Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Men’s Health and Thyroid Health Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Thyroid health can be linked to many distinct aspects of our overall well-being. One of these is women’s health, however it also affects men’s health. Let’s get into it, shall we? One common misconception about thyroid …
UNDERSTANDING HYPERTHYROIDISM Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND One topic that I feel does not get enough attention is hyperthyroidism or overactive thyroid. Most people know or have heard of hypothyroidism or underactive thyroid. What they do not know is that the exact opposite can occur and …
UNDERSTANDING HYPOTHYROIDISM
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Hypothyroidism is where the body does not produce enough thyroid hormone. This can happen if there is a problem in the thyroid itself or a problem in the organ that controls the thyroid. For this lecture we will focus on the thyroid itself. Let us get into it, shall we?
In typical hypothyroidism blood tests will show higher than usual TSH and lower than usual T4 & T3. Normal TSH is .5 to 5mu/l and normal T3 is 80-220mg/dl. T4 is 5-12ug/dl. However, this is where it gets interesting because “normal” does not mean optimum. The optimum range for TSH is 1.3-2.5mu/l. For example, a value of 3 indicates what is known in the holistic community as “sub-clinical hypothyroidism” and is very often accompanied by symptoms of low thyroid. While sub-clinical hypothyroidism is not usually severe enough to warrant conventional treatment, certain supplements have been found in studies to alleviate symptoms. (1)
What, exactly, are the most common symptoms of low thyroid? To start, you may experience difficulty concentrating as well as fatigue. There is also a feeling of being cold as well as slow heart rate which is often associated with shortness of breath. Weight gain is often associated with low thyroid. Hair loss is another symptom that often has people coming in to see a nutritionist. Just a heads up: if you are having hair loss, getting your thyroid assessed is a great first step to finding out what is going on. Less commonly known as a symptom is depression. In women, menstrual cycles can often be heavier than usual (although as the hypothyroidism persists, it can progress to lighter than usual cycles). There are delayed tendon reflexes. Constipation as well as changes in digestive health are also noted. (2)
Now what can potentially lead to the symptoms of hypothyroidism? In many cases too little iodine is a trigger. Also, treatment with radioactive iodine can affect the thyroid. Injury to the hypothalamus or anterior pituitary can also lower the amount of thyroid hormone produced. Obviously, being born without a thyroid or having thyroid surgery can cause the thyroid hormone to be low. Even certain prescription medications can cause low thyroid as a side effect.
Autoimmune such as Hashimoto’s Hypothyroidism, Postpartum Hypothyroidism as well as Myasthenia Gravis can cause similar symptoms as hypothyroidism. Finally, any autoimmune disorders such as celiac disease, Rheumatoid arthritis, SLE, and even diabetes can affect the thyroid. From a more holistic point of view, “leaky gut” can also affect the thyroid. Which is why so many holistic practitioners say treat the gut! (3)
HOW TO HELP YOUR THYROID
Sources:
(1) https://www.uclahealth.org/endocrine-center/normal-thyroid-hormone-levels
(2) Longo DL, Fauci AS, Kasper DL, Hauser SL, Jameson JL, Loscalzo J (2011). “341: disorders of the thyroid gland”. Harrison’s principles of internal medicine (18th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0071748896.
(3)[8] Garber JR, Cobin RH, Gharib H, Hennessey JV, Klein I, Mechanick JI, Pessah-Pollack R, Singer PA, Woeber KA (December 2012). “Clinical practice guidelines for hypothyroidism in adults: cosponsored by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and the American Thyroid Association”. Thyroid. 22 (12): 1200–35. doi:10.1089/thy.2012.0205. PMID 22954017.
(4)Catarino, M. D., Silva, A., & Cardoso, S. M. (2018). Phycochemical Constituents and Biological Activities of Fucus spp. Marine drugs, 16(8), 249. https://doi.org/10.3390/md16080249
(5)Sharma, A. et al. (2018). Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha Root Extract in Subclinical Hypothyroid Patients: A Double-Blind, Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.), 24(3), 243–248.
(6)Hameed, S. I., Al-Shahwany, A. W., & Salih, S. J. (2020). Evaluation of the Activity of Some Plants Extracts on Thyroid Gland Regulation in Female Albino Rats. Iraqi Journal of Science, 254-265.
(7)Ismail, M. et al. Effect of Nigella sativa L. on serum concentration of thyroid hormone, thyroid stimulating hormone and glucose in alloxan-induced diabetic rabbits. Ir Vet J. 2003;59(9):462–4.
(8)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19594417/
Part 2 of Autoimmune Thyroid Disorders Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND In our last blog we started by doing an overview of just what constitutes autoimmune thyroid disorders. Just like with any autoimmune disorder it is important to work on our overall health, including our digestive …
Thyroid Autoimmune Disorders! Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Let us talk about Autoimmune and how it relates to the thyroid. This is important to talk about because thyroid health is much more complex than just under or overactive thyroid. It can be such a complex issue …
Thyroid and Women’s Health
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Thyroid health is important for our overall wellbeing. But did you know that it can also affect women’s health concerns? In general women are more likely to be diagnosed with thyroid issues. In fact, up to 1 in 8 women will be affected by thyroid disorders. Let us get into it, shall we?
One of the ways that the thyroid can impact women’s health is by affecting our monthly cycles. Thyroid dysfunction can delay or speed up both puberty and menopause. It can also cause menstrual cycles to become irregular or even stop all together. Thyroid dysfunction can also cause the cycles to become heavier or lighter than normal. Studies show ovulation can be inhibited by thyroid disorders leading to problems with fertility. Women with thyroid disorders may notice that their periods are heavier than they expect or even contain larger than usual clots. This can lead to an increase in blood loss which can make you anemic. Something else that you may not realize is that if you are anemic, you will have heavier/ more clots during your period. This will leave you more anemic and thus more likely to have heavier periods! This is a feedback loop that can begin with heavier periods caused by thyroid disorder. (1)
Every woman knows that post menopause, bone health is a very real concern. This is especially true for those with thyroid disorders. This is because any changes in thyroid hormones can affect the balance of bone dissolution and replacement; because thyroid hormones control bone metabolism. Studies show that in people with hypothyroidism, bone formation is slowed by up to 50%! Hyperthyroidism can cause rapid bone loss and decrease the quality of any new bone formed. (4) They go on to show that Levothyroxine in post-menopausal women with hypothyroidism have a decrease in bone density. (5) What does this mean? Since the thyroid controls the balance of bone production and absorption, it is important for post-menopausal women to be proactive with their bone health.
Having too much or too little thyroid hormone can cause hair loss. The thyroid hormones T3/T4 affect hair development. Unlike other causes of hair loss, thyroid disorders cause hair loss all over the scalp rather than in discrete areas. It is important to note, people with a thyroid disorder due to auto immune issues, are often prone to other autoimmune disorders such as Alopecia aerate. However, in the case of Alopecia, the hair loss that results is discrete and often circular areas of hair. (7) This is important because postmenopausal women tend to have hair loss. Because estrogen and progesterone are decreased, it leads to an increase in androgens. This causes hair to grow slowly and the hair follicles to shrink; causing the existing hair to fall out. (8) Working with the underlying thyroid condition can help the hair loss long term.
Other concerns for women include mood swings and depression. It is well documented that menopausal women experience depression and anxiety. Thyroid disorders often have symptoms of depression and anxiety as well. (12)
So, what can you do if you experience these symptoms?
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