Teens thyroid is fine, but doesnt feel hot tempuratures
Hi,
I am hoping someone or a few someones have some advice for me because I just dont know what to do. My wonderful daughter does not feel hot temperatures. For example, when she was younger, and it continues to today, when its a hot no jacket day, she is wearing a sweatshirt. When she takes a shower or bath I have to check as she can run the water pretty hot and not really feel it until its so hot her skin is red. Today was about 80 degrees, she was wearing a sweater and long pants. I pointed out it was pretty hot, she reached up and touched her face and was surprised how hot it felt.
Her pediatrician says thyroid is fine, I believe they did T4 and something else.(Sorry, dont know off the top of my head.) She loves the cold.
So what to do? We have Kaiser and my appt with the endo resulted in her calling me to say my daughter was fine.
She is wonderful, but I don't think its fine. She also struggles with anxiety but I dont know if thats connected. Its seems to me it may be.
Any ideas?
Parent Replies
People experience temperature differently. My son is the opposite - he wears shorts and a t-shirt on the coldest CA days and can swim in very cold water long after everyone else has gotten out. We rarely have real temperature extremes here in the Bay Area and what you are describing does not sound so extreme. If she was actually getting burns or heat stroke, that would be something to worry about. Red from a hot shower, no. It's time to give her privacy in the shower and trust her to decide what is comfortable for herself.
I'm kind of surprised no one has mentioned the possibility of SPD - or Sensory Processing Disorder - this can result in kids not getting all the 'messages' from their environment about a variety of things, including temperature. If you google SPD and temperature regulation you will find some helpful articles. This may also account for some of what you describe as her anxieties. Wishing you all the best!!