The Master Gland: The Thyroid
It’s so bizarre to me that one of the most important glands in the body is often overlooked when you take a routine visit to the doctor.
The way conventional medicine checks the thyroid, the master gland, is like getting your car checked without looking into the engine [yes, another cliche car metaphor]. The engine is the master gland. It has to be checked because if it doesn't work right, nothing really works right.
How is it possible that doctors overlook this, you ask? How is it that the master healthcare professional (doctor) is missing the signs of the master gland not functioning correctly? Well. Many healthcare professionals are only checking one thyroid lab called TSH. This is standard for a yearly physical or for a visit complaining about fatigue, depression, weight gain or hair loss, but it should be much more than that. To fully understand, let’s briefly breakdown the function of the thyroid and why just testing TSH isn’t always helpful.
TSH is a hormone that is released from the pituitary gland that travels around the corner to stimulate the thyroid gland. TSH then tells the thyroid to either speed up or slow down depending on what is going on in the body. This results in a release of the thyroid hormones: T4 and T3. T4 is the inactive form of the thyroid hormone and T3 is the active form. Both are important and both should be checked more than once if you are suspecting any sort of thyroid issues [along with your TSH]. TSH is only one part of the puzzle and it’s important to know what ALL the hormones are doing. On top of that, the process can really start all the way up in the brain where the hypothalamus triggers the pituitary gland. That just means external factors like stress can be the initial cause for a thyroid to slow down, for example. It’s not just the hormones that play a role. Which means we are essentially all at risk for a malfunctioning thyroid since every human has stress [hello, 2020]. So then… Why are so many healthcare professionals only checking TSH?
The answer: I’m not sure. Maybe people simply don’t know? I will say there are plenty of doctors that are trying to take action since Levothyroxine (a thyroid drug) is one of the TOP prescribed medications in America, but there are still so many people experiencing symptoms. Houston…. and the rest of America… we have a problem. I bet you didn’t think you would be getting dad jokes on this blog, but here we are.
So if patients are getting prescribed medication to help, why isn’t the problem getting fixed? Again, the drug is only targeting one piece of the puzzle. Levothyroxine is the drug version of T4 which is just one of the thyroid hormones. Your body may be creating plenty of T4 and not able to convert it to it’s beautiful friend T3. This is important because T3 touches almost every cell in the body and contributes to things like metabolism, energy, luscious hair, glowing skin and boosted moods. However, I am not here to talk about medication. That is out of my wheelhouse, and I really do think a lot of doctors are doing the best with what they know. The point I am trying to make is that if you suspect a thyroid issue, you should be getting tested with a FULL thyroid panel to truly start to understand the whole picture.
This is what I consider a full thyroid panel:
TSH
Free T4
Free T3
Reverse T3
TPO antibodies
TP antibodies
So now you’re wondering…
Do I need to ask for a full thyroid panel?! I urge you to NOT self diagnose or create more stress on yourself. I DO urge you to advocate for your health if you feel something isn’t right. So if you are experiencing a handful of these symptoms below, you may ask your healthcare professional to order a full thyroid panel.
Possible Symptoms:
Weight loss or Weight gain
Fatigue
Forgetfulness
Cold intolerance
Sensitivity to cold
Depression
Dry skin
Constipation
Loss of ambition
Loss of hair
Muscle cramps
Stiffness
Joint Pain
Loss of the third outer eyebrow
Menstrual irregularities
Infertility
Weakness
Wired, but tired
Even one of these symptoms daily can really start to derail your life and cause more stress. More stress = more pressure on the thyroid = more symptoms. Do you see the cycle here? And do you see that you are not crazy if you feel all these things even though your doctor said you thyroid is ‘fine’?
In summary, if you suspect you have thyroid disease don’t panic. With the right healthcare professional to help you, there are very realistic ways to treat and manage the thyroid [and to start feeling like YOU again]. You can start with simple things like better sleep or balanced meals, but be sure to check back here next week for more details on how to optimize the thyroid. I also have a few tips on my latest instagram post if you would like to dive into more information now.
Until next time,
Xoxo Kels
