Thyroid disorders are a secret epidemic. According to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, more than 27 million people suffer from thyroid dysfunction, 60% of which go undiagnosed.

Are you one of them? Hypothyroidism, the most common thyroid disorder, includes it’s not- so- fun friends fatigue, brain fog, weight gain, constipation, dry skin, hair loss, mood swings and more. It’s a party you could definitely do without.


How to tell if you have Hypothyroidism

1. Check this list of symptoms

  • Fatigue or exhaustion
  • Brain fog, poor memory, or difficulty concentrating
  • Sensitivity to cold, cold hands/feet
  • Constipation, sluggish bowels
  • Dry skin
  • Thinning or dry hair
  • Depression, anxiety, frequent mood fluctuations
  • Weight gain or inability to lose weight with diet/exercise
  • Hoarse voice
  • Decreased heart rate
  • Fluid retention
  • Low body temperature
  • Low sex drive
  • Muscle cramps, pain or weakness
  • Blood sugar issues
  • High cholesterol

2. Get Tested

Have you been tested for hypothyroidism and told by your doctor that you’re normal? It’s a highly common scenario. Here’s the reason so many hypothyroid cases go undiagnosed: improper testing and interpretation of lab results. To correct this and truly find out if you have hypothyroidism:

Ask your doctor to test all thyroid markers. Thyroid markers include TSH, Free T3, Free T4, Total T3, Total T4, Reverse T3, FTI, and thyroid antibodies TBG and TPO Ab. If they suspect hypothyroidism, most doctors will only test for TSH, and possibly free T4. Hypothyroidism often shows up in a marker other than TSH and free T4, in which case it goes unseen.

Note that the TSH normal lab range has changed. In 2002 the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) changed the normal range for TSH to 0.3- 2.5. For those on thyroid replacement therapy TSH should be 0.3-2.0. Many doctors are not aware of this and labs have not adjusted their ranges accordingly. I have looked at some of my patients labs and seen “normal” lab ranges up to 4.5 -6.0.

Work with a functional medicine practitioner. There are many types of hypothyroidism. A functional medicine practitioner knows this and will view your labs accordingly.

What does the thyroid do anyways?

The thyroid, a butterfly shaped gland located just below the adam’s apple, is the master metabolic control for the body. When most people hear the word metabolic, they think of metabolism as in weight control. But the thyroid does much more than that. It controls the metabolic rate of every cell in the body. Thyroid hormone acts on the brain, the cardiovascular system, the GI tract, liver and gallbladder function, body temperature regulation, glucose metabolism, cholesterol and protein metabolism to name just a few. If the thyroid slows down, so does the functioning of every single one of these systems.

This explains the wide variety of symptoms seen in hypothyroidism, as well as the importance for seeking treatment if you are thyroid is underactive.

Links

http://www.aacc.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/Archived%20and%20Historical/ThyroidArchived2010.pdf#page=32