More About Stress
Stress, medications, and other hormone imbalances have been shown to lower the effectiveness of Thyroid hormones in the body. This is especially true in women on birth control pills, hormone replacement pills, and even women with PMS or abnormal periods! Again, these people will likely have a normal blood TSH, but abnormally low circulating thyroid hormone levels.
Patients with any of the classic hypothyroid symptoms have testing of thyroid hormones in their saliva which has shown to be more sensitive at diagnosing hypothyroidism than blood tests. Patients with abnormal results are given small doses of thyroid hormone to take daily in order to balance out their metabolism. Symptoms usually improve in a few weeks! Remember, you’re not getting old or depressed. The answer may lie in your thyroid!
Thyroid Deficiency
The Thyroid Gland rests in the lower neck. It is responsible for controlling the body’s overall metabolism at the cellular level. This overall metabolism is reflected in the body’s temperature. (Try it; if your oral temperature at wake up is below 98 degrees, then you could be hypothyroid). Deficiencies of thyroid hormones or their ability to stimulate cellular metabolism can result in one or many annoying symptoms:
- Weight gain or difficulty losing weight
- Loss or thinning of eyebrows
- Low sex drive
- Abdominal bloating
- Dry or thinning hair
- Cold intolerance
- Depression
- Cold hands or feet
- Joint or muscle pain
Modern researchers estimate that as many as 1 out of 10 people have a thyroid disorder and do not even know it. These people often suffer with many of the above symptoms without knowing the cause. Many of these people have TSH blood screening tests in the “normal” range. However, the TSH test is virtually useless when the present broad range of “normal” is used. Studies have shown that people with normal TSH levels who have the symptoms listed above likely have reduced levels of the actual circulating thyroid hormones. Furthermore, some people on Thyroid medication also can be under-treated if TSH alone is used to measure progress.
If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms you may have a hormone imbalance from poorly functioning adrenal glands or an under functioning thyroid. Give us a call for your initial Hormone Health and Stress assessment consultation and saliva testing.