Do you have Hipothyroidism ? Simptoms of thyroid imbalance.

Spring has arrived and you have spent several months diligently working at your New Year’s resolution, yet you have not met with the success you envisioned. You wake up feeling tired, swollen, a few pounds heavier, not losing weight, and are ready to call it quits on the helpful advice you read in Balance Magazine’s last issue. Rather than blaming stress or your willpower, you may want to consider blaming your thyroid.

The thyroid is part of the body’s endocrine sys­tem, which helps regulate and control a person’s metabolism. It is a butterfly shaped gland laying on top of your windpipe on the bottom your neck. The thyroid gland is responsible for secret­ing the hormone known as thyroxin. This hor­mone is important to helping maintain a healthy state of balance in your body. The thyroid gland is involved in all body functions, and therefore, thyroid dysfunction may be represented in vari­ous ways clinically, unique to each of us. As in all endocrine disease, if there is an imbalance or ill­ness, our thyroid may not be producing the appropriate amount of hormone.

Hypo and Hyper-Thyroidism

There are two types of thyroid imbalances, each having their own specific symptoms to look out for. Hypothyroidism is the most common thy­roid imbalance, and the one most women often believe they have. It is caused by inflammation of the gland, called Autoimmune Thyroiditis, or Hashimoto’s disease, after Dr. Hakaru Hashimoto, who wrote his medical thesis on the disease in 1912.

When a person is stricken with Hashimoto’s dis­ease, their antibodies, which our body produces to fight off infection, may not recognize their own thyroid. This can lead to the thyroid under-functioning, or if it turns the thyroid on, over-functioning, which is called hyperthyroidism. Thyroid problems, and the presence of these antibodies, are more common in women ages 30 to 50. These problems are more likely to present themselves as a woman ages, oftentimes with an increased percentage of 5-15% in women who are 65 years and older, and occur more often in white and hispanic women than black women. Having thyroid problems in your family also increases your risk of contracting the disease. There are over five million Americans, men included, who suffer from hypothyroidism.

Tell-tale Signs of Thyroid Imbalance

The symptoms for hypothyroidism are many, and the severity depends on the degree of chemi­cal dysfunction and each woman’s perception of the symptoms. Thyroid blood testing is not a routine test, other than for newborns, in a regular check up. Therefore it is important for the patient to be aware of the symptoms and relay them to their physician so that the appropriate tests are ordered. The difficulty in diagnosing thyroid imbalance and its symptoms is that the symptoms are so nonspecific, that other condi­tions, such as menopause and life stresses, may be wrongly blamed on the thyroid gland.

Do you find yourself experiencing the following ailments: fatigue, weakness, weight gain, diffi­culty in weight loss, feeling cold, muscle aches and cramps, depression, mood changes, memory loss and longer, heavier periods? These are all pri­mary symptoms attributed to thyroid imbalance. You may also experience secondary symptoms, such as hair loss, dry skin, loss of skin color, decreased libido and swelling of the face or extremities.

There are a number of blood tests available if thy­roid imbalance is suspected, but the most impor­tant blood test is the TSH, Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, test. Our endocrine system is very clever, with internal checks and balances to make sure that the glands produce the appropriate amount of hormones. There are other glands in the body related to the endocrine system, like the hypothalamus for example, but it is the pituitary gland, which lies at the base of the brain, that acts as the “Supreme Court” of hormones and the endocrine system itself. The pituitary gland will secrete a hormone such as TSH, for the thyroid, or FSH, for the ovaries, in response to the needs of the body. If a condition arises, such as autoim­mune thyroiditis which can lead to hypothy-roidism, the TSH will be secreted in higher amounts in an attempt to make the thyroid make more of its hormone thyroxin. If the thyroid gland is unable to, then T4 thyroxin hormone will be low, and the TSH will be high. TSH levels that are higher than 5 are usually considered elevated.

The Treatment Process

Once it is determined that you have hypothy-roidism, your doctor can prescribe the appropri­ate treatments and medications to help bring the endocrine system back to a level of normal func­tion. Levothyroxine is a pure and synthetic ver­sion of the T4 hormone which is the most reliable and common treatment prescribed for thyroid imbalance. The dosage may need to be adjusted over several visits in order to find the amount that improves your symptoms and corrects the TSH to normal.

The optimal TSH level is different for every per­son, and may change over time, especially during times of stress, illness, or hormonal changes that occur with menopause. Some individuals treated with Levothyroxine will not feel their best even when their TSH is normal. These individuals might do better with a combination of the T4, and T3, the active form of the thyroxin hormone. This can be achieved by adding synthetic T3 to the Levothyroxine, or using another preparation compounded from porcine thyroid glands. This last preparation is commonly called “natural” thy­roid, and includes both forms of the thyroid hor­mone. While there are many herbal and homeo­pathic remedies touted to regulate thyroid performance on the market today, it is still imper­ative that you visit your doctor and get your TSH levels tested before beginning treatment of any kind. Only your doctor should determine which thyroid treatment is appropriate for you.

So before you throw in the towel and give up your healthy lifestyle resolutions, see your doctor and make sure your thyroid is not the culprit. Proper diagnosis and treatment will hopefully restore your feeling of well-being and health, and get your life back on track.

by Cristina Mata, M.D.