The thyroid gland is located in the center of the neck and it can be easily identified because of its specific shape which resembles a butterfly.
This is the central gland to human metabolism and it affects every bodily function.
That’s why doctors agree that this small gland is very important and we must keep it protected all the time because if it doesn’t work well your entire body might suffer.
According to Dr. Amy Myer, the head of Functional Medicine and the author of The Autoimmune Solution, about 25 million Americans are experiencing some kind of problem with the thyroid gland and about 50% of them are not aware of this problem.
9 out of 10 people with thyroid problems have an underactive thyroid, a condition known as hypothyroidism.
What makes the situation even more complicated is the fact that the symptoms are mild and doctors often miss noticing these symptoms and the problem is left untreated.
If you are able to determine these symptoms of a thyroid problem, you will be in a position to encourage your doctor to check the thyroid more thoroughly.
Thyroid Problem Symptoms
- Constant feeling of tiredness, even when you sleep for eight hours per day;
- Frequent mood swings, depression, and/or anxiety;
- Unexplained weight gain and inability to lose weight;
- Hormone imbalance – low libido or irregular periods;
- Constipation;
- Cold feet and hands;
- Muscle or joint pain;
- Brittle nails, loss of hair and/or dry skin;
- Brain fog or loss of memory;
- Neck swelling and snoring.
The following is a list of the hormones produced by the thyroid gland. According to Dr. Myer, every doctor should check the level of these hormones when testing patients for thyroid issues:
- Free T4 – an inactive hormone that prevents the production of thyroid hormone
- TSH – a hormone that synthesizes thyrotropin
- Free T3 – a hormone that leads to rising in metabolism and body temperature
- Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies or TPOAb
- Reverse T3 – a hormone that increases with stress
- Thyroglobulin Antibodies or TgAb
If you get detailed information about these antibodies you will know whether you have developed some thyroid autoimmune disease like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.
If you notice some of the aforementioned symptoms, make sure to visit your doctor’s office and take a test that is focused on checking your thyroid gland health. There are many doctors who run only a few simple tests and this is not enough to get a clear picture of your condition.
If you think that you are dealing with some kind of thyroid problem or you simply want to protect yourself from such problems, try practicing these natural habits in order to improve your overall health and your thyroid too.
Improve Thyroid With These 10 Simple Actions:
- Start practicing a gluten-free diet;
- Get at least 8 hours of sleep per day;
- Use iodine and tyrosine supplements;
- Take multivitamins;
- Relieve the stress and tension by using some relaxation technique like yoga;
- Work on your gut health;
- Don’t use too many cruciferous vegetables;
- Reduce the amount of chlorine and fluoride in your diet;
- Get rid of amalgam fillings;
- Visit your doctor regularly and follow their advice on thyroid health.