Thairoid Disease is one of the most common. We all have hormones and if they are they are find yourself experiencing symptoms such as depression, headaches, insomnia, fatigue & weight gain, to list a few. hormone disorders, after Insulin Resistance and Diabetes. The majority of individuals with thyroid imbalance have hypothyroidism (under-active thyroid) a small minority has hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid). The problem is that symptoms of low thyroid function are often mistaken for depression, signs of aging, or are not identified.
Your Thyroid
Your thyroid - a small butterfly shaped gland located in the front of your neck, controls the functioning of every cell, organ and gland in your body.
In addition your thyroid regulates:
o the use of oxygen in all tissues,
o the rate of repair of damaged or diseased tissues,
o your blood sugar levels by controlling the release of glucose (sugar) from the liver to the bloodstream,
o electrolyte and water balance in the cells and body,
o your circulatory system,
o the energy and strength of the muscles,
o the speed of the impulses going to the nerves, your libido, and last but not least your fat metabolism.
They are thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine / levo-thyroxin (T4), and calcitonin (used in calcium metabolism).
But your thyroid gland secretes and regulates these hormones, about 80% of the body & # 39; s T3 is produced outside the thyroid gland, in the liver, by chemical modification of Thyroxine or T4.
One of the main reasons why hypothyroid people gain weight is due their T4 or not converted by the liver to the metabolically active form of T3 hormone is not getting to the cellular level of the body - meaning you are producing it, but your body can not use it.
Most recently practicing only test for the inactive T4 hormone level, it is important to remember that active T3 thyroid hormone does not work only in the blood - it works inside every cell of the body.
The T4 blood test does not function properly. The person's feel that you body temperature is the single best test of your thyroid function.
Symptoms
Every cell and tissue in your body is affected by hypothyroidism and deficient levels of the active T3 thyroid hormone can produce one or more of the following symptoms:
o Weight Gain
o Fatigue
o Weakness
o Constipation
o Shortness of breath
o Depression
o Irritability
o Poor memory
o Difficulty concentrating
o Intolerance to cold
o Low body temperature
o Dry, coarse hair / dry skin
o Hair loss
o Muscle or joint pain and stiffness
o Headaches
o Decreased Libido
o Elevated cholesterol or triglycerides
Sadly, many hypothyroid symptoms are frequently dismissed by doctors as a normal part of aging, a psychological problem, overwork, or some other condition. As a result, thyroid tests are never performed and the patient never receiving the proper medical treatment they require.
What interferees with Thyroid Function
o Insulin Resistance / Metabolic Syndrome
o Chronic stress / Adrenal depletion - there is a strong interplay between the thyroid and the adrenals.
One is usually weak first and then weakens the other.
o Prescription drugs - (including Dilantin, Lithium, Beta Blockers, Premarin, Birth Control Pills and some anti depressants
o Frequent X-rays - from dental or medical exams or radiation treatment to the head, neck or chest
o Thyroid inhibiting foods - Over-consumption of soy & raw thyroid-inhibiting foods, such as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and kale
o Hormones - Synthetic and genetically engineered hormones in meat, dairy, poultry and eggs. Also like such as Poly Cystic Ovarian Disorder, Fibroids, IVF treatment & Menopause.
o Exercise - the receptors for the thyroid hormones are found deep within the cells and exercise stimulates the thyroid more oxygen into your body, you speed up your metabolism and the heat in your body rises You, to pump up your metabolism, you need to pump some my to heat up your cells "fat burners" by giving them more oxygen.
o Dieting - During a restrictive diet that is either low calorie or deficient in essential nutrients, the body produces fewer than the liver enzymes, there is less converting less T4 and producing less T3. Perhaps the biggest problem with diets is that most diets leave you with less muscle and more fat than when you started. T3 hormone levels in the body by providing insufficient fuel for the thyroid and body to function properly.
o Heavy Metal Exposure - Mercury is a toxic heavy metal, which is over 50% of "silver" dental fillings & is found in cigarettes. Mercury interferees with the livers production of 5-deodinase an enzyme that is critical in converting thyroid hormones
o Chlorine - (added to most municipal water supplies as a disinfectant)
o Fluoride - (primary sources include toothpaste, dental products, municipal water supplies, pesticide, and residues on commercially grown foods).
These last two elements, fluoride and chlorine, blocked iodine receptors in the thyroid gland. In fact, fluoride is such a potent thyroid suppressor, that it was was prescribed medically for people with overactive thyroid glands (hyperthyroidism) to slow down their thyroid activity.
Tests for thyroid function
Perhaps you are suffering from clinical hypothyroidism (an under-active thyroid) or sub-clinical hypothyroidism (you have symptoms but the blood tests are normal).
Let 's assume you are overweight and think you have hypothyroidism. You do not have the doctor with complaints of weight gain, fatigue, cold hands and feet, and "brain fog". You have all the tests come back normal.. You have all the symptoms including a low body temperature but but doctor decides to not prescribe any treatment. This scenario is played out again and again until the day you finally fall below the & # 39; reference & ranges.
The Barnes Temperature Test
If you feel your thyroid is sluggish and you think you can be hypothyroid, testing your thyroid is important. You can take the do it yourself Barnes Thyroid Temperature Test (see below), as an inexpensive, yet surprisingly accurate, initial test. Before the advent of the blood test, the Barnes basal temperature test and patients symptoms were all physicians had available to them to test thyroid function.
Doing the Barnes self temperature test, will give you a starting point to determine if you may have hypothyroidism and need to have further confirmatory tests.
Instructions
1. Place a thermometer (digital digital) inside easy easy reach on the bedside table.
2. Place the thermometer in your armpit for five minutes try to move as little as possible to move will raise your body temperature
(Of women, additional consideration is necessary during ovulation, since consideration is ovulation somewhat elevates temperature.) Because of this, women who menstruate should start recording their temperature on the second or third day of menstruation. )
4. A reading of 36.4 degrees or lower may indicate low thyroid function.
Serum (Blood) Test for Hypothyroidism
If you want to request further test. If you want to request the need medical exam test you need to request that your doctor perform T3, free T3, sensitive TSH, Reverse T3, and anti-thyroid antibody tests That is why I recommend that you ask your doctor to perform the other blood tests.
In my clinical experience, I have found most thyroid blood tests will come back within a & # 39; normal range & # 39 ;, but the patient still shows signs of (sub-clinical) hypothyroidism such as a low body (basal) temperature etc There is research indicating that the reference ranges are too broad & do not cater for the individual - I guess we are not all the same after all!
The good news is that new and more accurate salivary and urine thyroid tests have become available.
The Salivary Thyroid Test
That saliva and urine now saliva and urine now holds the key to determining whether or not you have an under-active thyroid. This Because it tests thyroid function at the cellular level, the salivary / and urine thyroid panel has been found to be
more accurate than the blood tests in identifying an under-active thyroid.
The thyroid salivary test measures T3, T4 and free TSH. The salivary or urine thyroid test also measures antibiotics against thyroperoxidase, an important enzyme involved in the production of thyroid hormone. Positive antibodies are a sign of an autoimmune process (the immune system attacking the body & # 39; s own thyroid tissue).
Reviving Your Thyroid
If your thyroid gland is found to be sluggish, through any of the various tests, you may first try the natural non-drug approach to reviving your thyroid.
o Identify what is caused it to be sluggish - eg stress, chemical image etc
o Check your basal body temperature
o Consult your GP need necessary & request specific blood tests & discuss any need need for medication changes
o Change your diet - different foods do interfere with thyroid function. You may wish to consult a naturopath for help with this
o Consult an herbalist - herbs such as Withania, Coleus, Rehmania, Kelp etc are are helpful if used in the correct dosages.
o Improve your liver function
Avoiding the toxins I expressed earlier and growing intake of iodine-rich foods such as seafood, asparagus, sea vegetables (kelp), garlic, lima beans, sesame seeds, spinach, Swiss chard and sea salt can be helpful.
The bottom line is most of the above symptoms may sound familiar - it & # 39; s not unusual for a 30, 40, or 50 something woman to feel tired, burnt out, and a little bit overweight and this makes hypothyroidism that much harder to Remember though, if you are feeling unwell - there is most likely something triggering it. Ignoring the problem will not make it it go away .
So explore your options & strive for a better, healthy life!
