Depressed, Anxious, Fatigued or Overweight? Your Thyroid May Be Low
Your metabolism is the speed and efficiency of which all the processes of your body run. If you are fatigued, constantly cold, losing muscle mass, overweight or feeling depressed, then your metabolism is slow.
A master switch to turning up your metabolism is your thyroid. Many North Americans have low-functioning thyroids. Standard lab tests for thyroid function are inadequate and their inaccuracy is contributing to an epidemic of untreated low thyroid.
Disorders of Low Thyroid Function
Low thyroid function can cause anxiety, panic disorders, mental dullness, low sex drive, sexual dysfunction, fibromyalgia, obesity, swelling, carpal tunnel syndrome, and some forms of headaches including migraines. Also, irritable bowel syndrome can be aggravated by low thyroid. One study showed that 75% of women with PMS actually had subclinical hypothyroid and that 60% of these women had complete resolution of their PMS with thyroid medication treatment.
The Best Way To Test Your Thyroid
The best way to test if your thyroid is suboptimal is by doing these two simple things:
Request a Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) blood test from your Naturopathic Doctor or family doctor.
Measure your oral temperature with a thermometer. Use a glass thermometer. Most digital thermometers are unreliable. Take your temperature by placing your glass thermometer under your tongue just like your mom did when you were little. Measure your temperature 3 hours after waking and then every 3 hours for 3 days.
For women who are menstruating, do not record your temperatures 3 days before menstruating because your temperature will be higher then.
Average all of your temperature readings and see how you compare to normal body temperature. Normal body temperature measured orally is 37˚C. If your average temperature is below 37˚C, especially more than 1˚C below, and you are experiencing any low thyroid symptoms, then your thyroid could benefit from a reboot.
Different Names for Low Thyroid Function
A low-functioning thyroid that causes you symptoms and that is not found on standard lab tests is called subclinical hypothyroidism, sub-laboratory hypothyroidism, or Wilson's Temperature Syndrome. In other words, your thyroid may under-functioning and causing you problems, but it does not currently fall under the medical category of Hypothyroid.
Brrrrr It's Cold In Here
Low thyroid slows everything in your body down. Many people experience feeling cold – colder than most other people in the room. A slowed body feels more fatigued, lower mood, and more pain. A slowed body experiences poor digestion, weight gain, swelling and more.
Is it time to turn up your metabolism? A healthy functioning thyroid can make you feel happier, healthier, younger, and more like yourself. If your thyroid has been low for a long time, you may not even realize how low you are actually feeling.
