Hypothyroid Problems: A New Year, A New Approach

How many people do you know that make a New Years Resolution to lose weight, get healthier and get happier? Whatever that number was, there is a good chance that a similar amount of people have failed to reach those goals.

Many people with hypothyroid problems struggle with these goals. Many more people that are either pre-hypothyroid or undiagnosed hypothyroid struggle as well.

Look good, feel good and be healthy. Why is that such a tall order? What are we doing wrong?

I propose the following solution...not the solution to your hypothyroid problems (way too many factors for one post), but the solution to how you go about addressing your hypothyroid problems: take a history lesson.

100 years ago, if someone had hypothyroid problems, it was as obvious as looking at their neck. Gross iodine deficiency was the main cause of thyroid problems (while subtle iodine deficiency is one of the leading causes of subclinical hypothyroidism today) and caused goiters. Thyroid cancers, congenital malformations and neck trauma still existed, but not nearly as prominent as iodine deficiency.

Iodine deficiency and hypothyroid problems are still a problems of today, but there are new problems that have helped propel hypothyroid problems to all new levels. Toxicity, allergens, chronic stress, nutrient depleted food, sedentary lifestyles, hormone mimicry, synthetic medications, compromised detoxification and distressed immune systems are all modern day problems at significantly high levels.

These are all things that are from our environment that are either new to our planet, or at much greater levels than ever before.

If we make the right changes, add what's needed, take out what's killing us and develop healthier habits, we can address hypothyroid problems for what they really are: symptoms of poor lifestyle. In case I didn't make that clear, most thyroid problems are symptoms, not the core problem.

Addressing symptoms can sometimes mask the problems, do nothing at all or even make matters worse.

Addressing the problems is a much better approach to addressing hypothyroid problems. In the past, that solution was to give more iodine to the iodine deficient person. Today the problem can stem from multiple causes, all of which need to be addressed.

So here is the take some point: your thyroid will only work when it is healthy enough to do so. Make health your priority instead of being free of disease.

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Low Thyroid Conditions and Bacterial Overgrowth: The Chicken or the Egg?

Constipation, bloating, flatulence and stomach aches are all symptoms of thyroid conditions. Low thyroid conditions are thought to bring on these symptoms (which is true in some cases). I think we should look at this occurrence a little different.

If we see low thyroid conditions as stemming from low thyroid itself, the easy answer would to be give more thyroid hormone. Case closed, see you in 3 months for more blood work. Right?

But what if the stomach problems were causing the low thyroid conditions?

Well, a recent study (Lauritano et al., 2007) demonstrated that bacterial overgrowth was present in over 50% of their subjects compared to 5% of the group without thyroid conditions. Their low thyroid conditions improved when the bacterial overgrowth was addressed as opposed to the thyroid gland or thyroid hormones.

This would point to the possibility that addressing other problematic areas (in this case the bacterial overgrowth) besides the thyroid or thyroid hormones can lead to successful treatment in those with low thyroid conditions.

The study went on to say that though there was positive changes noted by the subjects, the lab work did not significantly change. Please check out this post I wrote about how normal TSH does not mean you are not low thyroid functionally.

But didn't I also say that the low thyroid can cause bacterial overgrowth too? That would mean that bacterial overgrowth can cause low thyroid conditions and vica versa.

Sorry. Thyroid conditions are not cut and dry (like you didn't already know that, right?).

So I hope this post has you scratching your head a little. Maybe even pondering questions like: what is the cause of my low thyroid condition (like bacterial overgrowth), is my thyroid condition causing other problems (like bacterial overgrowth) or are my symptoms from low thyroid or from another condition or both?

Keep asking yourself these types of questions and you will become that much closer to solving your low thyroid condition.

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Thyroid Conditions From an Alternative Perspective

There is a lot of information out on the web and in books dealing with thyroid conditions. Most of the publications available are from a medical perspective.

The diagnosis is made by finding and naming blatant pathology. The course of action is usually aggressive medication or surgery.

Here is a link to one thyroid blog that I have been impressed with that goes into detail from this perspective. This thyroid blog is run from a medical endocrinologist and gives very detailed descriptions of cases he has seen and how he handled it.

While this is the right course of action for some, others would benefit from more natural means.

This thyroid blog is dedicated to those with pathology that are looking to help themselves with alternative treatment for thyroid conditions, as well as those that don't have pathology, but rather interruption of normal physiology (the way the body should work).

Alternative treatment for thyroid conditions are very safe and effective. It would be a hard argument for anyone to say that lifestyle does not influence your thyroid condition. Some find alternative treatments sufficient to control their thyroid conditions, while others need to make the changes to work as a powerful adjunct to medical intervention.

I hope that this thyroid blog and other related material will help better equip you with the knowledge to implement alternative treatment for thyroid conditions to make changes in your life for the better.

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Did Santa Bring Me Hypothyroidism This Year?

Have you ever heard the holiday story of low thyroid hormone? The story is slightly different depending on who is telling it, but it goes something like this:

You intentionally did not stuff yourself this holiday season, yet you still gained weight.

You can afford to buy all your holiday gifts because of a great bonus, yet you still feel depressed.

You rub Ben Gay all over your hands and knees, but your joint still hurt.

As you scratch your head and wonder why, your body is screaming out to you for some much needed attention. If your body language could speak, it would be saying "I have low thyroid hormone...HELP!"

But why is low thyroid hormone commonly a holiday treat?

Unless you are living somewhere near the equator, it gets cold during the holiday seasons. Your body responds by doing what it needs to stay warm.

One way your body accomplishes this is by cranking up your metabolism. Thyroid hormone is what revs up your body's engine.

If you are one of millions that is gradually developing hypothyroidism, symptoms of low thyroid hormone may not pop up till a time when it is really needed, like winter.

Your body sees 2 options, either freeze to death or use more thyroid hormone to increase your body temperature. If you are already at low levels of thyroid hormone, other areas that use thyroid hormone may begin to suffer.

You may have had low thyroid problems for quite some time, but it is only now being fully recognized. You too can then tell of your story about why you feel fat, fatigued, depressed with achy joints all winter long, or tell them how you used to feel like that till you addressed your hypothyroidism.

technorati tags: hypothyroidism low thyroid hormone

Underactive Thyroid: How Many Symptoms of Thyroid Problems Do You Have?

While an underactive thyroid is not known to end your life, it is known make your life seem slow. Thyroid hormone gives every cell in your body that extra little umph when needed. When you have low thyroid hormone, that lack of extra umph makes those cells under perform.

Symptoms of thyroid problems can be seen from head to toe. Some people with low thyroid hormone have cold feet as a symptom, while others with an underactive thyroid have thin, straw-like hair.

So here is a short version of my checklist to see if you have symptoms of thyroid problems:

1. Always feeling cold, or may need extra cloths to stay warm
2. Thinning hair, balding or straw-like hair
3. Aching in muscles and joints that had no physical trauma to explain it
4. Eating a reasonable amount of calories, but still gain weight or can't lose weight
5. Feelings of depression or anxiety
6. Mental sluggishness or brain fog
7. Chronic problems with infection, like a sinus infection, vaginal infection or ear infection
8. Muscle weakness, especially in the back, hips and shoulders
9. Feeling fatigued, tired or exhausted even without doing physical exercise
10. Soreness in throat or neck
11. Constipation or decreased bowel function
12. Infertility, miscarriages and low libido or sex drive
13. High cholesterol, heart flutters or low or high blood pressure
14. Poor digestion or heart burn
15. Increase in water weight or water retention
16. History of some other autoimmune disorder
17. Family history of thyroid problems
18. Family history of autoimmune disorders

If you have 3 or more of the above, you may be one of the millions who suffer from an underactive thyroid.

If you continue reading pages in this thyroid blog, you will see that symptoms of thyroid problems are just as or even more important in diagnosing low thyroid hormone than thyroid lab analysis. Check out this post on how testing thyroid hormone levels can be very inaccurate.

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Underactive Thyroid and Depression - Missing This Diagnosis is Just Sad

It is well established that an underactive thyroid can cause depression. In a 1993 study entitled Subclinical hypothyroidism: a modifiable risk factor for depression?, the authors reported a significantly higher lifetime frequency of depression if subclinical hypothyroidism is present compared to those without subclinical hypothyroidism (56% compared to 20%).

In a previous post about how a low thyroid can make you feel depressed, I wrote about possible causes of the depression.

So if it is so well understood that an underactive thyroid can cause depression, why are so many doctors missing it and so many people not sticking up for themselves when they know something is not right?

First, it is not always easy to pinpoint an underactive thyroid. While there is usually some other clues that point to an underactive thyroid (family history, stubborn weight gain, thinning hair, etc.), it is not always the case.

Second, very dated information still is erroneously used. For instance, a doctor that excludes an underactive thyroid as a diagnosis because they do not live in the goiter belt will miss tons of underactive thyroid problems in his/her office.

Third, many rely on lab test as gospel. These lab test mean very little when they are interpreted without comparing the results to the individual (as this study on subclinical hypothyroidism demonstrated).

Lastly, depression is easy for a doctor. "Take these and come back in 3 months." No need to dig further or spend much time with the patient. It's an easy buck.

In cases of depression, an underactive thyroid should be considered till proven otherwise. Missing this diagnosis is just...well sad.

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Hypothyroidism and Water Weight...What's the Link?

In my last post about hypothyroidism and water weight, I showed how retaining water can cause health problems. I think that those looking to really understand what is going on with their hypothyroidism want to know "Why?"

In a lot of cases, if you know "Why," then you know how to manage it.

So here we go...

First, people with hypothyroidism have problems polymerizing certain tissue structures into usable glycoproteins.

Translation: Your body makes different types of connective tissue by combining short strands into longer ones. People with hypothyroidism have problems doing this. You end up with more of these smaller strands that aren't linked together.

Theses smaller strands have a greater cumulative hydrophilic (water loving) charge, so they attract more water.

End result is an increase water weight.

Secondly, some people with hypothyroidism have problems with both allergens and toxic metals (which can be the actual reason for the hypothyroidism). These pollutant can really cause havoc in multiple areas in the body, including the thyroid.

Your body can handle a small amount of these toxins, but struggles when the amount gets past its breaking point. Your body needs to do something to defend against these toxins.

Your body's solution to pollution is dilution.

Let's say you had very tart lemonade, what would you do? Add water.

Your body does the same thing, by adding water (retaining water) to try to lower the effects of the toxins (it dilutes it).

End result is an increase in water weight.


So there are 2 reasons for retaining water in people with hypothyroidism. One cause of water weight is due to a shift in elcertochemical charge, and the other is a defense mechanism of the body.

(And yes, both can happen in the same person)

technorati tags: diagnosed with hypothyroidism water weight retaining water