Is Your Thyroid Ruining Your Life?

Our thyroid gland. Something we all have that is an essential part of our life, growth and development, but that most of us know very little about. It sits in our necks like a little bowtie wrapped around our windpipe and secretes its hormones directly into our bloodstream. These hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) are produced by cells in the thyroid gland, with there being much more T4 produced than T3. However, T3 is the primary active hormone and the body converts most of its T4 stash into T3 via the liver and some body tissue.

These hormones are like little messengers for our body, delivering instructions to various organs and tissue via our bloodstream. The cells within these organs and tissue then respond by speeding up or slowing down their activities depending on the instructions given by the thyroid hormones.  Overall the thyroid gland is responsible for the speed of our bodies metabolic and chemical processes (metabolism) by affecting every cell, tissue, organ and organ system.

Thyroid affects our appetite, body temperature and circulation, muscle tone and agility, cardiac rate, energy levels, blood sugar levels, growth and skeletal development, fluid balance, bowel function, blood cholesterol levels and the regulation of body fat, central nervous system function, and the regulation of the metabolism of fat, carbohydrates and protein in all cells.  So obviously if your thyroid gland isn’t working properly it can have a significant impact on the health and welfare of so many different parts of your body.

The thyroid gland and its level of hormone production are controlled by the pituitary gland at the base of the brain. It does this by secreting TSH or thyroid stimulating hormone in a complicated balancing act that can unfortunately sometimes go wrong. This is called a thyroid disorder.

There are two types of thyroid disorder. They can be hard to diagnose so if you believe you may be suffering with a thyroid condition, you should ask your GP specifically for a thyroid function test.  As many of the symptoms experienced by thyroid disorder sufferers can be evident in many other conditions such as chronic fatigue, stress disorders, even depression, it is important to be properly tested so you can be properly treated.

Hyperthyroidism or overactive thyroid is when your thyroid gland overproduces its hormones, the most common cause of this is an autoimmune condition called Graves Disease. The body of a person with Graves Disease produces antibodies which behave like TSH and stimulate the thyroid gland uncontrollably causing it to massively overproduce. Symptoms are greatly varied between patients but commonly can include:

• Palpitations, fast pulse, irregular heartbeat or shortness of breath
• Heat Intolerance, hot flushes and increased sweating
• Anxiety, nervousness, irritability, restlessness and insomnia
• Fatigue, exhaustion, lack of energy, depression and mood swings
• Increased or decreased appetite, diarrhoea or unexplained weight loss
• Menstrual cycle disturbances and infertility
• Thin, moist skin, soft thinning hair and muscle weakness
• Eye complaints, especially gritty or bulging eyes

Hypothyroidism or underactive thyroid is when your thyroid gland under produces its hormones, the most common cause of this is an autoimmune condition Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. With this disease, white blood cells attack the tissue of the thyroid gland, causing the immune system to produce antibodies which interfere with the production of T3 and T4. Symptoms are greatly varied between patients but commonly can include

• Weight gain, high cholesterol and fluid retention
• Feeling cold even on warm days and a low basal temperature all the time
• Fatigue, exhaustion, low energy, sluggishness, indecisiveness and brain fog
• Brittle hair and nails, hair loss, severe dry cracked skin, thick, coarse skin
• Slow reflexes, muscle weakness, painful, stiff joints,
• Menstrual cycle irregularities and infertility
• Depression, mood swings and severe PMS

In much rarer cases, thyroid dysfunction is caused at a cellular level and results in the cells of the body being unable to respond to or utilise thyroid hormones correctly. Sometimes the conversion of T4 into T3 within the cells can be hindered, resulting in a build-up of T4 and a starvation of T3. Another uncommon cause of thyroid issues is a pituitary gland malfunction that produces too much or too little TSH.

Thyroid conditions can be very hard to cope with while still undiagnosed and once recognised the road to full recovery can be long, with mediations, therapy and frequents visits to your doctor. However suffering in silence, as many mums do is not ok and if you know something is not right with you, always seek medical advice. After all your road to recovery cannot start until you take the first step.

Do you or anyone you know have a thyroid condition, how long did you or they wait before seeing a doctor and is the condition no under control? How has control of the condition changed your life?

http://www.thyroid.org.au

If you become concerned about your or anyone else’s health please seek immediate medical attention or go to our health hotlines and website post for further resources  https://www.stayathomemum.com.au/my-kids/babies/important-hotlines-websites/ 

SAHM takes no responsibility for any illness, injury or death caused by misuse of this information.  All information provided is correct at time of publication.