Maybe it’s your thyroid
You’ve heard that before. After having a candid conversation about your health issues with your best friend over dinner last night, she proposed, with some personal experience, that you may be coping with a thyroid problem.
It turns out thyroid conditions are pretty common. In fact, some approximations indicate that somewhere around 200 million people worldwide suffer from thyroid problems.
So… maybe it is your thyroid!
Get to know your thyroid
To fully understand what causes problems in the thyroid gland, it’s helpful to talk about what your thyroid really does and how it normally functions.
Your thyroid is a butterfly shaped gland that’s in your neck, just below your larynx. Typically, you will never even detect that it’s there, it isn’t something you can see or feel (at least, not when your thyroid is working properly).
Your thyroid breaks down iodine from your food, creating essential hormones that help your body function and control your metabolism. That makes your thyroid pretty essential, even if you don’t really notice it’s there.
Your thyroid can create issues in two basic ways. Either your thyroid can be too active or not active enough, in either case, you’ll start to experience symptoms.
Over-active thyroid
Hyperthyroidism is an affliction that happens when the thyroid gland is too active. Too many hormones that help regulate your metabolism are produced when this condition happens. Your body’s rhythms accelerate. And, look, that might sound like a good thing (you might assume it means you can eat like a teenager again), but an abnormally fast metabolism can create lots of problems including heart palpitations, increased sweating, irritability, sudden weight loss, and more. You could even end up with an enlarged thyroid.
Hyperthyroidism can be caused by a wide variety of problems, from Graves’ Disease to thyroiditis. It can in some cases be passed down through family lines. It more frequently tends to develop in women or people who suffer from chronic illnesses.
Here are some treatments for a hyperactive thyroid.:
- Beta-blockers,
- Thionamides
- Radioactive iodine treatment
It can take a couple of months for these solutions to kick in before you start feeling better.
When your thyroid falls behind
An underactive thyroid, conversely, is called hypothyroidism. A slower metabolism is the outcome. Symptoms can include weight gain (or weight stubbornly hanging around no matter how much you exercise you do or how well you eat), brittle nails, loss of hair, or sluggishness. An overall feeling of tiredness can also happen.
The causes of hypothyroidism could include:
- Congenital disease
- Pregnancy
- Pituitary disorders
- Iodine deficiency
The course of action for hypothyroidism typically includes synthetic hormones. Once you begin taking these hormones, you’ll typically begin feeling better.
How do you know when your thyroid is hyper-or-under active?
It can be a challenge to diagnose a thyroid condition. Thyroid conditions sometimes have many of the same symptoms as other conditions. So how can you tell if you have a thyroid issue? If you notice any of these 6 symptoms it’s time to schedule an appointment with us.
- Heart rate changes: Weight gain or loss is how most individuals think of metabolism changes, but the rate at which your body converts food into energy (the general definition of metabolism) can have physical impacts. When your thyroid forces your metabolism to speed up or slow down, for example, sudden changes in your heart rate can take place.
- Enlarged neck: Of course, in some situations, your neck makes space. You may discover a lump growing on your neck in these cases. We tend to call this type of growth a goiter. And an enlarged thyroid could be what that goiter is telling you. If you detect this, you should consult us as soon as you can.
- Weight changes: Both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism can lead to changes in your weight. You’ll unexpectedly lose weight when your thyroid is hyperactive. When your thyroid is underactive, that weight will stick around. Weight changes might not be inherently good or bad, but an incapacity to control your weight can be worrying.
- Trouble swallowing: Your neck only has so much space in there. A thyroid that is hyperactive will have a tendency to get larger. So you will most likely have difficulty swallowing if your thyroid is getting bigger. That’s because your esophagus might be getting crowded out by your thyroid.
- Sleep issues: If hyperthyroidism is giving you too much energy to lay still, it can cause sleep loss. Hypothyroidism can make it difficult to get out of bed in the morning, you don’t have the vitality to wake up! If you’re experiencing either of these, it could be due to thyroid problems.
- Brain Fog: Your nervous system slows down when your body isn’t producing or utilizing energy in an efficient way. You can feel fatigued and sluggish, even when it comes to your thinking. Most doctors call this “brain fog,” and it can be a considerable symptom of thyroid issues.
Thyroid conditions are fairly treatable
For you, a healthy working thyroid is the ideal. That way your body obtains the hormones it needs to regulate its metabolism by getting rid of iodine. We can help you find a solution if something is wrong. With proper treatment, you will improve.
Make an appointment for a consultation as soon as you can.