Do you have a thyroid disorder?
Over 20 million Americans have some type of thyroid condition. Women are 8 times more likely to experience thyroid symptoms than men. Sadly, many thyroid disorders are misdiagnosed and can go untreated for years.
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland near the Adam’s apple in the lower part of the neck. The hormones it produces control the activity of nearly every cell in the body. The thyroid also plays a key role in the amount of energy you have. If your thyroid isn’t working well, your health can really suffer.
If your thyroid isn’t producing enough thyroid hormone you will experience low energy. Normal daily activities will feel like you’ve run a marathon. Your motivation will start to drop. You are also likely to feel down and frustrated. At this point, many doctors will prescribe a medication for depression, missing the thyroid dysfunction all together.
There are other symptoms that provide clues that your thyroid isn’t working well. The smart practitioner will ask about these symptoms as they provide important details that helps uncover an undiagnosed thyroid disorder.
Changes to the skin, hair and nails are common. Hair loss, especially when its dry and course, are strong indicators of thyroid problems. Thinning of the outer part of the eyebrows often occurs. This can be subtle and may take months or years to be fully noticed. Both finger and toenails become weak, brittle, and damaged.
Some people will experience unexplained weight gain--even when nothing in their daily routine has changed. Sometimes this will be subtle, other times rapid weight gain of 20 to even 50 pounds can occur in just a few months.
Menstrual symptoms such as heavy periods, irregular cycles and worsening of PMS are common in women. Female hormonal symptoms are often overlooked as being related to the thyroid. While it’s important to make sure that there’s no problems with reproductive organs, the thyroid should always be kept in mind.
I’ve had many patients tell me that their symptoms were either ignored or misdiagnosed as depression, PMS, or anxiety. Worse yet, too many of them were told that they need to eat less and exercise more, even after they told their doctor that they were eating healthy and exercising.
How do you uncover a thyroid disorder? First make a list of all the symptoms you are experiencing and when they started. Next you need proper thyroid lab testing. To make sure that you are getting a complete picture of thyroid health I recommend the following tests:
· TSH
· Free T4
· Free T3
· Reverse T3
· Thyroid Antibodies
Reviewing these results with a qualified health care provider can provide you with the answers you need to find out if you have a thyroid problem.
If you suspect you have thyroid problems and want to get to the root of the issue contact Dr. Oppitz to schedule today: https://www.itascanaturopathicclinic.com/contact.
Here’s to living your best life,
Rachel Oppitz, ND
