One might find it hard to imagine how a little gland sitting in their neck could cause so many problems when it fizzles, yet anyone with hypothyroid (low functioning) or hyperthyroid (high functioning) can attest to the multitude of symptoms it creates.
What is the thyroid and what does it do?
The thyroid acts as the foot on our metabolic gas pedal using a hormone. It acts as a gland, or collection of tissue sharing one function, which secretes this hormone into our blood stream.
How does the thyroid go wrong?
We see hundreds of patients with broken gas pedals that get stuck in the slow lane (Hashimoto’s or hypothyroid) and a few that are stuck in the fast lane (known as hyperthyroid or Grave’s Disease). While the pedal only goes two ways, the reasons for the pedal to be stuck in the slow lane are myriad and require a functional medicine provider well equipped toolbox to optimize for the right metabolic speed.
Symptoms of Thyroid disease
Thyroid related symptoms depend on how the gas pedal is affected. In hypothyroid, literally everything slows down:
- energy
- muscle strength
- constipation
- hair growth
- your pulse
- skin health
In hyperthyroid disease, everything speeds up:
- interfering with sleep
- causing diarrhea
- trigging fast heart rates
- triggering anxiety
- raising blood pressure
Knowing how to treat both types
Besides finding the right levels of T4 and T3 for each patient, looking for root causes is critical. This should include gut health, food sensitivities, toxins, inflammation, and the balance of other hormones like cortisol.
Which form of thyroid med is best?
Short answer: it depends. Long answer: we help you determine which is best during therapy protocol.
Get our help today
Set up an appointment with our enrollment team to learn more about what we offer that can restore some balance and joy to your hormones. They want to hear about your health goals and get you plugged into the right program at Sanctuary regardless of how crazy your hormones may seem right now.