Thyroid Health

Hashimoto’s and hypothyroidism are one of the most common and most taxing autoimmune disorders

that women face that is often under diagnosed and under treated.

Do you have Hashimoto’s or hypothyroidism? Do you know the signs?

Signs that you may have a thyroid condition are brain fog, fatigue, weight gain, irregular menses, joint pain, hair loss, mood swings, constipation, cold intolerance, fluid retention and much more.

It is believe that 90-97% of those diagnosed with hypothyrodism have Hashimoto’s! So let’s take a closer look at this autoimmune condition.

Women are at the greatest risk for Hashimoto’s. It is most prevalent in women between 20-60 years of age. Furthermore, women are 8 times more likely to develop autoimmune thyroid disease than men. Statistically speaking, one in every 8 women will develop a thyroid condition at some point in her life! Given that this condition is frequently misdiagnosed, these numbers are likely far higher than even estimated.

What Causes Hashimoto’s?

The exact mechanisms are not understood. It is believed by many autoimmune specialists that infections, toxins, stress, genetics, diet, gluten intolerance, and environmental triggers (especially exposure to endocrine system disrupting toxins) are a factor in the development of autoimmune thyroid disease.

Female sex hormones (such as estrogen) also play a role in thyroid disease; as thyroid dysfunction is most common during times of significant hormonal shifts (pregnancy, postpartum, menopause or use of synthetic hormones). Other risk factors can include a family history of the disease. Five of my eight sisters all have a thyroid condition, including myself. You may also be at risk if you have another autoimmune condition, have had surgery or radiotherapy affecting your thyroid, nutrient deficiencies, exposure to radiation or environmental toxins.

There are many factors that can impact your thyroid health.

Factors that Affect Thyroid Function

There are 5 additional factors that can impact how well you produce and utilize thyroid hormone. Each of these factors can influence the release of thyroid stimulating hormone, the production of T4 and T3, the conversion of the Free T4 to the more active Free T3 and how sensitive your cells are to receiving and utilizing the thyroid hormone. It is important to note that thyroid hormone is on virtually every cell in your body. Therefore it can significantly impact so many functions of the body.

In order to produce adequate amounts of thyroid hormone you must be getting adequate amounts of iron, iodine, tyrosine, zinc, selenium, and vitamins E, B2, B3, B6, C, and D in your diet. However if you have trouble breaking down and absorbing these nutrients, you can still be deficient in spite of a healthy diet. Your gut health is a big factor here.

It is important that you have adequate amounts of selenium and zinc as these two important minerals help with the conversion of the T4 to T3.

Other factors that can inhibit proper production of thyroid hormone are stress, infection, trauma, fluoride, and heavy metals. Many of these factors can also cause an increase of the conversion of T4 to the inactive Reverse T3. We need some Reverse T3 and this is the brakes where Free T3 is the gas peddle.

The other factor that can impact the thyroid is how sensitive your cells are to receiving the thyroid hormone. To improve your cells sensitive to the hormone requires adequate amounts of vitamin A and zinc along with regular exercise.

Your thyroid health is very important to your overall health. So many women feel frustrated and feel their concerns about their thyroid health are not taken seriously. Your symptoms are real and it is not all in your head as you may have been lead to believe.

It IS possible for you to feel normal again given the right tests and looking for root cause roadblocks that are affecting your thyroid function.

Don’t spend another ounce of energy being frustrated and feeling hopeless and that no one is listening. I am listening and I care about you feeling better. If you are ready to end the suffering and reclaim your thyroid health, let me help you. There are two ways you can get started. You can schedule a one-on-one consultation and/or with my DIY Revitalize Your Thyroid Program.