The Real Story Behind Your Thyroid…Are Your Symptoms Normal?

Are you tired all the time? Do you have trouble losing that stubborn weight? What about depression? Can it be possible that you really do have thyroid issues?

Shaped like a butterfly or shield (which is why its name comes from the Greek “shield”), the thyroid is a vital part of the body’s endocrine system. It is a gland that is under the Adam’s apple and located before the trachea in the neck. The hormones it produces get moved throughout the body via the bloodstream to supply bodily tissues; these hormones include T4, or Thyroxine, and T3, or Triiodothyronine.

When a body’s thyroid hormones function properly, one’s body is able to process food correctly, converting it to energy. In addition, all food is metabolized and then must be eliminated as waste which utilizes additional energy for the conversion process. One’s thyroid is essential for numerous bodily functions, as the hormones produced are responsible for determining proper metabolism and thus can affect the growth and efficiency of other body systems. A primary example of this is the hormone calcitonin. It is produced by the thyroid gland and regulates the levels of calcium circulating in the blood. To properly produce these hormones, the body must have enough iodine and an amino acid known as tyrosine.

Over ten million women could be affected by thyroid deficiencies on a subnormal level, and be totally unaware of this condition. Women aged 35 to 55 are most affected, especially those who are perimenopausal or menopausal.

Studies have been performed by the Thyroid Foundation of America that give an estimate of the group of females that are impaired by a lowering of thyroid function at over 11 million. A considerable amount of countless females can have slight symptoms when one takes into consideration that a women may possibly have a slight deficiency in thyroid function. This condition is known as hypothyroidism and many women can have problems with this that are between the ages of 35 and 55, who are simultaneously going through the change of life which does include hormonal changes.

The hormones made by the thyroid gland are essential in controlling a person’s metabolism. That is why negative symptoms can result from its malfunction, including putting on excessive weight, lethargy, the feeling of hot flashes, anxiety, brain fogginess, and pulsating heartbeat.

When one’s metabolism runs efficiently, one can burn calories most effectively and thus lose weight or at least stay at a normal weight. The hormones produced in the thyroid are what manages this, and also the way that the body uses vitamins it gets from food. Thyroid function is so important that it affects many bodily systems, including the muscular, reproductive, circulatory, nervous, and digestive systems. Within each cell, it affects the activity of the creation of the item that produces energy in the cells. It also allows for proper use of oxygen throughout the body.

When a person suddenly gains weight, even becoming obese, it signals a reduction in their metabolism. This means that the thyroid gland has not been producing enough hormones to properly process foods and generate sufficient energy, and this condition is called hypothyroidism.

When a person has a healthy metabolism, it must mean that the hormone leptin is properly curbing hunger within their system. This hormone is regulated by thyroid function and is created out of fat cells that also maintain proper energy for use by the body. Thus, thyroid function is crucial to proper appetite and the maintenance of one’s weight. In addition, it affects their ability to awaken and rise and their energy levels throughout the day.

The condition of hypothyroidism can imitate other bodily circumstances, so it is sometimes referred to as the “great imitator” in medical circles.

When a person has the following medical symptoms, why have they been told their thyroid is normal?

* Difficulty arising in the morning along with fatigue

* Memory difficulties

* Brain befuddlement or fogginess

* Skin rashes

* Migraines

* Hot and Cold Sensitivity

* Less moisture in the facial skin and Hair depletion (occurring mainly outside of the eyebrows)

* Low spirits, primarily in those who are aged

* Tendency to panic or get anxious in normal situations

* Tendency to crave more sleep

Almost every doctor will give a woman the usual TSH and T4 tests in an attempt to determine low thyroid function. Unfortunately, these tests are not complete and most women end up being diagnosed as having normal thyroids when they do not. Usually, doctors rely on determining thyroid function from these tests since TSH comes from the brain’s pituitary gland and is what determines the secretion of T4 which is then converted to T3. This is why the drop in these two hormones should indicate hypothyroidism as a simultaneous increase in TSH occurs. Using this method will omit the diagnosis of those who do not have severe hypothyroidism, yet are low normal only. There are so many other factors that can contribute to low thyroid that a more thorough testing is necessary for a complete diagnosis.

Women might instinctual know there is something wrong with their thyroid yet not get those answers from their doctors; this can be rather frustrating. So, when thorough testing shows there is a thyroid issue, women can get some comfort knowing they are on their way to true healing and a properly functioning thyroid level.

An up-to-date medical analysis was recently cited in the Archives of Internal Medicine journal, and it suggests that those with subclinical (low normal) hypothyroidism have a higher tendency to get hardened arteries (by 70%) and heart attacks (by 200%). So many millions of women will have a lack of energy along with depression and an inability to lose pounds because of the misdiagnosis of low normal thyroid conditions. One must return to the optimum thyroid level in order to alleviate these symptoms and feel renewed energy and health.

Do not hesitate now to get your thyroid consultation, at no charge. Don’t wonder any more why you are experiencing these rough symptoms…find out the truth and get on your way to better health and a better life rather than discontentment and frustration.

Especially for Women- Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy

Replace Hormones With Bioidentical – It’s Natural

Bioidentical is defined in the American Heritage Dictionary as follows: Bio means life; living organism. Identical means being the same. Bioidentical means any substance similar to the substance in the living organism. When bioidentical is used, it refers to any natural hormone which has the same molecular structure as in a human body.

The popular thinking of this day and age is not about bioidentical natural hormone replacement ” popular thinking is usually concerned with synthetic hormones. The popular idea is that a body cannot use a natural substance to create the hormones needed, therefore synthetic hormones are used. The problem with popular thinking is that it does not require you to think at all by Kevin Meyers. Is popular thinking smart thinking?

Should Hormones Be Replaced?

Hormones are chemical substances, produced in the body from the nourishment that is given it, that are then transported by the blood to other organs to stimulate their function. The functions are numerous and include growth, muscle tone, bone density, energy level and more.

After turning 35 years old, the production of hormones lessens each year. There are nearly 40 different hormones that are produced and utilized for different functions in the human body.

Should we be with out these hormones in perimenopause (the time prior to menopause) and menopause years? Climacteric symptoms ” ones that indicate the period of decrease of reproductive capacity in men and women, culminating, in women, in the menopause, can span over 30 years from age 35 to 70 years. The first hormone that declines is progesterone (causes anxiety, irritability 15 years before menopause) followed by Estrogen (causes hot flashes and vaginal dryness, may last up to 2-3 years in 75% and in the rest can last way longer) and then Testosterone which is required to maintain muscle mass and strength and libido.

Should we be without hormones? NO!!

Do Hormones Have Anything to Do With Cancer?

To answer this question, it is beneficial to understand a bit more about estrogen. In the female human body there are 3 different kinds of estrogens that occur naturally. They are called Estrone, Estriol and Estradiol. Of the three only one is clot forming and the one that stimulates breasts and creates cancer and it is Estrone. The synthetic estrogens that are used in this day, do not have Estriol, the most protective anti-cancer estrogen. The synthetic horse estrogens contain over a third of equine estrogens which are not compatible at all to a human female.

The natural female cycle in which progesterone is created occurs only 15 days of every month. The usual synthetic progesterone prescription that is given is for each day of the month. A long list of female body problems occur from the synthetic hormones while on the other hand, the natural bioidentical hormones are created from natural sources such as soy or yam and modified to match the human hormones exactly.

When taking the bioidentical progesterone, because it is compatible with the human body, a women can experience improvements in mood, a lessening of irritability, relief from bloating and hot flashes besides a diminishing of other problems with the digestion, with flatulence and with memory loss. Using the bioidentical hormone therapy has also shown improvements in the reduction of tender or swollen breasts and a reduction in vaginal bleeding.

Synthetic progesterone hormones create unhappy women, a lessened quality of life, higher levels of bad cholesterol that can lead to coronary problems, a loss of memory and less bone density. On the other hand, bioidentical progesterone creates the opposite because it is compatible with the human body thus it makes for a happier, healthier life.

What causes cancer in menopausal women?

As the hormonal imbalance starts to occur in a womens body, estrone levels become way too high which are cancer causing and there is too little progesterone in the body, which is cancer protective. When we replace hormones in women we balance the ratios of various estrogens and progesterone naturally. This improves the overall quality of life and we get stronger and happier women.