RISING WOMEN EXPERT ADVICE...

I’ve heard that many unrelated health issues within my body can be the result of an unbalanced thyroid. Is this correct?
   By Kimberly Mast of Essential Energetics

You are correct! In fact, issues such as depression, heart disease, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, PMS and menopausal symptoms, muscle and joint pains, irritable bowel syndrome, and autoimmune disease could actually indicate a problem with your thyroid.

Physicians are discovering that the TSH value is grossly unreliable for diagnosing hypothyroidism. The TSH range for “normal” keeps changing! In an effort to improve diagnosis of thyroid disease, in 2003 the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) revised the “normal” TSH range as 0.3 to 3.04. The previous range was defined as 0.5 and 5.0, which red-flagged only the most glaring hypothyroidism cases.

This small gland produces two major thyroid hormones: T4 and T3. About 90 percent of the hormone produced by the gland is in the form of T4, the inactive form. Your liver converts this T4 into T3, the active form, with the help of an enzyme. Thyroid hormones interact with all your other hormones including insulin, cortisol and sex hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. The fact that these hormones are all tied together and are in constant communication explains why an unhappy thyroid is associated with so many widespread symptoms/diseases.

Another telltale sign of hypothyroidism is a low Basal Body Temperature (BBT); less than 97.6 degrees averaged over a minimum of 3 days. It is best to obtain a BBT thermometer to assess this. Pharmaceutical treatment usually consists of replacing only T4 in the form of Synthroid, Levoxyl and Levothyroxine, leaving your body to convert this to T3. Natural thyroid products, like Armour Thyroid are a combination of T4, T3 and T2 made from desiccated. Research has shown that a combination of T4 and T3 is often more effective than T4 alone. The conversion to T3 can be hampered by nutritional deficiencies such as low selenium, inadequate omega-3 fatty acids, low zinc, chemicals from the environment, or by stress.

Once on thyroid hormone replacement, monitor your progress by paying attention to how you feel, in addition to regular lab tests. You can also routinely check your Basal Body Temperature. If you are on the correct dose, your BBT should be about 98.6 degrees F. A thyroid problem is no different than any other health challenges; be aware of the underlying issues if you hope to correct the problem!

For more advice on hypothyroidism, contact Kimberly Mast at Essential Energetics at 403.818.3978.