Hypothyroidism is a condition that indicates your thyroid is underactive, meaning it is not producing a sufficient amount of thyroid hormone. We will break down what is hypothyroidism is and give you some examples of what to look for.
Some symptoms that may indicate an underactive thyroid include:
About 5% of the general population above 12 years old has hypothyroidism. Despite this percentage, millions of Americans have hypothyroidism and have not yet been diagnosed.
Blood tests are often used to diagnose hypothyroidism. Your healthcare provider will likely assess your thyroid by checking TSH, also known as Thyroid Stimulating Hormone.
TSH is a hormone released by your pituitary gland that signals your thyroid to make and release hormones into your bloodstream. When your bloodstream has an insufficient amount of thyroid hormone, also known as hypothyroidism, your thyroid will signal to your pituitary gland.
This signal will cause your TSH levels to increase the signals to your thyroid to make more thyroid hormones (T4 and T3). So therefore, your healthcare provider will most likely assess your TSH to assess your thyroid function but may also evaluate your thyroid hormones, including free T4 and free T3.
TSH levels range between 0.45 and 4.5 mu/L in a normal functioning thyroid. However, every healthcare provider has a different value that they believe is optimal.
At Natural Endocrinology Specialists, we like to see a TSH value between 1-2 mu/L. A TSH value above 4.5 often indicates low free thyroid hormone, indicating hypothyroidism.
While healthcare providers will also look at your free thyroid hormones, TSH is still clinically the best indicator to assess for hypothyroidism.
Yes, often, hypothyroidism runs in families. If you have a family history of thyroid disease, you should let your healthcare provider know so you can get tested.
Hashimotos Thyroiditis is an autoimmune condition in which your immune system attacks your thyroid gland. Hashimoto's disease most often causes hypothyroidism or an underactive thyroid.
The exact etiology of Hashimotos is unknown. However, it is believed that there are several contributing factors. Some of these factors may include your genetics.
A family history of thyroid disease could contribute to Hashimoto's or hypothyroidism in many cases. Other contributing factors include hormones, excessive iodine, and radiation exposure.
Hashimotos is known to affect women 7x as likely as it does males. It's not uncommon for women to be diagnosed with a thyroid condition during the first year after having, with 20% of these women developing Hashimoto's years later.
Frequently, the symptoms of hypothyroidism are similar to Hashimotos. However, some patients with Hashimoto's may develop an enlarged thyroid, also known as a goiter.
The goiter may look like a significant swelling at the front of your neck and may cause other symptoms like hoarseness and difficulty swallowing.
To test for Hashimotos, your healthcare provider will often run a thyroid panel to assess if your thyroid is under or overactive.
Your healthcare provider will also run other blood tests, specifically thyroglobulin antibodies, to assess general autoimmune thyroid disease and Thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO), which tests specifically for Hashimotos Disease.
If your healthcare provider suspects thyroid disease, they should also send you a thyroid ultrasound to assess for vascularity of any thyroid nodules.
Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's are often treated with thyroid replacement medication. There are several different types of medication, so it is always best to work with your healthcare provider to assess what type of medication is best for you.
The recommended daily allowance for iodine intake is 150 mcg in adults and slightly more in pregnant and breastfeeding women. Research shows that too much iodine intake may contribute to hypothyroidism.
Fish, seafood, and seaweed contain high levels of iodine. Other dietary sources of iodine include eggs, dairy products, and iodized salt. Other sources of iodine could be found in your daily multivitamins and may even be found in some of your favorite skincare products.
Yes. While medication is often necessary to initially treat these conditions, with the right dietary, lifestyle, and additional modification, if is possible to heal yourself of your thyroid condition.
Yes, integrative healthcare is a great way to approach and help with your hypothyroidism.
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