Practically everyone who has suffered through a mild to severe case of an overgrowth of Candida albicans in their intestines has likely also suffered from at least a degree of hypothyroidism. The problem with trying to diagnose this thyroid problem on your own is simple; the symptoms of hypothyroidism are practically identical to those of a Candida overgrowth.
One reason that a Candida overgrowth affects the hormonal leaves is, the adrenal glands which are overworked by a severe illness such as a Candida infestation will often lead to the additional problem of hypothyroidism which has a direct effect on the hormonal levels.
In connection with the thyroid gland, it isn’t exactly a well known fact by the general public that an overgrowth of fungal yeast or of Candida albicans can often contribute to many types of hormonal problems. For example, one specific toxic by-product of a Candida albicans infestation will produce a “false” type of estrogen. This estrogen impersonator can literally trick a woman’s body into assuming that an adequate amount of estrogen has been produced for proper function of the body and therefore, the actual natural estrogen production is reduced, sometimes quite drastically, by this false estrogen produced by the Candida toxins. Practically the same action can take place with the thyroid gland, meaning that false messages may be sent to the thyroid gland which would cause a reduction in production of the hormone thyroxine which would either cause or worsen a hypothyroid problem.
In addition, if you have a Candida albicans infestation you’re probably aware of the fact that fungal Candida are capable of producing toxins, in fact, they produce up to 79 different toxins once they’re inside the human body that are capable of causing healthy problems including the damaging and lessening the effect of the adrenal glands and therefore the immune system.
One of the many toxins produced by Candida is ethanol, a metabolite of alcohol, and therefore having the same properties as alcohol. As far as ethanol’s connection to hormones is concerned; in order for the hormones in the human body to function as they were meant to, they must have a specific timing for their release into the tissues of the body. This release time is imperative for the proper functioning of hormones, otherwise the targeted tissues will not respond as accurately as they should. This is the function which ethanol disrupts and which, if left untreated, often leads to serious health issues. For example, with this action on the body, alcohol, and therefore ethanol, is capable of altering the blood sugar level in the body which is responsible for the onset of diabetes.
Another by-product or toxin which is released by the Candida population is ammonia. The reason that Candia albicans are able to produce ammonia is in order to improve the environment of the intestines increasing the chance of the survival of the Candida cells. Ammonia is a nitrogenous compound which simply means that it’s a nitrogen-containing substance, therefore it’s literally toxic to the human body, and toxins in general are known to negativity effect the endocrine’s control of hormonal metabolism.
Yet another way that a Candida albicans overgrowth disrupts the normal production of hormones has to do with the fact that you body is under attack from literally an army of pathogens; this of course causes both mental and physical stress to the body which in turn causes the release of what we call stress hormones, specifically norepinephrine and cortisol. The release of these two hormones further acts to impair the purpose of the healthy hormones in the body.
The Basal Temperature Test
By taking an accurate body temperature, several clues which regard the basic function of one’s thyroid gland and therefore the hormones. The reason this is possible is due to the fact that the thyroid gland is a reflection of the metabolic rate as well as the heat that’s generated during the physical and chemical processes in the body.
To obtain an average reading, taking the temperature of the body should be performed at approximately the same time for at least three days, preferably, the best time is the first thing in the morning when you awake.
If possible, you should use one of the older thermometers instead of a digital thermometer. The thermometer should read below 95 degrees F when using one of these thermometers. You should have the thermometer by your bedside when you wake up in the morning ready to take your body’s temperature immediately upon waking and before you actually get out of bed.
The best place for this type of reading is to hold the thermometer under your armpit for ten full minutes. If you’re using a newer, digital thermometer, it may stop before the ten minutes has passed, but this should still work. You should try to stay as still as  as you can during the time you’re taking the temperature. Try to lay in bed as still as possible during this time. Rest and close your eyes. Don’t get up until after the 10 minutes have passed or until a digital thermometer has registered your temperature. Of course you’ll want to record the temperature as well as the time and date.
The normal body temperature while you are at rest can normally range between 97.8 and 98.2 degrees F and 36.6 to 36.8 degrees C.
Of course, fluctuations will normally occur when a woman is menstruating, so during menstruation, you should take this test on the morning of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th days of your menstrual cycle.
If your temperature reading is lower than the average range shown in the previous paragraph for all three days, then there is the possibility that you have contracted hypothyroidism. On the other hand, if your temperatures readings are higher than the range, then you could possibly have hyperthyroidism but, at the same time of course, a high temperature can indicate other problems such as an infection.
If I conducted this test on myself, especially during a Candida infestation, and the temperature consistently showed an out-of-range number, I would by all so seek the advice of a physician, and I would ask the doctor to conduct a test for the two thyroid hormones, free T3 and free T4, as well as thyroid antibodies.
NOTE: A Basal Temperature Test should not be used in place of a medical assessment.
Image credit Koshyk @ Creative Commons – http://www.flickr.com/photos/kkoshy/
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