It is estimated that 200 million people in the world have some form of thyroid disease. In Canada there is a staggering number of people affected. Recent studies indicate that 1 in 10 Canadians suffer from a thyroid condition of one type or another! Of those, as many as 50% are undiagnosed!

 

While the thyroid gland's primary function is to produce thyroid hormones, which regulate your metabolism, among other vital body functions like body temperature, muscle strength, menstrual cycle and more, not many people are actually aware of its importance.  Your thyroid is essential to your energy production, mental focus as well as cognitive function, as research shows that lowered thyroid function can cause decreased memory, depression as well as general mental slowing down. 

 

So in this article I will be discuss

  1. What is thyroid? 

  2. Why is having optimal thyroid function crucial to your health?

  3. Causes of Thyroid Imbalance

  4. Symptoms of Thyroid Imbalance

  5. How To Heal Your Thyroid? - Masterclass

 

What is Thyroid?

 

 

The thyroid is a butterfly shaped gland that is located in the front of the neck and wrapped around your trachea, or windpipe. 

 

It is one of the endocrine glands in the human body that secretes the thyroid hormones-Triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) which help control many vital functions of your body like metabolism, heart rate, heat production, development (especially brain development in fetal and postnatal life. It is also important for maintaining normal sexual function, fertility, sleep as well as thought patterns.

 

It also produces calcitonin, a hormone which plays an important role in calcium and phosphorus metabolism that is essential for the health or your bones.

 

Why is having an optimal thyroid function crucial to your health?

Your thyroid is not just any other gland, but one of the most important parts of your endocrine system. 

 

When the thyroid gland goes off balance due to either producing too much thyroid hormone or too little thyroid hormone, it can pose significant problems to people by impairing the quality of life, impact physical and mental health, sexuality and fertility and can also become life threatening.

 

The conditions related to the thyroid gland are more common than you think, about 200 million people worldwide suffer from thyroid disease of which almost half are undiagnosed and of the 50% that are diagnosed, they still continue to suffer with various symptoms of thyroid malfunction due to persistence of the root cause.

What causes thyroid issues?


To understand the causes of thyroid disorders, we must first understand the 2 main types of functional disorders of the thyroid gland.

 

  1. When the thyroid isn’t producing enough hormone, that’s called hypothyroidism. 

 

  1. An overactive thyroid causes hyperthyroidism or thyrotoxicosis. 



Causes of Hypothyroidism

 

  1. Nutritional deficiency of iodine, which is the key mineral that is necessary for the synthesis of thyroid hormones.

  2. Autoimmune condition - Hashimoto's thyroiditis can cause hypothyroidism by making your own body attack and destroy the thyroid gland, which halts hormone production.

  3. Prescription drugs like lithium can cause hypothyroidism

  4. Thyroiditis or inflammation of thyroid gland can result in your thyroid gland being unable to produce thyroid hormones and cause hypothyroidism.

  5. Surgical removal of thyroid gland to treat thyroid cancer or chemical destruction of thyroid gland with radioactive iodine which is a treatment for hyperthyroidism can result in hypothyroidism.

 

Causes of Hyperthyroidism 

  1. Excess of iodine can cause Hyperthyroidism. Certain cold and sinus medicines, amiodarone (prescription drug used for heart conditions), contrast dyes, supplementing with iodine/ kelp drops  etc can give you too much iodine. 

  2. Graves disease is the autoimmune condition where there is overstimulation of the thyroid gland resulting in overproduction of thyroid hormones. 

  3. Thyroid nodules can create hyperthyroidism by overproduction of thyroid hormones.

  4. Thyroiditis - Inflammation of the thyroid gland can cause the gland to leak excess thyroid hormones.

  5. Certain tumors of the thyroid or pituitary gland can cause hyperthyroidism.

 

We have seen above that thyroiditis or inflammation of the thyroid gland can create both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, this is because the thyroid is a very sensitive gland. 

 

The Standard American Diet today is full of fried foods, processed meats, refined sugars which can create a low grade inflammation in the body that can end up affecting the normal functioning of your thyroid gland.

 

 

What are the symptoms of Thyroid Disorders?



 

If you struggle with hypothyroidism, due to lowered production of thyroid hormones  you could have signs and symptoms like

  • extreme fatigue

  • being sensitive to cold

  • weight gain or inability to lose weight

  • constipation 

  • depression

  • muscle weakness

  • muscle cramps

  • dry and scaly skin

  • brittle hair and nails

  • loss of libido

  • pain, numbness and a tingling sensation in the hand and fingers - carpal tunnel syndrome

  • irregular periods

  • heavy periods

Untreated advanced hypothyroidism can result in

  • a low-pitched and hoarse voice

  • a puffy-looking face

  • thinned or partly missing eyebrows

  • a slow heart rate

  • hearing issues

  • anemia

An overactive thyroid causes hyperthyroidism or thyrotoxicosis due to overproduction of hormones. This leads to a variety of symptoms like

  • nervousness, anxiety and irritability

  • mood swings

  • insomnia

  • persistent tiredness and weakness

  • sensitivity to heat

  • swelling in your neck from an enlarged thyroid gland

  • an irregular and/or unusually fast heart rate - palpitations

  • muscle twitching 

  • rapid weight loss

How to Heal Your Thyroid - Masterclass

 


In my clinical practice I often see 2 categories of people based in relation to thyroid issues

  1. People who have been diagnosed with thyroid conditions like hypothyroidism and take medications like thyroxine and yet fail to see much relief in their symptoms. These are the people who still struggle with inability to lose weight, extreme fatigue, digestive and fertility issues and often on further investigations we discover that it is their thyroid function is not corrected even though they are ‘on the medication’ 

  2. The second category is people especially women who are overweight/ obese, tired, exhausted who keep blaming themselves they are lazy or chronic procrastinators or lack self control. These women also struggle with brain fog, low mental focus and depression.

And that is the reason why I am hosting a FREE MASTERCLASS FOR YOU

 

 'How Healthy Is Your Thyroid???' on Friday July 23rd at 10 am EDT | 7 am PDT | 3 pm BST | 7.30 am IST

In This Free Live Training I will teach you

1. How to identify the 10 Hallmark Signs of Thyroid Imbalance that are costing you your Physical, Mental and Emotional Health

2. Two Easy 'Home Tests' to Self Assess Your Thyroid Function

3. 5 Common Foods 'So Called Health Foods' That Interfere With Thyroid Function

So are you ready to join me for 'How Healthy Is Your Thyroid???' 

 

Are you struggling with any of the above thyroid related conditions/ symptoms and need one-one support to heal your thyroid gland?

Book Your Free 15 min consultation, click on the link below