Lyme & Low Body Temp...the Hypothalamus

Many people who have Lyme Disease, or other bacterial or parasitic infection, also often have lower than normal body temperatures.  Usually it is only one degree lower than normal, but can also sometimes be two degrees lower.
 
Much is said on the internet about the causes and reasons for low body temperatures.  For many years it was purported to be attributed to adrenal insufficiency.  Then, as the adrenal glands came to mistakenly become linked to thyroid insufficiency, the low body temperatures were also then mistakenly attributed to low thyroid.  While it is true, that often times people with adrenal or thyroid issues will also have low body temperatures, low body temperatures do not indicate any failing on the part of the adrenal or thyroid glands. Indeed, the only connection between the adrenal glands and the thyroid gland is through the pituitary gland and then through the hypothalamus.  If someone has issues with both their thyroid and adrenals, then it is likely that their true issue lays with either the pituitary or the hypothalamus.

 

That said, chronically lower than normal body temperatures indicate an issue with the hypothalamus.

 

Below are some excerpts (not written by me) regarding a possible cause for the chronic low body temps that are often experienced people with Lyme Disease.  

  

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HYPOTHALAMUS

 

I - INTRODUCTION

 

Hypothalamus, part of the brain, important in regulating the internal activities of the body. Although the hypothalamus constitutes less than 1 percent of the total volume of the brain, it has an important influence on many of the body's functions, including sexual behavior, emotions, hormone production, and the autonomic nervous system.

 

II - ANATOMY

 

The human hypothalamus weighs about 4 g (0.14 oz) and is found behind the eyes, directly below the brain's thalamus and above the pituitary gland. The hypothalamus is divided into several distinct nuclei, that is, aggregates of nerve cell bodies. These nerves connect the brain with the hypothalamus and the hypothalamus to virtually all regions of the nervous system. The hypothalamus also receives nerve inputs from the erogenous zones (the genitalia and nipples), the viscera (internal organs), and the limbic system (concerned with motivation and drive).

 

III - FUNCTION

 

The hypothalamus controls a wide range of functions. It directs the “fight or flight” response of the autonomic nervous system. Fear or excitement causes signals to travel to the hypothalamus, which triggers a rapid heartbeat, faster breathing, widening of the pupils, and increased blood flow. The hypothalamus monitors blood glucose levels and the body's water content to regulate appetite for food or drink. It regulates sleep and sexual behavior.

 

The hypothalamus plays an important role in regulating feeding behavior. Experiments performed on rats demonstrate that if the middle of the hypothalamus is damaged, the rat overeats and becomes obese; damage in the lower part causes the rat to refuse to eat and starve. The role of the human hypothalamus is less important than in rodents because conscious decisions play a greater part in human processes such as eating and drinking. For example, it has been shown that custom and habit have a greater influence over the amount eaten than actual hunger.

 

The hypothalamus has an effect on the cardiovascular system and the rest of the autonomic nervous system. This effect is vital for the coordination of mind and body; for example, it is responsible for the physical changes required before exercise.

 

The hypothalamus can be regarded as the thermostat controlling the temperature of the body. It initiates shivering and contraction or expansion of blood vessels. The hypothalamus triggers behaviors such as putting on or removing clothes, turning on the heat, or moving into the shade.

 

IV - ENDOCRINE FUNCTIONS OF THE HYPOTHALAMUS

 

The hypothalamus is responsible for controlling the hormones released from the pituitary gland. Two of these hormones are oxytocin and vasopressin (also called antidiuretic hormone or ADH).

 

Oxytocin plays a role in uterine contractions during childbirth. It also has a role in starting and maintaining the birth process. Breastfeeding also triggers the secretion of oxytocin via a nervous pathway that connects the nipple and the hypothalamus; oxytocin stimulates the flow of milk from the breast to the infant. Oxytocin secretion can also be caused by the sound of a baby crying—an example of the connections the hypothalamus has with the other parts of the brain.

 

The hormone vasopressin acts on the kidneys to increase reabsorption of water from urine, thereby maintaining the water level within the body. When the hypothalamus senses that blood concentration has increased, it stimulates the pituitary gland to produce more vasopressin. Likewise, if blood concentration is too dilute, the hypothalamus instructs the pituitary gland to release less vasopressin.

 

A part of the hypothalamus is involved in the regulation of circadian rhythms in the body. These rhythms are caused by hormone fluctuations in the bloodstream that occur during each 24-hour period, usually correlating with periods of light and darkness. These fluctuations ensure that the appropriate hormones are elevated when most needed in the body. Cortisol hormone levels, for example, routinely rise in the morning just before waking. This increases blood glucose levels to counterbalance the potentially harmful effects of not eating or drinking while asleep overnight.

 

V - HYPOTHALAMUS DISORDERS

 

Damage to the hypothalamus can result from surgery, trauma (such as accident or stroke), degeneration due to old age or disease, or a tumor. The results of damage can be varied and depend on the areas of the hypothalamus involved.

 

Diabetes insipidus can be caused by hypothalamic damage, or by damage to the hypothalamic-pituitary tract. This disease reduces vasopressin production, resulting in large volumes of urine being produced at all times.

 

Other hypothalamic disorders can include sexual abnormalities (such as premature puberty), psychic disturbances, obesity, anorexia, temperature regulation disorders, sleep disorders, and disruption of normal circadian rhythms.

 

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The hypothalamus in the brain has a thermostatic mechanism which controls body temperature. During fever or higher temperatures, a protein called pyrogen is generated. This increases the synthesis of a compound called prostaglandin in the hypothalamus, raising its temperature set point.

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Low Body Temperature Increases Lifespan

It was long theorised that low body temperature may prolong life. On November 2006, a team of scientists from the Scripps Research Institute reported that transgenic mice which had body temperature 0.3-0.5 C lower than normal mice (due to overexpressing the uncoupling protein 2 in hypocretin neurons (Hcrt-UCP2), which elevated hypothalamic temperature, thus forcing the hypothalamus to lower body temperature) indeed lived longer than normal mice. The lifespan was 12% longer for males and 20% longer for females. Mice were allowed to eat as much as they wanted.[33][34][35] The effects of such a genetic change in body temperature on longevity is harder to study in humans. The UCP2 genetic alleles seen in humans so far are associated with obesity[36]

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I wonder, from that last excerpt, whether it is possible that our bodies did this as an effort to help us to survive. 
 
Later on in conversations someone mentioned the possibility that, due to Lyme and other parasites preferring lower temperatures, it is possible that Lyme specifically causes inflammation in the hypothalamus in order to lower our body temp and make our bodies more hospitable for them.