How Your Thyroid Gland Can Sabotage Your Diet
Many people, especially women, have difficulty losing weight even when they eat the proper foods and exercise. One reason for this may be a malfunctioning thyroid gland.
The thyroid gland lies just below the Adam’s apple (and yes, women DO have an Adam’s apple) and is shaped somewhat like a butterfly. It regulates your metabolism which means that all organs in the body depend on its ability to work correctly.
There are two major types of thyroid distress: Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism. In the first, the thyroid is not producing enough hormones to keep the metabolism up to speed. In the second case, there is too much thyroid being produced and the body reacts by increasing the metabolism which creates a whole different set of problems. It is the first scenario, hypothyroidism, which will be discussed here.
Weight gain is a major problem as the metabolism is so slow that it does not burn calories at a normal rate. It also causes one to feel sluggish and fatigued. Often, hypothyroidism will cause the skin to become dry and cracked and the hair to be coarse and dull. Occasionally, hair loss is noted. Muscle aches and pains, swelling from water retention and an aversion to cold temperatures are also possible.
The first thing one must do when suspecting a thyroid problem is to visit a physician who will perform a head to toe physical to rule out any other medical causes for the weight gain or other problems. Then a blood test will be ordered to check the TSH levels and other thyroid levels in your body. TSH, or Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, is a key factor when determining how the gland is working in your body. A high TSH level indicates that the thyroid is not working properly and the body is trying to compensate for lack of the proper hormones. Specialists in thyroid and other gland disorders are endocrinologists.
Often a physician will prescribe a synthetic thyroid hormone to regulate the TSH levels in the blood. If this does not seem to be working, an additional thyroid medication may be required. As the physician watches your condition on a regular basis, he or she might require that you have an ultrasound, with or without a biopsy. If a nodule or a goiter is found, the biopsy will be absolutely necessary to rule out cancer or other diseases. The biopsy usually consists of a pathologist inserting three very fine needles into the thyroid to extract cells for review. This is often done in conjunction with an ultrasound.
One disease that is actually quite common for people with a low functioning thyroid is Hashimotos Thyroiditis. The symptoms are much the same as those for a low functioning thyroid, but may show signs of spreading cells which could lead to cancer if not monitored regularly. Hashimoto’s disease comes on gradually and symptoms may be scarce at first. But some of the more prevalent symptoms are: dry skin, depression,
Sensitivity to cold, muscle aches and pains, fatigue, high cholesterol counts and weight gain. The weight gain could be as much as twenty pounds and is hard to lose even with the most rigid of dieting plans.
The only way a person can be sure that weight gain is associated with a malfunctioning thyroid gland is to see a physician who specializes in diseases of the glands or an endocrinologist. He or she can tell you for sure if your thyroid is out of whack and help you to understand what choices you have for treatment. Treatments range from medication to surgery and should be considered very carefully.
