Hypothyroidism
Diagnosis
Are you the person in the office who's always freezing, even while everyone else thinks it totally fine? If perpetually bundling up at work is part of your everyday routine, and you also feel achy, run down, or depressed, you might be dealing with hypothyroidism. If you have this condition, it means that your thyroid gland isn’t able to produce enough of the 2 thyroid hormones it puts out. Your thyroid's #1 job is basically to run your metabolism, and when that little gland gets messed up, it can really throw a wrench into everything. A thyroid hormone deficiency is more than a nuisance; it can disrupt your heart rate and body temperature and also cause fatigue, cold sensitivity, constipation, dry skin, and unexplained weight gain. Some of these symptoms are common with other conditions, so you can see why diagnosing a thyroid issue might get a little complicated! That’s where a trusted practitioner who is expert in thyroid disorders comes in. If you are dealing with hypothyroidism, you might also have Hashimoto's disease. This autoimmune condition is the most common cause of an underactive thyroid. In Hashimoto’s, the immune system attacks your thyroid gland and causes chronic thyroid inflammation, which can lower thyroid function. If you have autoimmune thyroid disease, just to complicate things further, sometimes you might start out with symptoms of one—usually hyper—and later on have symptoms of the other. As with hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism can be diagnosed via blood tests. Some people with hypothyroidism use thyroid hormone replacement therapy to feel better, but there are other ways to help manage this condition. Your practitioner should make sure you aren't deficient in certain nutrients, including selenium and iron, and help you navigate the options. Supplements, such as B12, selenium, and zinc, or herbs like ashwaganda, for example, may help directly or indirectly support thyroid function. Fortunately, thyroid diseases are typically very treatable—words we love to hear, right?
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