THYROID HEALTH
Common Thyroid Related Conditions
Hormones produced by the thyroid gland are involved in regulating heart rate, body temperature, blood pressure, and weight. Thyroid hormones can also increase energy, help food move through the gastrointestinal tract and increase perspiration. Given their broad effects, deficiencies of thyroid hormone can cause, or contribute to, a number of health conditions including:
Depression: Low thyroid function reduces the effect of serotonin in the brain, and low serotonin is associated with depression. Correcting underlying thyroid imbalance may improve or, in some cases, even eliminate symptoms of depression.
Fatigue: Severe tiredness and exhaustion can be symptoms of low thyroid function. These may also be signs of poor adrenal function, so meet with Dr. Gansner to decide whether a thyroid or an adrenal function test is best for you.
Feeling cold: Because thyroid hormone is needed to get the body’s ‘furnace’ working, low thyroid function often results in low body temperature. In fact, monitoring body temperature is another way to assess thyroid function. Patients with consistently cold hands and feet may have a poorly functioning thyroid.
Arthritis and muscle cramps: Low levels of thyroid hormone can cause general muscle weakness, cramps, joint pain and tendonitis. Most cases of joint pain related to hypothyroidism involve knees and hands.
Headaches: The headaches associated with hypothyroidism tend to be mild but continuous, and often affect both sides of the head. It is unclear why people with low thyroid function are more prone to headaches.
Weight gain: A lack of thyroid hormone can cause weight gain, even though appetite may decrease. The weight gain occurs because there is insufficient thyroid hormone to regulate protein, fat and carbohydrate metabolism.
Poor reflexes: A poor Achilles tendon reflex (back of the ankle) is also often associated with low thyroid function.
What is the Thyroid Gland?
The thyroid gland is a butterfly shaped gland that is found at the base of your neck. This gland is responsible for regulating the metabolism of every cell in your body via the production of two hormones, triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4).
Why test thyroid via urine?
TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) is a hormone secreted in the brain to control thyroid function. A blood test for TSH is still considered the primary test for diagnosing thyroid disease. However, many women and men have normal serum TSH levels despite having classic symptoms of low thyroid function (hypothyroidism). The urine thyroid assessment offers an alternate means of measuring thyroid function when the patient is symptomatic but conventional serum tests are normal. A 24 hour urine collection can be used to help determine if symptoms are thyroid related.
What do Urine Thyroid Assessment results mean?
The Urine Thyroid Assessment reports the levels of T3, T4, and selenium in a 24 hour collection of urine. Because the urine sample is collected over a full day, it is easier to measure T3 and T4 in urine than to measure the very small quantities found in serum. However, many factors affect the levels of T3 and T4 in urine, so the relationship between T3 and T4 in urine and thyroid symptoms is not always clearcut. Nevertheless, selenium and T4 levels in urine correlate well with symptoms of hypothyroidism. This test can also be used to monitor how well thyroid hormone therapy is working.
Treatment Options?
Good health has a lot to do with maintaining balance: the right balance of work and play, the right balance of nutrients in the diet, and the right kinds of foods. Because thyroid hormones affect many body systems, thyroid disease can produce a variety of symptoms. Optimal thyroid function is an essential component of good health. Dr. Gansner can offer tests that identify hormone imbalances and other conditions - so these can be corrected before disease develops!
Depending on the degree of deficiency, low thyroid function may be treated with nutritional supplements or with prescription thyroid hormones. Dr. Gansner will gather a complete picture of how the thyroid is functioning, and then develop a personalized treatment plan. Treatments can include correcting nutritional deficiencies, lowering antibody levels, hormone replacement and other recommended lifestyle changes to improve overall health and assist thyroid function.