Thyroid is the major gland in the centre of your neck that is responsible for your metabolism. Hence, you can say that the optimal functioning of this gland is more or less necessary for the smooth functioning of your body.
Around 25 million Americans suffer from the thyroid problem where half of them do not even know or feel their suffering. The main issue related to thyroid is the problem of under-active thyroid, i.e. hypothyroidism.
Working of thyroid gland:
The hypothalamus, pituitary gland and the thyroid gland are the major
functionaries for the production of thyroid hormones. Hypothalamic
thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) causes pituitary thyrotropin (TSH)
synthesis and secretion.
Furthermore, TSH affects the production and secretion of T4 (inactive form of hormone) and T3 (active) from the gland. The function of T4 is to signal TRH and TSH to stop the production of thyroid hormone after a certain amount. As the production of T4 is more, some of them get converted into T3. Also, some of the T3 get converted into either Free T3 (FT3) or Reverse T3 (RT3). Free T3 is the most important hormone here as it has the ability to raise our metabolism by attaching to a receptor, keeping us warm, our mind healthy, and our bowel movement intact.
The most common form of hypothyroidism is Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, which is an auto-immune disease.
The under diagnosed cases of hypothyroidism in USA:
The problem shoots up when most of the doctor in USA go after TSH and T4
test results and neglect FT3, RT3 or other thyroid related hormones.
They ignore the symptoms of their patients, and just look out for the
generic lab references.
Lab tests for Thyroid problems:
- TSH
- Free T4
- Free T3
- Reverse T3
- Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOAb)
- Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAb)
Optimal values for Thyroid tests:
Along with the symptoms of the patients and their problems a doctor can
go with the below mentioned range for the reference to the optimal
values for the hormone tests.
- TSH 1-2 UIU/ML or lower
- FT4 > 1.1 NG/DL
- FT3 > 3.2 PG/ML
- RT3 less than 10:1 ratio RT3:FT3
- TPO- < 9 IU/ML or negative
- TgAb- < 4 IU/MK or negative
Here are the 10 signs of hypothyroidism:
- Feeling exhaustion or fatigue even after taking regular sleep of 8 to 10 hours a night.
- Sudden weight gain or unable to lose weight.
- Feeling depressed, anxious, or recurring mood swings.
- Imbalanced hormones causing PMS, PCOD, low sex drive, and even infertility in severe case.
- Feeling colder consistently with body temperature less than 98.5.
- Dehydrated skin and brittle nails along with dry and weak hair.
- Constipation.
- Mental problems like trouble in concentration, brain fog or poor memory.
- Swelling in the neck area, snoring during sleep and coarse voice.
- Pain in muscles and joints, carpal tunnel syndrome, or tendonitis.
10 ways to deal with the thyroid problem
- Take multivitamins with incorporating zinc, selenium and iron into your diet.
- Take iodine supplement for FT4 to FT3 conversion.
- Gluten-free diet helps with the thyroid signs and symptoms.
- Try to practise yoga and meditation to soothe your circulatory system.
- 8-10 hours of sleep is must!
- Any amalgam fillings in your tooth must be safely removed. You can consult any biological dentist for the same.
- Regulate your intake of cruciferous family of vegetables.
- Your diet and environment must be immune to fluoride, bromide and chlorine.
- Healthy gut is the way to go with a healthy body.
- The root cause of thyroid problem must be found with the help of specialized doctor and required medicine.
Identify the given 10 signs of having thyroid and then follow the 10 steps to cure it. It won’t help you in jiffy, however if you are persistent enough with these solutions, they are definitely going to help you for sure.