Vitamin D in the body drops during winter, making you feel fatigued, depression, and problems with injuries healing, and/or bone and muscle pain. Even 20 to 30 minutes of outdoor light exposure a day can help ward off fatigue and depression. If soaking up the sun is not enough for me, you can also try supplements as an alternative to getting vitamin D.
- Make space for regular exercise. Regular exercise, joining a gym, start a walking program, take a yoga class, or do Pilates, all of these can help raise your metabolism and make you feel active, relieve stress and help you avoid the winter weight gain. Remember to warm up before any exercise routine.
- Avoid sweet craving. Consuming sweet and sugary foods does not help your thyroid. Many people with thyroid conditions can be susceptible to the negative effects of processed sugar, such as underlying yeast overgrowth (candidiasis or insulin resistance).
- Sugar can also contribute to winter weight gain and depression. Your best bet would be to tame or avoid sugary treats as much as possible and find healthier options.
- Get adequate sleep. Autoimmune conditions, hormonal imbalances, and difficulty losing weight are all aggravated by insufficient sleep. Hence, it is imperative that you get sufficient hours of sleep.
