There’s a medical condition that many people have without knowing it. It’s call hypothyroidism, the term for low thyroid function. The fact is, many of us, particularly women, walk around feeling cold, tired, fat, and grumpy. We blame it on growing old. But that word has been stricken from my vocabulary. That’s how I discovered hypothyroidism. It stands in for the symptoms of ‘old.’
Here’s a list of hypothyroidism symptoms. How many do you have?
Cold sensitivity, particularly cold hands and feet
Feeling tired
Procivity to gain weight gain; difficulty losing weight
Dry, brittle, thinning hair
Dry skin
Ridges or vertical splitting of nails
Muscle aches, pains, cramps
Depression
Constipation
Irritability
Difficulty remembering things
Painful menstrual cycles
Lowered libido
You can have all or some of these symptoms and not have hypothyroidism. Because these symptoms are unspecific,” said the doctor, “you need a blood test to determine for sure whether hypothyroidism is your problem.” The trouble with the blood test is that it often comes up normal when you really do have hypothyroidism! What seems to be unspecific is the test! All I’m saying here–and I’m not a doctor–is that if you have these symptoms, have yourself checked out, preferably by an endocrinologist, a specialist in the field.
Hypothyroidism is common, occurring in about 10% of the population. However, hypothyroidism often goes undetected, giving rise to further frustrations, particularly among women, about being constantly cold, tired, fat, and grumpy. Wise women will pursue the issue with more sensitive tests, which are available through endocrine or thyroid specialists. A positive result may provide relief in knowing that your symptoms are real from a real, undiagnosed condition than to go on thinking you’ve just made them up. Women can, and often do, do this to themselves!
If you suffer from many of these unspecific symptoms, yet have a hunch they’re not just from having too many birthdays, there’s a simple test you can perform at home for hypothryroidism. It’s called the basal body temperature test. It was developed by Broda O. Barnes, M.D.
Take an ordinary oral thermometer and put it by your bedside. In the morning upon waking but before getting out of bed, put the thermometer under your left arm with the bulb in your armpit. Leave it there for 10 minutes while resting in bed. Remove the thermometer, read and record the temperature. Repeat the procedure for three days in a row. If the temperatures are 97.8 degrees F or below (remember, 98.6 degrees F is normal) for three days running, you may very well have hypothyroidism. Your basal body temperature is below normal. Go see a doctor and have yourself checked out.
How do you get hypothyroidism?
Hypothyroidism occurs most commonly from autoimmune disease. Called Hashimoto’s disease, the thyroid is attacked by the body’s own defenses and disables the thyroid from functioning fully. Other causes include thyroid surgery for cancer, wherein part or all of the thyroid gland has been removed, causing low or no thyroid function to remain. Other rarer causes exist, but the point to remember is that you didn’t bring this condition on yourself. It just happens. And it happens to your metabolism, slowing it down in a process that affects lowered or poor functioning of many other of your body’s systems.
Your doctor or endocrinologist will prescribe a medication called, for simplicity, thyroid hormone. The production of thyroid hormone in the body is complicated and involves a lot of complex reactions and internal chemistry. Suffice it to say, for the people with hypothyroidism, their production of thyroid hormone has been compromised. You fill in for what your own body isn’t producing in the complex process with the pills.
Several kinds of pills, or prescription medications, can fill in for your underfunctioning thyroid. Your doctor should know which one is best for you. But beware: the dosage must start low and slow, and gradually ramp up to just the right amount of medication specific to your specfic case. Taking too much thyroid medication too soon can cause the production of hyperthyroidism, which is having too much thyroid hormone in your system. It’s just as bad, if not worse, to have too much.
A little knowledge about hypothyroidism is a good thing
You know the saying about a little knowledge about something is not a good thing? That’s not the case with hypothyroidism. I’m not a doctor but I do have personal experience with hypothyroidism. What I know about it now should be known by all who care about their own health and well being. You can save yourself years of fatigue and possible overmedication by knowing these few facts about hypothyroidism for the layman.
You are definitely among the 100% of the population that’s growing older. You may also be among the 10% of people out there who think they’re only growing old, but also have hypothyroidism. See your doctor and insist that being cold, tired, fat, and grumpy all the time is just not you!
