The thyroid gland sets the rate of metabolism of every cell in the body. For this reason an optimally functioning thyroid will enhance all hormone balance in the body and is key to the health of all organs and systems. Many physicians believe we have an epidemic of hypothyroidism that is remaining undiagnosed. A thorough assessment of thyroid function must include a clinical evaluation of symptoms, patient history, in addition to applicable blood tests including TSH, Free T-3, Free T-4, TPO Antibodies, and Reverse T-3. The final determination of hypothyroidism should not be made on the basis of TSH levels solely. A reference of the Journal of Endocrinology states that, "We can assume that tissue hypothyroidism at the peripheral target organs must be different in an individual patient. An excerpt from M.D. Mark Starr's book Hypothyroidism Type 2, "There is no scientific evidence that the TSH test detects hypothyroidism in the vast majority of patients."
Supporting suboptimal thyroid function through nutritional supplementation, diet modification, and possibly thyroid medication, may help to resolve a broad spectrum of health issues, including heart disease, allergies, chronic fatigue, other hormone imbalances, immune dysfunction, and all degenerative disease. Among the nutrients needed daily for optimal thyroid function are magnesium, Vitamin A, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Potassium Iodide/Iodine, Vitamin D3, Omega-3 fatty acids, and Iron. A deficiency of any one of these nutrients can compromise thyroid function.
Supporting suboptimal thyroid function through nutritional supplementation, diet modification, and possibly thyroid medication, may help to resolve a broad spectrum of health issues, including heart disease, allergies, chronic fatigue, other hormone imbalances, immune dysfunction, and all degenerative disease. Among the nutrients needed daily for optimal thyroid function are magnesium, Vitamin A, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Potassium Iodide/Iodine, Vitamin D3, Omega-3 fatty acids, and Iron. A deficiency of any one of these nutrients can compromise thyroid function.
The following information is quoted from The Ultra Thyroid Solution (2008) by Dr. Mark Hyman
How to Identify Thyroid Problems: Analyzing Your Symptoms and Learning Which Tests to Take
Thyroid disease is frequently very vague and the symptoms may be common in other diseases, so the diagnosis is often overlooked. What’s more, most doctors rely on only a few traditional tests to determine whether you have a problem, so other pieces of the problem sometimes go undetected, as I have already described.
To obtain an accurate diagnosis of hypothyroidism, very careful assessment of your symptoms, a physical examination, and your medical and family history is required. I will guide you through as much of this as I can in this report so you have the information you need to determine whether this is a problem for you.
To start with, I have provided a quiz for you to use to begin evaluating your potential risk for thyroid dysfunction. Your score on the quiz will help you determine what to do next.
ARE THYROID PROBLEMS CONTRIBUTING TO YOUR HEALTH PROBLEMS? A SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL
Score one point for each yes.
Symptoms
~Are your skin and fingernails thick?
~Do you have dry skin?
~Do you have a hoarse voice?
~Do you have thinning hair, hair loss, or coarse hair?
~Are you sensitive to cold?
~Do you have cold hands and feet?
~Is your basal body temperature lower than 97.8 degrees first thing in the morning?
(Underarm basal body thermometers are available at most drug stores.)
~Do you have muscle fatigue, pain, or weakness?
~Do you have heavy menstrual bleeding, worsening of premenstrual syndrome, other menstrual problems, and/or infertility?
~Have you experienced a loss of sex drive (decreased libido)?
~Do you have severe menopausal symptoms (such as hot flashes and mood swings)?
~Have you experienced fluid retention (swelling of hands and feet)?
~Do you experience fatigue?
~Do you have low blood pressure and heart rate?
~Do you have elevated cholesterol?
~Do you have trouble with memory and concentration or brain fog?
~Do you wake up tired and have trouble getting out of bed in the morning?
~Do you have a loss of or thinning of the outer third of your eyebrows?
~Do you have trouble losing weight, or have you experienced recent weight gain?
~Do you experience depression and apathy or anxiety?
~Do you experience constipation?
~Have you been diagnosed with autoimmune disease (e.g., celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, allergies, yeast overgrowth--all of which can affect thyroid function)?
~Are you or have you been exposed to radiation treatments?
~Are you or have you been exposed to environmental toxins?
~Do you have a family history of thyroid problems?
~Do you drink chlorinated or fluoridated water?
Scoring Key
0 to 1 means your thyroid is healthy and you probably don’t need to be concerned.
2 to 4 means you are at mild risk for thyroid problems.
> 4 means you have a significant risk for thyroid problems.
If you have no symptoms of thyroid problems, it is unlikely (though not impossible) that you have a problem with your thyroid function. However, if you score anywhere over 2, I strongly recommend that you get the basic testing for thyroid function and check your basal body temperature.
Click here to download the Thyroid Quiz.
HOW TO CHECK YOUR BASAL TEMPERATURE
Procedure 1 - Old fashioned mercury shake down thermometer
Shake down thermometer the night before and place at your bedside. Upon awakening, before arising from bed, place mercury thermometer snugly in your armpit for a period of ten minutes and record your temperature for 5 days in a row. For women who are menstruating, the temperature should be taken starting on the second day of menstruation. This is the best time in a woman’s menstrual cycle to get an accurate basal temperature. For men and postmenopausal women, it makes no difference when the temperatures are taken. Call the office and give us your results.
Procedure 2 - Digital Basal Thermometer
This is a specific thermometer for basal use which can be purchased at Shopko or Wal Mart for roughly $7.
Upon awakening, before arising from bed, place digital thermometer deep in your armpit and leave in until it beeps. Record your temperature for 5 days in a row. For women who are menstruating, the temperature should be taken starting on the second day of menstruation. This is the best time in a woman’s menstrual cycle to get an accurate basal temperature. For men and postmenopausal women, it makes no difference when the temperatures are taken. Call the office and give us your results.
Normal basal temperature is between 97.8° and 98.2°. A temperature below this may indicate a hypothyroid state.
Click here to download How to Check Your Basal Temperature.
For further information please refer to the following books and websites.
~Overcoming Thyroid Disorders by David Brownstein, M.D.
Click here for Dr. Brownstein's website, www.drbrownstein.com
~The Ultra Thyroid Solution: A 7-Step Plan to Reverse Hypothyroidism Permanently by Mark Hyman, M.D.
Click here for Dr. Hyman's website, www.drhyman.com
~Overcoming Thyroid Disorders by David Brownstein, M.D.
Click here for Dr. Brownstein's website, www.drbrownstein.com
~The Ultra Thyroid Solution: A 7-Step Plan to Reverse Hypothyroidism Permanently by Mark Hyman, M.D.
Click here for Dr. Hyman's website, www.drhyman.com