Thyroid Testing
A comprehensive thyroid panel is included in all my clinic packages.
Thyroid Testing
A comprehensive thyroid panel is included in all my clinic packages.
Shaped rather like a butterfly and sitting over our Adam’s apple, the thyroid gland is a regulator of our body. The thyroid is very sensitive to any changes in our body and responds to ensure that our body isn’t running too fast or too slow.
While thyroid health and optimal function is important for everyone, men and women, I believe it’s vital to check thyroid function in postmenopausal women as the symptoms experienced during peri menopause and menopause are similar to suboptimal thyroid function. Unfortunately, this can lead to the thyroid being overlooked.
Here is a list of just some of the symptoms that can be experienced:
Cold hands and feet
Dry skin
Slow wound healing
Constipation
depression
Night sweats
Insomnia
Dry brittle hair and nails
Lose of outer 1/3 of eyebrows
Cramps in muscles (while resting)
Weight gain/loss
Fatigue
Palpitations
Cold hands and feet
Dry brittle hair and nails
Dry skin
Lose of outer 1/3 of eyebrows
Slow wound healing
Cramps in muscles (while resting)
Constipation
Weight gain/loss
depression
Fatigue
Night sweats
Palpitations
Insomnia
You can see how easy it could be to attribute these symptoms to menopause and to be told that it’s ‘just what you can expect at your age’.
If you are suffering with any of these symptoms and want help to feel better and explore the root causes click to book a DISCOVERY CALL.
Key facts
If you take a look at the diagram below, you can see that the thyroid hormone production is a complex pathway and is not just an on/off switch.
There are numerous steps in the pathway and an imbalance or poorly functioning step on this pathway can lead to less than optimal thyroid function.
The thyroid produces 2 hormones: T4 and T3. About 94% is produced as T4 with the remaining being T3.
T4 has to be converted to T3 before it can be used by your body.
Not all the T4 produced by the thyroid gland is converted to T3. About 60% is converted to T3, 20% is converted to rT3. The remaining 20% is converted to other forms of T3 that can converted to a useful T3 form in the gut, but only if there is a healthy and balanced gut microbiome.
Most of the conversion of T4 to T3 takes place in the liver with some conversion also taking place in muscle, heart and nerve cells.
My lab results are all normal but I still feel awful
Clients will often come to clinic and tell me that their thyroid has been checked by the doctor. They email me results that provide TSH and T4 values. This doesn’t give the whole picture. It just provides a small window into thyroid function.
If TSH is high it is sometimes assumed that the thyroid gland isn’t working properly, and medications can be prescribed. However, I believe it’s important to zoom out and check the other areas in the pathway with the correct nutrients, check blood sugar balance and look to manage stress. It’s also vital to check antibody levels to assess whether auto immunity is causing the imbalance (Hashimoto’s or Graves).
Why is thyroid function so important?
The thyroid is often described as acting like an accelerator or brake pedal – speeding up or slowing down biological processes within our bodies. It impacts every system within the body. Here are just a few examples:
Bone Health
The thyroid gland also produces a hormone called calcitonin. This is a calcium regulating hormone. A sub optimally functioning thyroid gland results improper or not fully formed ends of long bones (eg femur and ulna).
Digestion
Reduced thyroid function can cause constipation. This is because the passage of food through the digestive tract can slow down. This can then lead to increased risk of gut infections, resulting in increased inflammation, reduced nutrient absorption and a higher chance of developing food intolerances.
Under functioning thyroid also results in reduced production of stomach acid. Stomach acid is essential for the optimal digestion of protein and to kill off any potential pathogens or parasites in our food. Furthermore, stomach acid also stimulates the gallbladder and pancreas in perform their roles in the digestion process.
Metabolism and fat burning
Low thyroid function impacts our ability to lose weight, by slowing down our metabolism and fat burning. This reduced fat burning ability can also lead to raised triglycerides and LDL cholesterol, so it’s important to check Thyroid function if cholesterol levels are a concern.
Blood sugar balance
Low thyroid function results in a slower absorption and utilisation of glucose. This can result in the feeling of brain fog as the brain is a big consumer of glucose.