Around the world, nearly 300 million people are thought to suffer from thyroid dysfunction. The sad truth is that half of them—150 million—aren’t even aware of their condition. These numbers are indicative of epidemic proportions, so why don’t we hear more about thyroid diseases?
The answer is simple: Low thyroid levels (hypothyroidism) are one of the most unrecognized health issues in the world.
The thyroid gland controls metabolic function by producing hormones that regulate metabolism in every cell in the body. Thyroid hormones are responsible for many important body functions, including all tissue growth, bone metabolism, menstrual cycles and sexual function.
When thyroid hormones are low, a condition called hypothyroidism, they can literally disrupt every part of your body. Unfortunately, hypothyroidism is frequently overlooked. When it is found, many doctors brush it off as a minor health condition. Left unchecked, hypothyroidism can become debilitating and even life-threatening. Yet the condition is undiagnosed and even misdiagnosed. Let’s explore the reasons why.
First, symptoms are typically overlooked. Classic symptoms include facial swelling, particularly in your eyelids and below your eyes. Sometimes people lose the hair on their outer eyebrows. Fatigue is ever present and you might feel more moody and depressed. You’ll gain weight. Your hair might become dry and brittle and might start to thin. Your skin will likely be pale and dry, your hands and feet cold and clammy, and your nails might develop ridges and become brittle. Your eyes will start to become red and irritated. Do you feel that your reflexes are becoming slower? That is another sign. Your voice might become more hoarse and your tongue might become enlarged.
For some reason, doctors tend to wave off these symptoms. If you have one or more of them, press your doctor to look into the possibility of hypothyroidism. Other doctors will look at your list of symptoms and draw other conclusions without ever connecting them to thyroid disease or delving further to find out. Often, doctors have a tendency to look at the symptoms of weight gain and depression and tell you to eat less and start hitting the gym. They might even prescribe an antidepressant or even a statin for cholesterol.
Certainly there are medical tests to see if you have it, right? Yes, there are blood tests, but these are fraught with issues as well. First, to properly diagnose hypothyroidism, doctors really need to take the time to do an extensive clinical history and exam. The problem is, many don’t.
A hormone called thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) helps the thyroid gland properly function. TSH makes the gland produce thyroxine (T4) hormone. As T4 levels build up, the body reduces TSH production. Blood test screenings use TSH levels to initially screen for hypothyroidism. Sounds good, right? The problem is that T4 also needs to be converted into triiodothyronine (T3) which is the active form of thyroid hormone that your body uses. When you get a blood test, the TSH levels are measured in a range, but that range is outdated according to the recommendations of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, who say it should be a range of 0.3-3.1.
The other problem is that your TSH levels can be normal but your body still might have poor conversion of T4 to T3. Unfortunately, most doctors won’t look beyond a normal TSH value. Even if your doctor gives you standard thyroid meds like Synthroid, it only helps you make T4. They never look at T3, which can be effected by high levels of cortisol (a hormone you emit under prolonged stress) or high estrogen levels (if you’re doing hormone replacement therapy). Nutrient deficiencies can also affect T3, such as a vitamin D or B-complex or zinc deficiency.
There is a connection between thyroid disease and patients with a family history of heart disease, liver disease, diabetes, gall bladder or liver disease, Alzheimer’s disease and cancer.
There are a few simple questions you can ask yourself to determine whether you might have low or slow thyroid. If you answer Yes to any of these, talk to your doctor.
- Have you gained 5 or 10 pounds in the last two or three months?
- Do you have brain fog?
- Have you been unusually tired? Do you feel like you have half the energy you had three months ago?
- Are you often cold, particularly in your hands and feet, even when others around you are not cold?
- Are you frequently constipated?
- Have you noticed that your hair, nails and skin are becoming really dry and brittle?
- Are you moody? You might need to ask trusted family and friends who will give you an honest answer.
Please remember that the thyroid gland is very sensitive to subtle changes and can easily become imbalanced. As such, doctors often misdiagnose or don’t properly manage thyroid disease. It can go undetected for years!
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