Uncovering Thyroid Disorders
Could you have an undiagnosed thyroid disorder?
Does any of this sound familar to you?…weight gain, depression, constipation, brittle hair and nails, menstrual irregularities, morning stiffness, insomnia, fatigue, cold hands and feet, etc. etc. These are some of the more common symptoms to an ever prevalent health imbalance that by far is not being properly addressed.
Subclinical hypothyroidism is one of the most commonly underdiagnosed and under treated health imbalances today. Why is that? A number of reasons.
First of all, oftentimes the practitioner is only treating off of lab values, regardless of the patients symptoms. After the blood test there is a range that the different values of thyroid must fall in to be “normal.” Even after adjustments have been made to narrow this range it still leaves many individuals abnormally normal.
Next, the whole picture is not being looked at. What do we mean by this?
An average thyroid panel will consist of a TSH (thyroid stimualting hormone), and T4 (thyroxine.) TSH is made in your pituitary gland and places the order to when and how much thyroid hormone should be produced. If the body has too much thyroid hormone than TSH should decrease, if the body has too little, than it should increase. There are instances where there is a “mis-read” and this process does not work accurately.
Most of the T4 is changed into T3 (triiodothyronine) in the liver and the kidneys. Though in many cases this conversion is impeded. This can be due to toxins, radiation exposure, nutritional defeciencies, and more.
Why is T3 often left out of an average thyroid panel? Good question, though we do not have a good answer. Maybe it is not often taught in med school? Though it should be part of any thyroid panel to get an accurate assessment of someones thyroid health. T3 is 4 to 5 times more active than T4! Imagine what can be missed when this is not assessed.
What else should be looked at? Thyroid antibodies and reverse T3.
If your thyroid antibodies are too high they can prevent thyroid hormone from attaching to its appropriate receptors. Reverse T3 (rT3) is stored thyroid hormone. The body uses it to put on the brakes if it feels there is too much.
Aside from blood panels we find the practice of kinesiology to be a very good way to assess ones thyroid health. In our practice we utilize Quantum Reflex Analysis and have found individuals who test strongly to nutrients that can detoxify heavy metals as well as clear off radiation exposure. Yet other important factors to look at.
Nutrients that support healthy thryoid production are zinc, copper, tyrosine, copper, vitamins A, B2, B3, B6, C, selenium, and iodine.
For proper thyroid assessment we recommend seeing a practitioner trained in integrative ways of treatment (which you can find in Health Warrior Recommend in our new e-book) and always use only pharmaceutical grade nutrients.