Thyroid Hormone Therapy

One of the most important parts of keeping balance in the body is ensuring your thyroid functions well. Thyroids can be either underactive or overactive, and either issue will make it obvious that the body isn’t working quite right.

Underactive thyroids are fairly common, but many people don’t realize that since this issue isn’t always diagnosed correctly. Having an idea of how the thyroid operates, what it does, and why it’s important to keep it at its best can go a long way toward ensuring top levels of health. Knowing how to deal with an underactive thyroid can also set you toward success.

The primary responsibility of the thyroid is regulating the body’s metabolism. If the thyroid isn’t operating at its best, this could cause you to have trouble losing weight, make you tired, create a lack of energy, and cause struggles with immunity.

Are you wondering whether your thyroid is operating correctly? The best step you can take is to visit a medical professional to have tests runs to determine whether you should seek out thyroid hormone therapy.

Understanding Thyroid Hormones

When it comes to regulating the thyroid and ensuring it can function at its best, there are two primary hormones to be aware of. Triiodothyronine, also known as T3, is an active hormone that the thyroid produces naturally within the body. This particular hormone is the one that has the largest impact on the systems of the body. It’s the hormone that is constantly working within the human body.

The other hormone of note is thyroxin (or T4). T4 is the hormone that helps create the T3 that will be used by the body. Many of the synthetic thyroid medications that are currently available focus solely on T4, but this isn’t right for everyone. Some people have issues where T4 cannot be converted into T3 that is needed to function. This is just one of the reasons that a combination approach may be the better option.

What Causes an Underactive Thyroid?

Thyroid problems can be caused by several distinct issues. For instance, a basic dysfunction could happen when the thyroid gland isn’t receiving enough stimulation. To rectify the issue, a combination of T3 and T4 might be provided to properly stimulate the thyroid until the body has recovered. In some cases, individuals can stop the hormone therapy at this time since the thyroid can handle doing its job again.

Many special medical conditions can also create thyroid issues, such as Graves’ Disease and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. The latter condition is an autoimmune process where the body will attack its own thyroid gland. Treating the issue requires lifelong supplementation to stay healthy.

Other people will have an issue where the body’s receptors resist creating all the hormones that the body needs. Some will be unable to convert T4 into T3 for various reasons. In either of these situations, larger amounts of T3, instead of T4, may be needed to get the right product of hormones going and ensure the body has enough of any hormones it cannot make on its own.

Some people will find that the problems can be solved with a few years of therapy, but others may need to seek out lifelong solutions.

Common Signs of Thyroid Hormone Problems

Curious about whether you have thyroid gland issues? Many symptoms apply that may indicate a problem with hormone production. Having one of these signs could indicate many health issues. However, the inclusion of two or more symptoms may mean that you have problems with the thyroid gland:

• Anxiety
• Brittle nails
• Constipation
• Decreased body temperature
• Depression
• Elevated appetite
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Low libido
• Memory problems
• Menstrual problems
• Reduced sexual function
• Subpar concentration
• Thinning hair
• Water retention
• Weight gain

This will give you an idea of what to be aware of if you believe you might have thyroid hormone issues. If you have several of these signs together, there is an increased likelihood of a thyroid problem. People who watch for these symptoms will find it easier to get diagnosed and treated quickly to ensure their hormones are brought to the right levels as soon as possible.

Issues Related to Current Testing Levels

One of the issues with the thyroid tests in place today is that they tend to be ineffective. The main issue is that these tests don’t always look at the right indicators to determine if a problem is present. Most of the tests focus on looking for thyroid-stimulation hormone or TSH to determine whether adequate amounts of T4 and T3 are being made. The issue with this kind of testing is that it doesn’t take into account anyone who has a basic issue with thyroid functioning.

There is not yet a testing system that accounts for the individual nature of hormone production and thyroid function. This can be an issue since lab values aren’t always the best measure of how well the thyroid might be functioning. Most doctors who work with people with thyroid problems can look back and see various situations where a diagnosis should have happened but did not. Medical testing is moving toward better diagnosis, but it hasn’t reached that point yet.

Some studies have focused on people who are believed to have thyroid issues where these individuals had lab tests done and exhibited many of the common symptoms of a thyroid issue. However, many of them showed no issues with their thyroid levels during testing. Sometimes, these people had every possible symptom and still received a negative diagnosis from traditional tests. This makes it clear that diagnosis still needs work.

The reality is that many patients who experience an underactive thyroid will not be diagnosed since the testing methods available today are far from effective. This can be a serious issue for anyone who needs hormone therapy or other medical support for the thyroid.

How Thyroid Medications Work

In some situations, a doctor will offer a patient one type of hormone to deal with a thyroid issue. However, many people see better results with a combination of T3 and T4. Each of the medications is used to stimulate the production of hormones in the thyroid to ensure it is operating at the highest level possible. Supplementing with doses of T3 and T4 can help your metabolism, improve your health, and assist with hypothyroidism symptoms.

While synthetic medications are available, they aren’t always the best option for stimulating the body’s natural production of hormones or offering ongoing support. In many cases, they will be used as a replacement and be effective. However, natural therapy solutions and substances are a better solution for stimulating proper thyroid hormone production and creating proper thyroid function and will offer the best results of treatments available today.

A hormone imbalance is a personal issue that affects each person differently. Contact us now to talk about your specific issues. We can offer you a full consultation and provide information on the benefits of thyroid hormone therapy for your needs. You’ll work with licensed medical professionals who can provide the top solution for your needs, regardless of what kind of thyroid problems you have.