Low thyroid function- a common hormone problem in women
The thyroid is a small butterfly shaped gland that sit just behind your throat. It is estimated that 1 in 8 women will develop a thyroid problem in their lifetime and become part of the estimated 20 million Americans with thyroid dysfunction. It is also estimated that up to 60% of them are unaware they have a problem.
Symptoms of hypothyroidism (low thyroid function), the most common imbalance we see, are vast and varied because the thyroid plays a role in literally every bodily process. Every cell in our body has thyroid receptor cells. So the thyroid affects our brain, GI tract, bone metabolism, red blood cell function, body temperature regulation, protein metabolism, hormone production ( estrogen, progesterone testosterone, cortisol, and aldosterone), and lipid metabolism.
The symptoms of low thyroid function can include the following: mood imbalances (anxiety, depression), brain fog (poor concentration, slow mental processing, poor memory), cold intolerance, hoarse voice, carpal tunnel syndrome, fatigue, weight gain, slow heart rate, dry skin, hair loss including the outer third of eyebrows, brittle nails, constipation, high cholesterol (usually LDL), insomnia, low immune function (causing frequent colds and infections), muscle weakness, nerve pain, insomnia, infertility, hormone imbalances ( PMS, irregular cycles, heavy bleeding, breast tenderness & low sex drive) and an enlarged thyroid (called goiter). I often tell people that the thyroid is like the engine of our car, if the engine does not function well, the car can't move or drive well. Neither can our bodies.
The biggest challenge for people with these symptoms is traditional labs that are done in medicine like TSH are inadequate in uncovering thyroid problems. This is because thyroid function and how it affects our bodies are complex. People can have symptoms of low thyroid function caused by a variety of different processes and not all of them will show up on lab testing. The most common cause is autoimmunity, found in Hashimoto’s, where the immune system attacks the thyroid. Other causes can be pituitary dysfunction, Poor conversion of T4 (the inactive form of thyroid hormone) to T3 (the active form of the thyroid), elevated Thyroid binding globulin (which means less thyroid hormones circulating to do the work) and tissue cell receptor resistance to T3 hormone. Additionally, blood sugar dysregulation, poor gut health, and poor diet causing nutrient deficiencies, toxins, fluoride intake and ongoing chloride exposure, pesticides, high intake of inflammatory foods and fats can also play a role.
If you have symptoms of low thyroid function I would encourage you to ask your health care provider to have a full thyroid panel lab work that includes: TSH, Free T4, Free T3, Reverse T3, thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies, and thyroglobulin (TG) antibodies. Getting to the root cause of your symptoms is key to improving your health.
