Mom Fatigue

What Does My Thyroid Do?

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in the front of the neck. This heavy lifting gland produces major hormones that influence almost all metabolic processes in your body while also regulating body energy, body temperature, the body’s use of other hormones and vitamins, as well as the growth and development of body tissues. Yeah, so protecting yourself from thyroid disease is kind of important.

Unfortunately, over 60% of all thyroid disease goes undiagnosed during normal testing and 300 million people worldwide (mostly women) will develop a thyroid dysfunction and half won’t even know it according to Thyroid Federation International.

As if mom’s don’t have enough to worry about without throwing thyroid disease in the mix. Running yourself ragged clinging to energy like a life preserver is the norm for most moms and it seriously affects their health. Sure, a lot of times it’s due to stress spidering throughout our lives attacking our sleep and nutrition, but feelings of depression and anxiety aren’t anything to scoff at.

Could it be your thyroid? Absolutely. Thyroid disfunction can seriously affect your energy levels, mood, weight, and even lead to depression so there’s that plus your abundant duties of raising your family on top of trying to take care of yourself. Moms always seem to sacrifice for her family even at the risk of her own health sad to say, so we’re here to say no more, Mom!

 

What Causes Thyroid Disease?

Diseases and other conditions of the thyroid gland result from production of too much or too little thyroid hormones, thyroid nodes or goiter.

HYPERthyroidism
Too much production of thyroid hormones results in a condition called  which can speed up your metabolism causing drastic weight loss as well as heart issues.

HYPOthyroidism
In contrast, this is a result of not enough of the thyroid hormones leading to a serious drop energy levels. This particular condition is significantly dangerous for newborns and infants leading to possible developmental problems such as mental retardation and stunted growth.

Goiter
These serious conditions can lead to an enlarged thyroid that you can literally feel in your throat. A goiter may be a temporary problem that will remedy itself over time without medical intervention, or a symptom of another, possibly severe, thyroid condition that requires medical attention.

 

Symptoms Of Thyroid Disease 

These typically develop slowly over a period of weeks to months and not seeking help can lead to severe levels of these conditions which can be life-threatening because of its effects on the heart, brain, and even intestines. The enlarged thyroid can also put pressure on the surrounding normal structures in the neck including the esophagus, trachea, and the blood vessels that bring blood to and from the head.

Seek immediate medical help if you have these signs and symptoms associated with thyroid problems:

  • Chest pain
  • Shortness of breath
  • Difficulty breathing and swallowing
  • Sudden enlargement of the thyroid gland
  • Extreme pain in the thyroid gland
  • Abdominal pain
  • Vomiting
  • Dizziness
  • Coma
  • Disorientation
  • Fever
  • Extreme irritability

These symptoms are serious business and it’s been sad to hear that women have sought help only to be given antidepressants which possibly subside the symptoms for a minute, but the underlying cause is still at large having gone overlooked by doctors.

Come see us at Advanced Health where our in-depth thyroid panels can uncover deficiencies not previously discovered by primary MDs. Let’s get you back to living life to its fullest!