Common symptoms experienced from an underactive or low thyroid are:
- Weight gain or difficulty losing weight
- Fatigue
- Constipation
- Brain fog
- Mood swings, depression and/or anxiety
- Infertility
- Joint pain
- Feeling cold constantly
- Hair loss
- Dry skin
Why can a low thyroid cause so many problems?
The Thyroid gland is:
- Part of the endocrine system that plays a huge role in how our bodies function from heart rate to metabolism by producing hormones that can interact with every cell in our bodies.
- Like a car engine—it sets the pace at which our bodies operate.
- Vital to our bodies overall wellbeing.
Where is the thyroid located?
It is a small, butterfly shaped gland that is located at the base of the neck. It is small, yet powerful!
Underactive or low thyroid is also called hypothyroidism:
- Hypothyroidism is defined as the thyroid gland not making enough thyroid hormone to keep the body working normally.
- One of the most common causes of hypothyroidism is Hashimoto’s. Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disease that affects more women than men. The immune system makes antibodies that attack the thyroid gland—which damages the thyroid & if left untreated can lead to a decrease in thyroid hormones.
- Other causes are surgical removal of the thyroid gland, radiation treatment, medicines, too much or too little iodine.
Other factors that can negatively influence our thyroid:
- Inflammation
- Stress
- Infection
- Toxins
- Autoimmune disease
- Vitamin/mineral deficiencies
How do you find out if low thyroid or an underactive thyroid is affecting your health?
- First step would be checking a thyroid panel with blood work: TSH, free T4, free T3, reverse T3 and thyroid antibodies.
- Most people only get their TSH checked with lab work, which does not tell your whole story about how your thyroid is working.
Knowing that your thyroid is under active is only the first step. Figuring out with your doctor what the root cause of your low thyroid is and addressing the root cause is MOST important!
Concerned about hypothyroidism or already have a diagnosis of hypothyroidism and continue to have symptoms? Schedule a FREE 15 minute consult
with New Beginnings Functional Medicine Clinic @ 970-305-0101 or email Staff@NewBeginningsFMC.com.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279388/
https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/thyroid/how-your-thyroid-works
https://www.thyroid.org/hypothyroidism/
