A few weeks ago I shared with you all that I had been diagnosed with Hypothyroidism. Definitely not very pleasant news but something that is 100% manageable and I can tend to naturally. Before I share with you all how I’m treating this diagnosis let’s talk a little about the thyroid and hypothyroidism.
What is the Thyroid?
The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland situated at the base of the front of your neck, just below your Adam’s apple.
Hormones produced by the thyroid gland affecting all aspects of your metabolism. They maintain the rate at which your body uses fats and carbohydrates, help control your body temperature, influence your heart rate, and help regulate the production of proteins.
What is Hypothyroidism?
According to Chris Kresser, It’s estimated that 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disorder and about 60% of those people have no idea. One in eight women will develop some form of a thyroid disorder in her lifetime and hypothyroidism is the most common disorder.
Hypothyroidism is when your thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough of certain important hormones. Important hormones that are essential for a healthy metabolism. Since the metabolism affects nearly every organ in the body, thyroid disorders can be very detrimental to your overall health.
Left untreated, it is linked to fertility problems, miscarriages, preterm delivery and preeclampsia. During pregnancy, untreated hyperthyroidism could affect brain development and growth.
Symptoms can vary and most experience only a few rather than a bunch of symptoms. At first you may not notice any signs of trouble but over time as your metabolism slows you may develop more severe symptoms.
Which could include;
Fatigue
Increased sensitivity to cold
Constipation
Dry skin
Unexplained weight gain
Puffy face
Hoarse voice
Infertility
Weight gain
Muscle weakness
Elevated blood cholesterol level
Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness
Pain, stiffness or swelling in your joints
Heavier than normal or irregular menstrual periods
Thinning hair
Slowed heart rate
Depression
Impaired memory
Like I said just because you don’t have all the symptoms doesn’t mean you don’t have a thyroid problem. It’s important to acknowledge symptoms you do have and pay attention to if they continue or go away.
If you go see your general practitioner to get tested but they say everything is normal, ask to see the results then ask for a more in-depth testing. Better yet, visit a naturopath that possibly specializes in Thyroid disorders and have them dig a little deeper. Doctors tend to only test your THS levels which can sometimes be normal or on the low-end of normal while other areas are functioning abnormally causing thyroid dysfunction.
In my case my THS was coming up in the normal range when tested by my OB. When I went to my naturopath it was actually just out of range based on new thyroid testing range that most doctors aren’t using yet. I also had my T4 and T3 tested which was where the biggest problem arose in that my T4 wasn’t converting properly to T3 causing an under active thyroid.
Again a test that wasn’t done by my OB. So digging a little deeper is what finally got me answers and on the path to hopefully reverse the thyroid dysfunction I’m experiencing.
Which will then hopefully lead to fertility and a viable pregnancy 
I’ll continue to share bits and pieces of my experiences with hypothyroidism from here on out particularly what supplements I’m taking, what foods I’m eating (or avoiding) and any changes I’m noticing. If you have any questions you’d like me to try to cover please feel free to shoot them my way!
Disclaimer – Please remember I’m not a licensed medical professional but am sharing my knowledge based on my own personal research and experiences.
QUESTIONS -
Have you had any experience with Hypothyroidism?
Have you ever experienced any of those symptoms?
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