Why Is Your Thyroid Health Important?

Women are eight times more likely to develop thyroid disease than men. Most thyroid dysfunctions start at the peri-menopausal or menopausal stage, precisely when the entire endocrine system undergoes a profound change.  In many instances, this is when breast cancer begins to develop as well.  Low functioning thyroid (hypothyroidism) usually precedes most breast conditions. Identifying and correcting this problem can lead to better health and prevention of many health problems, including breast cancer.

What are the signs?

Under-active thyroid condition may present with one or a combination of the following symptoms:

Fatigue, insomnia, low sex drive, being cold, cold hands and feet, dry skin, weight gain or inability to lose weight, constipation, muscle pains, depression, poor memory function (brain fog), water retention, puffy eyes, infertility, low body temperature, goitre. I hate admitting this, but I was wrong to say that there doesn’t exist such a problem as insomnia. It does, and it’s horrible. I felt like a squeezed lemon for weeks because of it. My doc said Ambien can help me, so I got a prescription and bought a pack. Now I feel like a new person. I’m fresh, and rested, and always in a good mood. Great medicine, by all means.

This list of symptoms is not complete but are commonly seen in clinical practice.

Why Are Thyroid Conditions Often Missed or Untreated?

Women often go to their family doctors complaining about some of the symptoms listed above. Unfortunately,  no treatment is provided because their blood results come back ‘normal.’ It could be very frustrating when due to the test results being in the ‘normal’ range, your symptoms or conditions may not get the treatment they require. Of course, there could be many other factors causing or contributing, for instance, to weight gain, however excluding thyroid dysfunction simply because the test result is normal often could be very detrimental to a patient’s health. In some cases, the current methods of thyroid testing are simply inadequate. Often in medicine today we’re over-reliant on test results while discounting or ignoring patients’ signs and symptoms if they do not fit into a particular diagnostic model.

What Should You Be Looking For?

Proper testing of thyroid should include TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone), Free T-3, Free T-4 and Thyroid Antibodies. Also, it is imperative to check the way your adrenals are functioning by checking Cortisol and DHEA levels. If your adrenals are under stress, that can affect your thyroid function. 

High estrogen levels might also suppress your thyroid function, so please check all of your hormones. For the endocrine system to function optimally, all of its components must work efficiently. Nutrients like Iodine and Selenium are co-factors in thyroid metabolism. A deficiency of these and other essential nutrients may be responsible for specific symptoms, as they all play a role in optimizing the health of the thyroid gland. Lacking these essential nutrients perpetuates a thyroid problem at the cellular level, although TSH lab values may seem normal. 

How Can You Test Your Thyroid?

Using thermography imaging is an efficient way of assessing the state of your thyroid health. We often see low body temperature or cool area over thyroid that usually correlates to a patient’s symptoms. This thermographic information often initiates a more thorough investigation to diagnose and treat the hypothyroid condition properly. 

Thyroid function is central to all of the metabolic functions of the body, and it profoundly affects our overall health. By correcting this problem as early as your first symptoms develop or sooner, you will not only be proactive in keeping a healthy thyroid; you will also decrease your risk of developing breast cancer and improve your overall health.

I’ll make a bold statement:  low functioning thyroid gland, or what is known as hypothyroid condition, usually precedes most breast conditions. By correcting this problem as early as your first symptoms develop, you will decrease your risk of developing breast cancer and improve your breast health. 

Women are more likely to develop thyroid disease than men. In fact, women are eight times more likely to suffer from a dysfunctional thyroid during their lifetime than men. Most thyroid dysfunctions start in the peri-menopausal and menopausal stages, when the endocrine system experiences many changes. Countless women will make the same complaint: "I'm gaining weight”; “I have no energy”, “I feel chilled all the time”. 

After seeing  a medical doctor, many women are assured that there is nothing wrong with their thyroid gland, because the blood test results were within a “normal” parameter. How could it be that the symptoms and complaints are irrelevant, while demanding attention, yet the blood results do not support the obvious? Could it be that the current tests are not complete or thorough? 

A common connection often overlooked is that proper thyroid function also depends on proper function of the adrenal glands. Adrenals become physically exhausted after prolonged stress or a prolonged illness. Therefore if adrenals are not functioning well,thyroid issues won’t get resolved either. 

Another contributing problem to an under-active thyroid is estrogen dominance. Estrogen dominance decreases the function of the thyroid gland. Since the organs of the endocrine system are interdependent, the hypo-function of one organ will have a cascading effect on the rest of the system. Estrogen and progesterone imbalance, which frequently starts in peri-menopause, is often overlooked as a contributing factor to thyroid dysfunction. 

How can YOU be sure?

You can use different methods to check your thyroid and adrenal function, including blood, saliva and urine tests. Your Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) may be in the ‘normal’ range and because of this you may not be getting proper treatment. Make sure, when  testing, to also check Free T-3,T-4 as well as Thyroid antibodies.  DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone) and Cortisol levels are also important indicators of adrenal function. If you have high cortisol output and low DHEA you most likely have other hormonal issues as well. 

Seek the help and work with a healthcare practitioner who can test properly and is able to support you with a holistic approach. It is very important that you are treated as a whole rather than just a part that is dysfunctional.

Take charge of your health today, be proactive and help others to prevent breast cancer NOW!

Thyroid disease is one of the most common health problems women face today. Hypothyroidism or low-functioning thyroid affects more women than men. Especially susceptible are women going through a peri-menopausal or menopausal period of their lives. It is estimated that millions of people are suffering from this condition and can’t get proper treatment due to improper diagnostics. Physicians, usually only look at the value of the brain hormone TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) as an absolute indicator of thyroid dysfunction and ignore other hormone deficiencies.  In addition, many factors mentioned in this article that contribute to hypothyroidism are often overlooked and ignored by healthcare providers thus hindering proper treatment for millions of sufferers.

Typical symptoms of hypothyroidism include:

Fatigue, weakness, weight gain or difficulty losing weight, coarse or dry hair, hair loss, dry skin, eye and face swelling, infertility, cold intolerance, muscle aching and cramps, constipation, depression, irritability, memory loss, abnormal menstrual cycles, decreased or low libido.

These symptoms may vary between each individual. The level of severity may differ based on thyroid hormone deficiency and the length of time that the body has been deprived of the proper amount of this hormone. 

If you suffer from any or several of the above mentioned symptoms you may want to consider the following 9 very important factors that may be implicated in thyroid dysfunction and treatment.

1. Check Your Estrogen Levels

One of the most overlooked factors of hypothyroidism is estrogen and progesterone imbalance. Many women treated with synthetic estrogen replacement therapy along with women using oral birth control pills become estrogen dominant. Excess estrogen suppresses your thyroid function and as your thyroid slows down you gain more weight. Additional fatty tissue, and more importantly, fat around your waistline produces more estrogen that in turn suppresses your thyroid further leading to more weight gain. Invariably, weight gain or loss is not simply a matter of calories in and calories out. It is a complex process that has to be addressed by rebalancing one’s hormones.

2. Check Your Cortisol Levels

Cortisol is a stress hormone produced by your adrenal glands. High cortisol levels are both inflammatory and catabolic contributing to thyroid and metabolic disorders, cognitive decline, depression, anxiety, immune suppression, altered glucose metabolism, elevated blood pressure, altered sleep patterns and hormonal disruption. In addition high cortisol usually has an inverse relationship to (Dehydroepiandrosterone) DHEA (a precursor to sex hormones). Thus chronically elevated cortisol levels suppress DHEA resulting in weight gain and hormonal imbalance. Without proper adrenal support your thyroid treatment is not going to be effective.

3. T4 to T3 Conversion Problems

Most people taking thyroid medications are prescribed a synthetic thyroid hormone, usually T4 that is supposed to convert to the active form of thyroid hormone T3. The problem arises when there is interference with this T4 to T3 conversion process. Selenium is one of the key factors involved in converting inactive T4 to active T3, yet today it is common for selenium levels to be very low and many people even have selenium deficiency. Also common today is higher exposure to heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium and lead either through dental materials, vaccines or environmental pollutants. These highly toxic substances interfere with thyroid function and the conversion process. In addition, high or low cortisol levels, as well as autoimmune problems can interfere with T4 to T3 conversion. Many who are taking thyroid medications continue to have symptoms related to hypothyroid yet their blood results (mostly TSH) may be in the “normal” range. In cases like these it is often related to problems with T-4 to T-3 conversion process. T3 supplementation along with T4 may be required in such cases.

4. Check Your Temperature

People with hypothyroid often have low body temperature. If you have not been diagnosed with hypothyroid condition your low body temperature may point to a subclinical hypothyroid. If your body temperature is chronically low it may mean that your thyroid medication is not working well (assuming that you have a correct dose). If your blood tests are ‘normal’ and yet your body temperature is low and you are still struggle with fatigue, stress, weight and mood swings, ‘it is not in your head’, you might be suffering from Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome. Low body temperature undermines your immune function and will make you more susceptible to upper respiratory infections. You can simply check your temperature by taking your readings first thing in the morning on three consecutive days; get the average from your three readings. If your average temperature is below 36.2 C or 97.2 F, you may be dealing with Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome. Specialty treatment may be required to get your metabolism and temperature back into the normal range.

5. Iodine Deficiency 

Although the medical establishment continues to insist that there is no iodine deficiency in North America, just denying the problem does not make it go away. In fact, iodine deficiency is on the rise and has become one of the major causes of hypothyroidism. Iodine levels have been gradually declining in our food supply and in our bodies. Water fluoridation is a major contributor to iodine deficiency. It is also important to recognize that iodine is a halogen.  Just like bromine, fluoride, and chlorine they are being absorbed through your food, water, medications and environmental pollutants. These toxic halogens compete and occupy iodine receptors thus contributing to iodine deficiency. Iodine deficiency is compounded by the North American diet that is low in fish, kelp and other seaweeds, sea vegetables and shellfish. 

6. Check Your Gluten / Wheat Sensitivity

Gluten and other food sensitivities are common causes of hypothyroidism because they cause inflammation. People with gluten sensitivity are unable to digest their food properly. As these undigested food particles enter your blood stream your body produces an autoimmune reaction against these antigens thus attacking itself. These antigens are similar to molecules in your thyroid, and your immune system may attack your own thyroid. It is estimated that up to 30% of people with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis have an autoimmune reaction to gluten, yet this usually is not addressed. If you are dealing with hypothyroid condition, try going gluten free for at least one month and see if it makes a difference in how you feel.

7. Avoid Consumption of Soy Products

In the past several decades the consumption of soy based products has skyrocketed. Soy has been shown to inhibit thyroid function and raise estrogen levels in your body. The vast majority of soy grown today is GMO and used as cheap protein fillers in a myriad of food produced ranging from protein powders to cheese and even hamburgers. Soy used in fast food and processed food account for 20% of the total calorie intake in North America.

8. Check Your Ferritin Levels

Ferritin levels show the amount of iron stored in your body. People with hypothyroid condition may have difficulty absorbing iron. Low iron levels can have symptoms that are also common to hypothyroid such as fatigue, cold hands and feet, low sex drive, foggy mind, etc. Dealing with low ferritin levels may range from adding iron rich foods to your diet to iron supplementation, however do not take iron supplementation based on symptoms alone. Identifying the underlying cause will determine the most appropriate course of treatment. 

9. Your Emotional Issues

Proper thyroid function is much more than just producing the right amount of hormone – it is an intricate collaboration between the brain, the gland, different hormones as well as cellular communication between different tissues of the body. As much as we appreciate the bio-chemical component of thyroid dysfunction we also have to recognize the psycho-emotional influence as well. It is no surprise that thyroid dysfunction may produce anxiety, depression, insomnia, heart palpitations, hyper-mania and even postpartum depression. Our emotions and thoughts influence a biochemical cascade of reactions in our bodies that affect us on every physical level. The thyroid gland wraps around your throat and your voice box. Is there something that you’re unable to express? Or, is there a trust issue that has been broken and you’re unable to repair?

In Summary

Hypothyroidism is much more prevalent today than previously thought and affects millions. Millions more are also affected by suboptimal function if not by the full blown hypothyroid condition. Thyroid hormones are used by every cell in your body to regulate metabolism, body weight, energy, body heat and optimal brain function.  In our fast-paced, technology-driven, stress-filled, nutrient-depleted environment your thyroid gland may be the first to be affected. It could be very frustrating to have any of the above-mentioned symptoms and not being able to get proper help because ‘your test results are in the normal range’. 

I suggest you identify and treat the underlying cause, e.g., hormone imbalance, iodine deficiency, environmental toxicity, gluten sensitivity, stress, adrenals, etc.. Find someone competent to help you identify the root cause and guide you through your treatment.

Proper diagnostic lab tests are necessary to make the most accurate assessment that will lead to correct treatment.  As mentioned before in this article, relying on TSH as the only way to diagnose hypothyroid will result in only catching a minority of people that require treatment. Free T4 and T3 levels may also point out a mild or subclinical hypothyroid condition. In addition, thyroid antibodies should be checked to be certain that there is no autoimmune connection to hypothyroidism.

Next adjust your diet to aid in your recovery to include iodine rich foods as well as selenium, tyrosine, zinc and omega-3 fats, in addition to foods containing vitamins A, B, C and D. When necessary, appropriate supplementation should be considered.

Reduce your stress levels. Initiate a meditation practice to help heal your adrenals, start a moderate exercise program and use saunas or hot soaks with Epsom salt for detoxification.

The good news is that with all of this information you are empowered now and have more control than you think. Aim to take control of things that you can control; the way you think, the way you behave and the lifestyle choices you make.