Hypothyroidism (Underactive, Low Thyroid)
Hypothyroidism means your thyroid is not making enough thyroid hormone. The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck. It makes hormones that control the way your body uses energy.
Having a low level of thyroid hormone affects your whole body. It can make you feel tired and weak. If hypothyroidism is not treated, it can raise your cholesterol levels and make you more likely to have a heart attick or stroke. During pregnancy, untreated hypothyroidism can harm your baby. Luckily, hypothyroidism is easy to treat.
People of any age can get hypothyroidism, but older adults are more likely to get it. Women age 60 and older have the highest risk. You are more likely to get the disease if it runs in your family.
Wondering If You’re Hypothyroid? Don’t Let A Blood Test Fail You.
Does this scenario sound familiar to you?
Mary: “But doctor, I am so tired all the time, I can’t sleep, I am gaining weight even though I hardly eat anything, I can’t think clearly, my joints ache, my hair is falling out and I just feel awful. Are you sure it’s not my thyroid?”
Doctor: “Mary, your blood test is normal, so there is no way you could have hypothyroidism.”
We hear from people all the time who share with us their hypothyroid symptoms, but are then quick to say that their doctor already checked their thyroid and it is fine. So they are still searching for the cause of their symptoms. This is so frustrating because their doctor has dismissed their hypothyroid symptoms in lieu of one blood test result, the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) test. The doctor totally ignores the patient’s symptoms which are clearly indicative of low thyroid function.
Some people then decide to see an endocrinologist. This will only get the same results, because he is also trained in the conventional mindset. Using the TSH blood test to diagnose hypothyroidism is what he or she was taught in medical school. It is the “gold standard” used by conventional doctors and endocrinologists to diagnose low thyroid function.
If you feel like Mary does, then please do not give up! You could have what is called Type 2 Hypothyroidism, which is extremely common today. This occurs when there is resistance to your thyroid hormones at the cellular level, which is not due to a lack of production of thyroid hormones. This means that your thyroid can be producing enough thyroid hormone, but your cells are not able to use them efficiently, so therefore you still exhibit the signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism.
When your doctor reviews your blood test results, he sees that you are making the sufficient amount of thyroid hormones, so he tells you that you are “normal.” By using this test, the doctor is assuming that your cells are properly utilizing the thyroid hormones – an assumption that should not be made. This is why this TSH blood test fails thousands upon thousands of hypothyroid patients.
Type 1 Hypothyroidism is the failure of the thyroid gland to produce sufficient amounts of thyroid hormones. This type of hypothyroidism can be detected by the TSH blood test. Most people with hypothyroidism have normal thyroid blood tests, because the tests do not detect Type 2 Hypothyroidism. It’s time to scream this message from the mountain tops:
A BLOOD TEST DOES NOT DIAGNOSE TYPE 2 HYPOTHYROIDISM. YOUR SYMPTOMS MUST BE CONSIDERED BY YOUR DOCTOR, NOT IGNORED!
The symptoms of hypothyroidism are often subtle. They are not specific (which means they can mimic the symptoms of many other conditions) and are often attributed to aging. Patients with mild hypothyroidism may have no signs or symptoms. The symptoms generally become more obvious as the condition worsens and the majority of these complaints are related to a metabolic slowing of the body. Common symptoms are listed below:
Fatigue
Depression
Modest weight gain
Cold intolerance
Excessive sleepiness
Dry, coarse hair
Constipation
Dry skin
Muscle cramps
Increased cholesterol levels
Decreased concentration
Vague aches and pains
Swelling of the legs
As the disease becomes more severe, there may be puffiness around the eyes, a slowing of the heart rate, a drop in body temperature, and heart failure. In its most profound form, severe hypothyroidism may lead to a life-threatening coma (myxedema coma). In a severely hypothyroid individual, a myxedema coma tends to be triggered by severe illness, surgery, stress, or traumatic injury. This condition requires hospitalization and immediate treatment with thyroid hormones given by injection.
Properly diagnosed, hypothyroidism can be easily and completely treated with thyroid hormone replacement. On the other hand, untreated hypothyroidism can lead to an enlarged heart (cardiomyopathy), worsening heart failure, and an accumulation of fluid around the lungs.
What's best for you?
If you are concerned that you may have hypothyroidism, you should mention your symptoms to your physician. A simple blood test is the first step in the diagnosis. From there, both you and your doctor can decide what the next steps should be. If treatment is warranted, it is important for you to let your doctor know of any concerns or questions you have about the options available. Remember that thyroid disease is very common and, in good hands, hypothyroidism is easily addressed and treated.
Hypothyroidism means your thyroid is not making enough thyroid hormone. The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck. It makes hormones that control the way your body uses energy.
Having a low level of thyroid hormone affects your whole body. It can make you feel tired and weak. If hypothyroidism is not treated, it can raise your cholesterol levels and make you more likely to have a heart attick or stroke. During pregnancy, untreated hypothyroidism can harm your baby. Luckily, hypothyroidism is easy to treat.
People of any age can get hypothyroidism, but older adults are more likely to get it. Women age 60 and older have the highest risk. You are more likely to get the disease if it runs in your family.
Wondering If You’re Hypothyroid? Don’t Let A Blood Test Fail You.
Does this scenario sound familiar to you?
Mary: “But doctor, I am so tired all the time, I can’t sleep, I am gaining weight even though I hardly eat anything, I can’t think clearly, my joints ache, my hair is falling out and I just feel awful. Are you sure it’s not my thyroid?”
Doctor: “Mary, your blood test is normal, so there is no way you could have hypothyroidism.”
We hear from people all the time who share with us their hypothyroid symptoms, but are then quick to say that their doctor already checked their thyroid and it is fine. So they are still searching for the cause of their symptoms. This is so frustrating because their doctor has dismissed their hypothyroid symptoms in lieu of one blood test result, the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) test. The doctor totally ignores the patient’s symptoms which are clearly indicative of low thyroid function.
Some people then decide to see an endocrinologist. This will only get the same results, because he is also trained in the conventional mindset. Using the TSH blood test to diagnose hypothyroidism is what he or she was taught in medical school. It is the “gold standard” used by conventional doctors and endocrinologists to diagnose low thyroid function.
If you feel like Mary does, then please do not give up! You could have what is called Type 2 Hypothyroidism, which is extremely common today. This occurs when there is resistance to your thyroid hormones at the cellular level, which is not due to a lack of production of thyroid hormones. This means that your thyroid can be producing enough thyroid hormone, but your cells are not able to use them efficiently, so therefore you still exhibit the signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism.
When your doctor reviews your blood test results, he sees that you are making the sufficient amount of thyroid hormones, so he tells you that you are “normal.” By using this test, the doctor is assuming that your cells are properly utilizing the thyroid hormones – an assumption that should not be made. This is why this TSH blood test fails thousands upon thousands of hypothyroid patients.
Type 1 Hypothyroidism is the failure of the thyroid gland to produce sufficient amounts of thyroid hormones. This type of hypothyroidism can be detected by the TSH blood test. Most people with hypothyroidism have normal thyroid blood tests, because the tests do not detect Type 2 Hypothyroidism. It’s time to scream this message from the mountain tops:
A BLOOD TEST DOES NOT DIAGNOSE TYPE 2 HYPOTHYROIDISM. YOUR SYMPTOMS MUST BE CONSIDERED BY YOUR DOCTOR, NOT IGNORED!
The symptoms of hypothyroidism are often subtle. They are not specific (which means they can mimic the symptoms of many other conditions) and are often attributed to aging. Patients with mild hypothyroidism may have no signs or symptoms. The symptoms generally become more obvious as the condition worsens and the majority of these complaints are related to a metabolic slowing of the body. Common symptoms are listed below:
Fatigue
Depression
Modest weight gain
Cold intolerance
Excessive sleepiness
Dry, coarse hair
Constipation
Dry skin
Muscle cramps
Increased cholesterol levels
Decreased concentration
Vague aches and pains
Swelling of the legs
As the disease becomes more severe, there may be puffiness around the eyes, a slowing of the heart rate, a drop in body temperature, and heart failure. In its most profound form, severe hypothyroidism may lead to a life-threatening coma (myxedema coma). In a severely hypothyroid individual, a myxedema coma tends to be triggered by severe illness, surgery, stress, or traumatic injury. This condition requires hospitalization and immediate treatment with thyroid hormones given by injection.
Properly diagnosed, hypothyroidism can be easily and completely treated with thyroid hormone replacement. On the other hand, untreated hypothyroidism can lead to an enlarged heart (cardiomyopathy), worsening heart failure, and an accumulation of fluid around the lungs.
What's best for you?
If you are concerned that you may have hypothyroidism, you should mention your symptoms to your physician. A simple blood test is the first step in the diagnosis. From there, both you and your doctor can decide what the next steps should be. If treatment is warranted, it is important for you to let your doctor know of any concerns or questions you have about the options available. Remember that thyroid disease is very common and, in good hands, hypothyroidism is easily addressed and treated.
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