Compared with previous years, this year’s winter seems particularly cold, after the winter solstice cold air wave after wave. Both men and women, young and old, are “fully armed” when they go out, back home is busy to open the air conditioner or heater. But there is such a group of people, no matter what warmth measures are used, but always “rickety head and neck”. If you encounter such “stubborn” cold hands and feet, you should be alert to whether hypothyroidism is at work. The body’s “gearbox” is out of order, and the efficiency of heat production is greatly reduced The thyroid gland is an important endocrine organ located in the human neck below the thyroid cartilage, and its secretion of thyroid hormones has the role of promoting human metabolism. If we compare the human body to a car, the heart is the engine that provides the energy needed for the overall operation, while the thyroid gland plays the role of the gearbox. If the thyroid gland is not working optimally, the car will be running at idle, which is medically known as hypothyroidism, or hypothyroidism. There are various clinical manifestations of hypothyroidism, the most common of which are weakness, chills, edema, and dry skin and mucous membranes. In the absence of thyroid hormones, the first thing that occurs in the body is a decrease in the ability to produce heat. When a person is at rest, the main source of heat production is the heart, liver, kidneys and other organs; when a person is active, skeletal muscle becomes the main source of heat. In hypothyroidism, because the basal metabolic rate decreases, the body’s heat production is significantly reduced, and in the cold winter, even if you wear more clothes, your hands and feet are always cold. This “fear of cold” is not in the general sense, the use of conventional means to protect against cold has little effect. Therefore, some people who are “stubbornly” afraid of cold, do not always complain that the cold air is to blame, go to the hospital to take a blood test of the thyroid hormone series indicators (T3, T4, TSH, etc.), you can find traces of hypothyroidism. In addition to the fear of cold, hypothyroid patients may also suffer from heart problems and dyslipidemia. Insufficient secretion or biological effect of thyroid hormones can lead to a series of changes such as reduced myocardial contractility, reduced cardiac output and peripheral blood flow. All of these are intrinsic changes in the body, and patients in the early stages often do not feel significant discomfort. As the disease progresses, symptoms such as palpitations, chest tightness, and easy fatigue appear one after another, and in severe cases, heart enlargement and pericardial effusion may occur. In addition, myocardial mucinous edema can lead to myocardial fibrosis, relaxation and contractile weakness, leading to further aggravation of hypothyroid heart disease. In addition to the “physical changes” in the heart, hypothyroid patients may also have “chemical changes” in their blood lipids. The rate of lipid synthesis decreases in hypothyroid patients, while the rate of lipolysis also decreases, and decreases more, so that patients develop persistent dyslipidemia and significantly elevated blood cholesterol. The conventional treatment of hyperlipidemia in these patients is often not as effective as it should be. Only by increasing the speed of the body’s “gearbox” and accelerating the metabolism of cholesterol can the blood lipids return to normal. Medications and dietary regimens work together to boost the body’s “morale”. Compared to hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism is simpler to treat – exogenous thyroxine supplementation can be used to increase the body’s metabolic rate. Dry thyroid tablets, levothyroxine, and levo-triiodothyronine are all commonly used in clinical practice. It should be especially reminded that all medications, must be taken under the guidance of a specialist physician and must not be self-administered to avoid accidents. The introduction of exogenous thyroid hormone through medication can quickly improve symptoms such as weakness, chills, dry skin mucous membrane, dyslipidemia and cardiac discomfort. If tachycardia, excessive sweating, excitement and other manifestations appear after taking the medication, the dosage should be adjusted under the guidance of a doctor. In addition to medication, hypothyroid patients should also pay attention to dietary adjustments. There are various opinions about the dietary principles of hypothyroidism, ranging from controlling the intake of iodine-containing foods to increasing the intake of iodine-containing foods. In fact, patients with hypothyroidism should follow the middle way in iodine intake, too little and too much are not suitable. In addition, it is important to consume adequate amounts of high-quality protein (eggs, milk, soy products, freshwater fish and shrimp, etc.) and iron, and to limit the intake of foods rich in fat and cholesterol to avoid further aggravation of dyslipidemia. In addition to the daily diet, you can also use the party ginseng, astragalus and other tea to play a beneficial effect of health.