Thyroid Function

The thyroid gland is one of the main regulators in the body. From temperature, and metabolism, to sleep and mood, your thyroid is heavily involved in the intricate ebs and flows of all your hormones. You can think about your thyroid like your battery. When the thyroid is off, total body functioning is suboptimal, leaving you less vital energy for which to fight illness and maintain proper metabolism.

Dysregulation of the thyroid causes female hormonal complaints, fatigue, infertility, anxiety and depression, lipid dysregulation, hyper and hypoglycemia, and problems with digestion and absorption of nutrients. Hair and skin health can be disrupted as well.

Under functioning thyroid is the most common form of thyroid disorder. Some symptoms of under functioning thyroid are fatigue, weight gain, hair loss, dry skin, constipation, and poor circulation (cold fingers and toes).  Thyroid problems can also significantly interfere with achieving consistent weight loss.

Testing the thyroid at your doctor’s office is a great first step. I always include at least three thyroid tests when I test the thyroid: TSH, Free T3, and Free T4. In many doctor’s offices, only the TSH is ordered but these other two tests can give a much greater insight into true thyroid function. If any of these values are off, adjusting or beginning thyroid medication can offer significant relief in symptoms. Ask your doctor about testing thyroid if you have any of the above listed symptoms.