Is Your Thyroid the Issue?
Have you noticed yourself feeling fatigued, gaining weight, or getting cold more easily? Do you wonder what’s causing you to feel this way?
With so many conditions sharing similar symptoms, it can be challenging trying to figure out the cause of your health issues.
Thyroid disorders in particular tend to go undetected for years and you may be experiencing underactive thyroid symptoms without realizing the underlying issue.
Underactive thyroid symptoms also vary and present differently in individuals. This makes it challenging to self-diagnose correctly and many people experiencing hypothyroidism mistake their symptoms for something else and forego comprehensive testing.
Unfortunately, this means a lot of people end up living with debilitating symptoms for longer than they need to without realizing that holistic treatment is available.
As part of Heart Health Month, Synergy Integrative Health & Wellness is committed to bringing awareness to metabolic disorders and treating underactive thyroid symptoms.
We also want you to walk away from this article feeling like an expert on thyroid health and underactive thyroid symptoms. Here’s what we’ll dive into:
- What is hypothyroidism?
- What are underactive thyroid symptoms?
- How testing and treatment can help
Whether it’s you or someone close to you experiencing underactive thyroid symptoms, the value of identifying symptoms and treatment options cannot be overstated.
What is Hypothyroidism?
Hypothyroidism is a condition in which a person’s thyroid doesn’t make enough thyroid hormones, resulting in underactive thyroid symptoms.
But what does our body even use thyroid hormones for?
They’re used for controlling our metabolism speed and are crucial for the brain development in infants. Our thyroid glands release two hormones, T3 (triiodothyronine) and T4 (thyroxine). Aside from our metabolism, these hormones help control our:
- Energy levels
- Muscle and bone health
- Body temperature
7 Different Underactive Thyroid Symptoms
Now we come to the main reason why you’re here – what are the main underactive thyroid symptoms? We’re going to shine a light on seven different underactive thyroid symptoms so you can begin to understand whether your thyroid is at the root of your discomfort and symptoms.
It’s also helpful to note that underactive thyroid symptoms in women and underactive thyroid symptoms in men present similarly, so let’s dive right in!
The Tiredness Mystery
One of the first underactive thyroid symptoms you may experience is fatigue. Because fatigue is a common symptom for many illnesses, it’s always a sure sign that you should dig deeper. The first question to ask yourself is whether you’ve been getting enough sleep and going to bed by 11pm?
If the answer is ‘yes’ to these questions, fatigue may be one of your underactive thyroid symptoms. It may mean the level of thyroid hormones in your bloodstream are too low to signal to your body to move and ‘get going’.
Brain Fog Fuzziness
If your cognitive function has been a hit or miss lately, this may be indicative of hypothyroidism.
A deficiency in thyroid hormone means that your neurological functions slow down. Poor memory and trouble processing information might in fact be more than the occasional forgetful moment.
Why Do I Always Feel Cold?
Are you constantly adding extra layers? Does nobody else look cold when you look around a room?
Feeling cold could be one of your underactive thyroid symptoms as hypothyroidism has been connected to an inability to regulate one’s own temperature.
Low levels of thyroid hormone means less energy is being burned by cell targets. This combined with a slower metabolism can result in your body producing less heat.
Weight Gain or Puffiness?
Dealing with underactive thyroid symptoms can be frustrating, especially when it comes to losing stubborn weight.
Less thyroid hormones can slow down your metabolism, changing the way you convert food into fuel. Your metabolism can also impact your muscle recovery after being active, making it more challenging to exercise regularly.
Poor circulation may also cause your face to become puffy and your skin to swell, giving the appearance of gaining weight but without the extra pounds.
Hair, Skin, Nails SOS
Brittle hair and nails? Dry skin?
You might be using every conditioner and face moisturizer out there but none of it seems to be making a difference.
These are all underactive thyroid symptoms because your metabolism and circulation have slowed down. A slower metabolism may also mean less sweating and your wounds taking a longer time to heal.
Digestive Issues
It makes sense that when your metabolism slows down, your digestion does as well. If you’re spending a lot of time on the toilet feeling constipated, it could be because of your thyroid.
Hypothyroidism weakens the contraction in your digestive tract, causing stool to move more slowly.
Mood Shifts and Interest in Sex
As your body slows down, your mood may also take a downward turn. While hyperthyroidism or an overactive thyroid can cause anxiety and irritability, underactive thyroid symptoms usually include depression or feeling down.
This slowing down may also be accompanied by having very little desire or interest in sex. This is due to the connection between our adrenal glands and thyroid and the result of fewer sex hormones being released into our body.
Hypothyroidism Treatments
Now that we’ve gone through some identifiable underactive thyroid symptoms, let’s talk about how to get rid of them and get your life back on track!
Underactive thyroid symptoms can overlap with other conditions, making it tricky to diagnose. However, holistic treatment and support can reverse symptoms and help you feel like yourself again.
Underactive Thyroid Symptoms Treatment
Testing is a crucial part of being able to receive treatment. Most providers will only test for thyroid stimulating hormone levels (TSH) but Synergy Integrative Health & Wellness likes to test more thoroughly to ensure that your symptoms aren’t being mistaken for hormonal imbalances or other underlying conditions.
Synergy Integrative Health & Wellness will provide you with a full thyroid blood panel including testing for T3, T4 and thyroid antibodies (which diagnose Hashimoto’s, an autoimmune condition that causes hypothyroidism).
Oak Park Integrative Testing and Treatment Plan
Our clinic has extensive experience in thyroid optimization and provides a three step treatment plan to help your thyroid recover and boost your energy levels.
- Thyroid testing and consultation assessment
- Fully personalized and holistic plan to resolve your symptoms
- Support to implement your plan over several months
Our three step thyroid optimization plan will assess whether your symptoms are caused by thyroid dysfunction or another underlying health condition such as a hormonal imbalance.
Synergy Integrative Health & Wellness’ thyroid optimization expert will then work with you to create a fully customized plan targeting your underactive thyroid symptoms and discomfort. This treatment may include thyroid hormone replacement therapy and also nutritional counseling, health coaching and weight management.
A high level of support will be available to you over several months to ensure your symptoms disappear long term.
Want to say goodbye to your underactive thyroid symptoms? Through Synergy Integrative Health & Wellness’ testing and thyroid optimization at Oak Park, your underactive thyroid symptoms will no longer control your life.
Book in a consultation to get real, tangible results and see improvements to your thyroid health and quality of life.