The Thyroid Foundation of America says YES!

There could be tens of millions of women in American suffering from an under active thyroid gland who aren’t even aware that this little gland causes their problem. Certainly there are over 11 million women known to have a thyroid gland not working properly, says the Thyroid Foundation of America.

Women ages 35 to 55 are most affected – during this time women start and go through the change of life – menopause.

Cold hands and feet, low body temperature, headaches, insomnia, dry skin, puffy eyes, hair loss, brittle nails, joint pains, constipation, mental dullness, tiredness, frequent infections, hoarse voice, ringing in the ears, dizziness, loss of sex drive and weight gain (sometimes uncontrollable) are some of the symptoms caused by underproduction of thyroid gland hormones.

Current research has led doctors to believe that an under active thyroid gland could be the primary cause of obesity. Thyroid function is something one needs to consider in solving these problems, especially in women.

A thyroid disease causes your body to use energy more slowly or more quickly than the optimum level. Hypothyroidism is the condition where the thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones. Hyperthyroidism is the condition where the thyroid produces too much. The most common disease is hypothyroidism – not enough hormones – which leads to depression, high cholesterol, hot flashes, irritability, and palpitations, in addition to the symptoms listed above.

Controlling thyroid hormone production can help control weight gain.

As main regulators of the body’s rate of metabolism, thyroid hormones regulate how the body burns carbohydrates and fats. Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland does not produce enough of these “energy-generating” thyroid hormones, causing a low resting metabolic rate, which can cause weight gain and obesity.

Appetite can also be affected by lack of thyroid hormones. The hormones have been shown in some studies to regulate the levels of leptin in the body, another hormone, which is produced from fat cells. Leptin is believed to be used by the body to regulate hunger and energy levels.

When your thyroid hormone production is too low, you lack energy – affecting not only weight, but also how well you sleep, how much stamina you have for the day, and how easy it is to get up in the morning. Handling daily tasks is a hardship, especially when this condition is added to the stress and emotional mood swings associated with menopause.

In addition to the condition of an under active thyroid gland, hypothyroidism can also include hormone imbalance. There can be a deficit of the thyroid gland’s main hormone, T4 or thyroxin. But thyroxin must be converted by the liver to its active form, T3 or triiodothyonine. The body then must utilize T3. Symptoms of hypothyroidism can be caused by malfunction of any of these processes, bringing on a slow down of bodily functions.

The lack of uniformity of symptoms makes thyroid diseases hard to diagnose, and for that reason the only certain way to detect the condition is blood tests.

Control of thyroid hormone production, can result in:

1. Increase in energy burned with a higher metabolic rate.

2. Diets now work for weight loss because failures were caused by hormone imbalance.

3. Less feelings of hunger.

4. Remedy of other hypothyroid symptoms.

How many of us have felt tired or emotionally down, and have even struggled with the ability to take off those last few pounds? Does this mean we have symptoms related to the function of our thyroid?

As one of the most sizable endocrine glands in the body, the thyroid can be found in front of the trachea (the breathing passage) and beneath the Adam’s apple in the neck. It looks just like a shield, and thus gets its name from the Greek word for just that. Having two lobes and looking similar to a butterfly, we get our thyroid hormones from this gland (mainly thyroxine, or T4 and triiodothyronine, or T3) and the blood carries these hormones to be used by tissues everywhere in the body.

It is very well known how important it is for a person to have a normal metabolism, so we should be concerned that the thyroid hormones regulate this. These hormones will determine how well the body can process food, store the energy it creates from it, and also convert food into waste, using energy to do that as well. More than just the digestive system is affected by proper thyroid function. In fact, the thyroid makes a hormone called calcitonin which monitors the amount of calcium in the blood. Tyrosine is an amino acid that, along with Iodine, is essential in the creation of these hormones.

Many millions of females have a barely detectable level of thyroid disfunction, and this is known as a “borderline” condition. Those who are from the age of 35 to 55 are especially at risk, since they are going through either perimenopause or menopause.

Per a study made by the Thyroid Foundation of America, more than eleven milion women have a thyroid function insufficientcy, above that, there are several million more with a barely able to be perceived below normal, or “borderline” thyroid function, known as hypothyroidism. As stated earlier, the thyroid that isn’t working properly appears more frequently in during perimenopause or menopause (35 to 55) more than others.

The thyroid is important in its function to create hormones that control one’s metabolism. In fact, when a woman experiences tiredness and irritability, along with the inability to think straight, this might point to a thyroid issue. Other notable problems might be hot flashes, heart palpitations, difficulty sleeping, and the gaining of excess weight.

Since thyroid hormones affect one’s metabolism, one can notice any deficiency when there are symptoms related to weight control and the ability of the body to utilize and process fats, vitamins, and carbohydrates. These important hormones are also indicated in the proper function of one’s digestive system, muscular and nervous system, circulatory and reproductive systems, as well as some cellular functions including the manufacturing of the substance that makes energy and the normal functioning of body organs. The thyroid also regulates how a body uses the oxygen it receives through breathing.

When a person gains weight or becomes obese, it can be an indicator that the body is not creating sufficient hormones from the thyroid gland. These hormones actually result in energy for the body and without that, the body slows down and one’s metabolism becomes stagnant.

When a person has a healthy metabolism, it must mean that the hormone leptin is properly curbing hunger within their system. This hormone is regulated by thyroid function and is created out of fat cells that also maintain proper energy for use by the body. Thus, thyroid function is crucial to proper appetite and the maintenance of one’s weight. In addition, it affects their ability to awaken and rise and their energy levels throughout the day.

The condition of hypothyroidism can imitate other bodily circumstances, so it is sometimes referred to as the “great imitator” in medical circles.

When a person has the following medical symptoms, why have they been told their thyroid is normal?

* Difficulty arising in the morning along with fatigue

* Trouble remembering things

* Brain “fuzziness”

* Skin rashes

* Migraines

* More reactions to hot and cold

* Parched facial skin, facial puffiness and noticeable eyebrow and hair thinning

* Low spirits, primarily in those who are aged

* Apprehension and nervousness

* Intensified demand for sufficient sleep

The usual TSH and T4 tests are not adequate to determine whether a woman’s thyroid is normal, and they will usually be told that their levels are adequate from the results of these tests, performed on roughly 90% of cases. One’s pituitary gland secretes TSH, which then signals the thyroid secretion of T4 (still an inactive hormone). It is T3, which is converted from T4, that is the active thyroid hormone in the body. Usually hypothyroidism is indicated when there is a rise in TSH as a result of falling T4 and T3 amounts. There are so many other factors that this amount of testing is actually incomplete, and can only indicate who is most affected in a severe way. Thus, most patients are not diagnosed if affected to a lesser degree.

Women might instinctual know there is something wrong with their thyroid yet not get those answers from their doctors; this can be rather frustrating. So, when thorough testing shows there is a thyroid issue, women can get some comfort knowing they are on their way to true healing and a properly functioning thyroid level.

When the Archives of Internal Medicine, a scientific magazine, performed a study regarding low thyroid function in those whose thyroid showed “normal”, an increase in the likelihood of those having arteriosclerosis (hardened arteries) and double the rate of heart attacks was found. This “low-normal” thyroid ranch is known as sub-clinical hypothyroidism and causes tiredness, depression, inability to lose weight and other negative effects. It is in a woman’s best interests to regain a normal thyroid function as it will affect her overall well-being and bring her health back up to what is most desired.

If you or anyone you know is unnecessarily suffering from these symptoms, get a consultation at no charge to find out if handling the thyroid is the answer. There is a chance that you can relieve some aggravation about this and get to the root of the problem.