Are you hypothyroid? That’s the question you need to answer before you embark on a course of hypothyroidism treatment.
LIST OF TYPICAL HYPOTHYROID SYMPTOMS
* weight gain
* fatigue and weakness
* poor memory
* weight problems
* heart disease
* heart palpitations
* low basal body temperature
* constipation
* low blood sugar
* dry hair & dry itchy skin
* cold hands and feet
* hand tremors
* PMS premenstrual syndrome
* miscarriage
* dry vagina & infertility
* ovarian cysts
* endometriosis
* elevated cholesterol levels
Getting an accurate test from to diagnose hypothyroidism can be difficult. After doing tests your doctor might tell you that you’re in the “normal range”, even if you have hypothyroid symptoms and know something is wrong. This can be very frustrating!
YOU COULD BE BORDERLINE HYPOTHYROID
Despite the sensitivity of all the tests a doctor can give a patient a mildly hypothyroid person can still appear normal in test results.
Many people have symptoms of hypothyroidism, yet they complain that no doctor will help them. Even if their tests come up “normal”, they suffer tremendously with daily symptoms of hypothyroidism.
Why is it that so many people who need some thyroid help cannot get it from their doctor? Recently, the Mayo Clinic determined that up to 10% of people have thyroid problems — and it appears to be on the increase.
Thyroid disease can be treated. Try these suggestions to help alleviate hypothyroid symptoms:
First, you need to stop stressing your body and eating high carb junk food. Diet, exercise and reducing your stress level will start you toward recover mode and better health. Some people require replacement thyroid hormone. There are synthetic hormones and natural hormones. Natural is usually better, but discuss medication options with your doctor.
Make sure you’re taking a good multivitamin each day for general good health and any nutrient deficiencies. You might consider a special Thyroid Support Vitamin Complex also.
If you have a hectic stressful life find ways to de-stress and remove high pressure situations. If thinking about going to work on Monday gives you a headache, it might be time for a job change or talk to your supervisor about restructuring your position. If family life is stressful it might be time to work with a family counselor to create a more peaceful home.
Without correct medical treatment for hypothyroidism you are setting yourself up for cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and a list of other symptoms that can include carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, PMS, infertility, dangerously high cholesterol, severe depression, obesity, heart failure, stroke, and death. Every cell in your body depends on your thyroid.
TESTS FOR HYPOTHYROIDISM ARE NOT ALWAYS ACCURATE
TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) tests and blood tests are useful to help diagnose hypothyroidism but should not be used alone. Symptoms are the most important factor. It is rare that a blood chemistry panel shows your true condition because the values measured are only about 30% accurate. It is common for a hypothyroid person to have a completely normal thyroid panel.
It is common for a hypothyroid person to have a low TSH value, which is usually interpreted as hyperthyroidism, despite many symptoms of low thyroid (depression, dry skin, weight problems, chronic infections, female problems, hair loss, low blood sugar, etc).
TSH tests are not as scientifically accurate as they need to be. There is a sophisticated test to reveal even mild low thyroid and it is the TRH (Thyrotropin Releasing Hormone) test. This test requires an injection, followed by one or more blood draws at 15, 30 and 45 minute intervals. This test is accurate, but is expensive and inconvenient for both patient and the lab. Talk with your doctor about getting this test done and whether your medical insurance will cover it.
HERE IS A SIMPLE AND ACCURATE TEST FOR HYPOTHYROIDISM
There is one simple thing almost anyone can do at home to uncover an underactive thyroid: Take your own temperature. The “basal body temperature” test was developed by Broda O. Barnes, MD. Because thyroid hormone is so vital to cellular metabolism, reduced thyroid function often displays as a drop in body temperature below the normal level of 98.6 F.
Try the following procedure:
Immediately upon waking and with as little movement as possible, place a basal thermometer under your tongue. Leave it there for 10 minutes. Record the readings on 3 consecutive days. If the average temperature over 3 consecutive days is less than 97.8 F, then you may be hypothyroid.
Your optimum oral temperature should be 98.0 F in the morning before getting out of bed. Your temperature should rise to between 98.6 F to 99.0 F for about 10 hours a day (8 am-6 pm). A good test time is to take your temperature is between 11 am-3 pm.
Buy an inexpensive bottle of iodine in the drugstore. Paint a circle about the size of a silver dollar on your stomach, If this color is absorbed in 2-6 hours there could be an iodine deficiency. This nutrient is necessary for the body’s production of tyrosine and thyroid support. Tell your doctor if the iodine is absorbed quickly so he can order further testing.
If you don’t feel “right” and your doctor insists that your thyroid is “normal”, insist on getting a second opinion — preferably with an endocrinologist.
Even if you had had a blood test and were told you didn’t have a low thyroid reading, look at your thyroid test results again. You might see your blood levels of thyroid hormones are actually low-normal. Many people within the “normal” range but below midpoint could greatly benefit from thyroid supplements.
