Imbalanced thyroid function, or thyroid
disease, is a common malady for many people in our society. The thyroid
however cannot function by itself. Despite the focus on taking the correct
amount of medicine to make the lab test accurate, the physiology of the body
still puts demands on the other endocrine organs, such as the adrenal
glands, pituitary, pancreas, liver and reproductive organs when the thyroid
is over or under active. If the thyroid gland is under active the other
endocrine organs it is connected to, and receives and sends messages to,
have to compensate for the lack of stimulation which affects their ability
to function. One example is an underactive thyroid that may be affecting the
ovaries or testes. Due to lack of stimulation from the thyroid, the
reproductive organs may not be able to produce or regulate the correct ratio
of progesterone to estrogen, hence sex drive and fertility can become a
problem. Even in the 1930s doctors often gave thyroid medicine to women who
could not conceive or every time they wanted to get pregnant.
The thyroid gland often has to suffer the effects of other glands that have
been overworked or overstimulated, such as the adrenal glands or the liver.
Poor food choices, lack of sleep and too much stress can cause the thyroid
to work harder to produce more hormones if the adrenal glands and liver
become overwhelmed.One of the measures
of thyroid function on lab tests is the TSH, which stands for thyroid
stimulating hormone. This is exactly what the lab result is stating – how
much the thyroid is being stimulated. It doesn’t always measure the function
of the thyroid itself, but rather how the thyroid is being affected by other
organs, specifically the pituitary and hypothalamus.
Specific symptoms of low thyroid function can include swelling in the body
and weight gain (with some of that weight gain being water weight), hair
loss, fertility problems, cold hands and feet, dry skin, constipation,
slowed sensory reactions, depression, slow speech and anemia. An overactive
thyroid can include symptoms such as restlessness, difficulty sleeping,
heart palpitations, tremors, diarrhea and weight loss.
Specific symptoms of low pituitary function include weight gain
(specifically around the abdomen and thighs), excessive urination, sugar
cravings, loss of libido, chronic left-sided headaches, seizures and mental
illness; and there may be a history of shock or trauma that initiated the
symptoms. Hands and skin may be clammy and cold, not dry as in low thyroid
function.
Specific symptoms of low hypothalamus function include intolerance to heat,
addictions, excessive emotional swings and generally low endocrine function
which can include some of the physical symptoms of low thyroid and pituitary
function. The hypothalamus is also part of the brain which processes
information from the rest of the body, such as level of thirst, hunger or
satiation, perceived light, and any and every emotion that the body
experiences.
Hence if the thyroid is overwhelmed, the pituitary and hypothalamus have to
work harder to keep the thyroid stimulated whether it is due to a physical
problem, a strong emotion, or a mental stress. When this occurs, the
function of these glands can also begin to decline. If they are being
affected, it can show up on lab results as a very low TSH reading. The best
way to test thyroid function is to also test the free T4 which gives a
better reading of how the thyroid itself is functioning.
The thyroid function can be suppressed by eating a high consumption of soy
or consuming goitrogens in large quantities, such as raw broccoli,
cauliflower, cabbage, and brussel sprouts. It can be balanced by using
seaweed products on a regular basis, such as dulse and kelp. Also seasalt
with natural iodine will offset the bromines we encounter in our
environment, like chlorine which shuts down the thyroid.
The body naturally wants to create balance between the endocrine glands, but
the endocrine system is extremely sensitive to both our external and
internal environment.
Understanding the varying functions of the thyroid, pituitary and
hypothalamus can help a person better understand their unique physiological
make-up and their response to the environment.
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