It has been estimated that around 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disorder and 60 percent of those people are unaware of their condition. Why is that? Thyroid problem symptoms such as hair loss or thinning, fatigue, weight gain, fragile fingernails etc., are easily misdiagnosed. Left untreated, there is a higher risk of developing chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, hormone disorders, heart disease, chronic inflammation, cancer, and more.
Do you frequently experience these symptoms?
- Are your hands and feet always cold?
- Do you struggle to lose weight despite putting in the hours at the gym and dieting?
- Do you feel like you need 10 hours of sleep but still need a nap every day?
- Does your brain feel “fogged” or cloudy?
- Do you feel depressed?
- Do you have a hard time focusing?
- Do you experience unexplained bloating and digestive issues?
Before you or your doctor dismiss these symptoms as “normal” or a “natural part of aging”, you should think about getting your thyroid checked. The imbalance of this master gland is more common than you might think. The thyroid controls everything from hormone regulation and adrenal fatigue to brain function and much more. We see many patients suffering from the symptoms above which seem to control their life. They are tired, fed up, and want answers.
If you suspect you are suffering from a thyroid problem, take action by following the steps below. It’s time to regain control of your health and heal yourself!
1. Realize it’s not normal and you don’t “have to deal with it”.
Many people are in the same situation as you are; they have walked your journey and found a way out. Don’t let anyone convince you that you have to suffer like this forever. Even doctors may try to convince you there’s no treatment for thyroid conditions. This is false. Know that you CAN make it through this.
2. Have extensive bloodwork drawn
Conventional doctors are stuck in the insurance trap. They are unable to order the tests that are needed when treating a thyroid disorder. They typically only will draw two thyroid labs, TSH and T4. It is important that you go somewhere that will draw all 10 thyroid markers. This way you know exactly how to treat your condition.
The documentation for the bloodwork we have drawn in our clinic is five pages long and includes key markers, including the following (and many more):
- Glucose/A1c
- Full cholesterol panel
- Full iron panel
- Vitamin D 25-Hydroxy
- C-Reactive Protein
- Homocysteine
- TSH
- T4
- Free T3
- Reverse T3
- TPO ab (Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody test: Hashimoto’s)
- Tg ab (Thyroglobulin Antibody test: Hashimoto’s)
If you have your thyroid symptoms under control but still can’t lose that weight or burn fat, you need to test your HbA1c. As shown above, we frequently test this in our clinic with all of our patients. This test allows us to see your averge blood glucose level for the past 3 months to determine if you are insulin resistant or have Type 2 diabetes (elevated A1c between 5.7-6.7).
While most doctors will tell you that you are fine if your A1c is 5.7, our functional medicine approach warns anyone above 5.2 that they need to step back and look at their total carbohydrate/sugar consumption.
3. Take a natural approach to support your body’s health
So many people come into our clinic who are on thyroid hormone replacement which did help initially. However, they still don’t feel as energetic, happy, and amazing as they should. Here are several ways that everyone can naturally support their body’s thyroid function and metabolism:
- Address adrenal fatigue, de-stress.
- Eliminate all grains, dairy, sugar, and other inflammatory promoting foods.
- Get 7-8 hours of sleep every night.
- Reduce stress as much as possible. Have friends or family help you with tasks that are over-burdening or overwhelming.
Do you think a thyroid condition may be to blame for your symptoms?
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