Thyroid Thursday- The Thyroid

I have talked a lot about thyroid disease
in my last few thyroid posts. I decided today
to get back in the saddle with a post that
is just about the thyroid and what it does
and why it is so important to the entire
functioning of our bodies.


The thyroid is a butterfly shaped gland that
sits on the front of the lower part of our
neck. It is usually flat and you should
not be able feel it on your neck.

The thyroid regulates almost every cell in our bodies!!
How crazy is that? It is responsible for metabolism, 
temperature regulation, weight regulation,heart rate regulation
and energy consumption. So if it controls all of that, you
can see why it is so important for it to work well!


Now we get to the confusing part. There are several hormones
involved in the function of the thyroid and another gland
that helps. First, the hormones involved are TSH, T3 and T4.
The other gland is the Pituitary which is in our brain. 
The Pituitary secretes the TSH(Thyroid Stimulating Hormone)
to stimulate the Thyroid to secrete T3 and T4. T3 and T4 are
different but T4 can convert into T3. And T3 and T4 are
the hormones that assist with metabolism. Clear as mud?


There are several ways this system can be interrupted. First,
the Pituitary may not supply enough TSH and the causes 
Hypothyroidism. Or it may supply too much and that is 
Hyperthyroidism. The Thyroid gland itself may not secrete
enough T3 and/or T4 and that can cause Hypothyroidism and
on the reverse it can secrete too much and cause Hyperthyroidism.


Ready for more confusion? If the Thyroid is not producing 
enough T3 and T4 the Pituitary will secrete more TSH. SO
if you have a TSH test done and it is High that means your
thyroid function is LOW. And vice versa if your Thyroid is 
secreting too much T3 and T4 then the Pituitary will secrete 
less TSH and if your TSH test is low that means your thyroid 
function is High. 


Hopefully this helps if you have had a Thyroid test done
and wondered about the hormones and what it all means. 
Please ask any questions if you need clarification.

Thyroid Thursday- Signs and Symptoms

As stated in my last Thyroid Thursday post, I did not realize

that I was having low thyroid symptoms. Probably for several 

years before I was diagnose I was feeling symptoms but I 

think a lot of people get busy and don't realize something is 

wrong until it is really wrong. Even now I am not the best at

recognizing that my medication dose may be off. 

Physical symptoms:

• Weight gain (due to fluid retention)
• Dry skin
• Yellow skin
• Hair loss, including the eyebrows
• Swollen face, hands, legs, ankles or feet
• Feeling cold
• Aches and pains in muscles or joints
• Hoarse or raspy voice
• Constipation
• Heavy menstrual bleeding or irregular periods
• Fatigue

Looking back I now see that I had several physical

symptoms:  fatigue, constipation, irregular periods

and aches and pain. Did I have dry skin? Well living in 

New Mexico that is pretty much a given so who knows.

I did have times of weight gain due to water retention

but I actually had lost a lot of weight because college

life allowed me to eat really once a day if I felt like it

Cognitive and mood-related symptoms:

• Slower thinking
• Trouble remembering things
• Slower speech or movement
• Feeling down or depressed

I normally struggle with the feeling down and depressed.

I have read that people with Hypothyroidism often

struggle with feeling unmotivated and this is often true

for me. Also my endocrinologist will ask me when my 

medication dose is too high if I am feeling anxiety.

I tell him I have 2 children and I work nights and I am 

often sleep deprived and yes I often have anxiety. But

who knows which one it is from.

Symptoms you might not be aware of:

• Enlarged thyroid gland (your doctor can check for this during an exam)
• Changes in cholesterol
• Slow heart rate 
• Infertility

My thyroid is enlarged and that is how my CNFP initially

found that something was up. Other wise these are

not things I deal with. I have my cholesterol checked 

because this can be an issue for people with Hypothyroidism.

Also I have read many times that women who are having

difficulty conceiving or carrying a pregnancy for any 

length of time will find that they have a low thyroid.

I will discuss in more depth in another blog about 

Hypothyroidism and pregnancy. But it is vitally important

if you have a low thyroid and are pregnant to have your

levels checked often. 

Research I have read says to keep in mind that even if

you have any of these symptoms it does not mean that

you do have Hypothyroidism. AND people can have it

and not have any signs and symptoms. So this is why

getting a yearly check up is important. We come from

a thought process that if it is not broke don't fix it.

But we need to change this lifestyle and be proactive

about our health.