Have you suffered with several symptoms leading to the diagnosis of an under active thyroid gland? Is one of the symptoms that compelled you to seek a diagnosis sleep deprivation? Are you suffering from complete exhaustion, sweating all the time and have noticed you have a horse voice all the time? All of these are symptoms of having an under active thyroid. People who have sleep deprivation and an under active thyroid are depressed and lack enthusiasm for life.

Many women are affected by sleep deprivation and an under active thyroid more than men. The thyroid gland is the master gland that affects metabolism and energy levels and yes, even sleep patterns. It is located at the base of our throat and it has an extreme amount of influence over our sleep patterns and many other functions of our body.

If low thyroid functioning is affecting your sleep, you will wake up still feeling exhausted after even 10 hours of sleep. Taking naps will be a necessity, instead of a luxury you indulge in once in awhile, if you have an under active thyroid. You may find yourself falling asleep in your car at lunchtime or while sitting reading a good book that you are really very interested in. This type of fatigue is not normal. Not everyone experiences it. It is caused by a slowed metabolism and lack of sleep that is the result of hypothyroidism.

If you do not treat your under active thyroid, you may also begin to suffer from sleep apnea. This has been the finding of sleep researchers. Sleep apnea is more than just a problem of snoring loudly. It is a condition where one stops breathing during sleep and can be a dangerous condition.

If your low thyroid functioning is causing you to be unable to sleep adequately, your stage 4 sleep phase will be insufficient. This is the restorative phase of ones sleep where your body is able to repair the damage caused by stress and re-energizes itself. The result is brain fog and weight gain and extreme tiredness.

Another thyroid problem that can cause sleep deprivation is transient thyroiditis. This is a condition that means that your thyroid gland is inflamed. Inflammation of the thyroid is common during periomenopause and menopause as well as a condition women can suffer during the post-par-tum period after childbirth. You will experience the area of your thyroid gland, neck and throat area being tender if your thyroid is inflamed. One of the first symptoms of a woman entering menopause is the lack of ability to sleep well.

If you have been diagnosed with an under active thyroid, properly treating it will help resolve your sleep problems. There are natural cures you can try or prescription medications you can take. You should avoid drinking coffee or alcohol, especially in the late afternoon or evenings. Also, taking magnesium and calcium supplements will help as well as 100-400 mg of 5 HTP and a Melatonin supplement. It is a good idea to speak to your medical doctor about your sleep deprivation and under active thyroid too.

Common symptoms of hypothyroidism include weight gain, fatigue, feeling cold when others are comfortable or warm, brittle nails and dry skin, and hair loss. Irregularity of menstrual periods, constipation, depression, and swelling in the lower legs are other symptoms of hypothyroidism. As the thyroid gland works harder to produce more thyroid hormones it enlarges and becomes palpable in the neck. This is called a thyroid goiter. Hypothyroidism is diagnosed with blood tests measuring thyroid stimulating hormone or TSH from the pituitary gland along with thyroxin (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) released from the thyroid gland. A sonogram of the thyroid will reveal whether the gland is diffusely enlarged or if there are nodules present. A thyroid scan using radioactive iodine will determine if areas of the enlarged gland are “cold” or do not take up the iodine. Cold nodules may indicate a thyroid cancer.

The most common cause of hypothyroidism is thyroiditis or an inflammation of the thyroid gland. Other causes include inadequate production of thyroid stimulating hormone from the pituitary gland, surgical removal of all or part of the thyroid gland, or drugs that affect thyroid function. Once hypothyroid disease is diagnosed thyroid hormone replacement usually in the form of levothyroxine is begun to reverse the effects of hypothyroidism.

A major symptom of hypothyroidism is weight gain. The mechanism of weight gain in people who are hypothyroid is two fold. As a hormone that controls cellular metabolism in every cell in the body it is easy to see that lack of thyroid hormone will cause a lower cellular metabolism. This leads to both a lower metabolic rate and slower burning of calories and also fatigue. By products of fatigue are lower activity levels resulting in fewer calories burned and increased consumption of glucose rich foods in an effort to increase energy.

Patients often feel that once hypothyroidism is diagnosed and thyroid hormone replacement is begun weight loss will be simple. This is not the usual case. It takes an average of three to four weeks for the thyroid hormone to reach a steady state in the body. As the patient begins to feel better both eating habits and exercise levels need to change in order to lose the excess weight.

Patients who have gained weight may also experience something called metabolic resistance. Even after thyroid levels have been corrected it is difficult for these patients to simply reduce calories and lose weight. Their metabolism needs to be stimulated. The easiest way to stimulate the body’s metabolism is with vigorous exercise consisting of at least thirty minutes a day five days each week of aerobic activity. Patients who have been hypothyroid need to begin slowly under a doctor’s supervision but persistence will pay off with weight reduction.

Other important aspects of reversing weight gain once the hypothyroidism has been diagnosed is to make sure that the thyroid replacement is adequate. Since the TSH level is used to measure the adequacy of thyroid replacement this level should be in the low normal range. The range is 0.5 to 5.5 but most experts suggest thyroid hormone replacement should keep the level between 1.0 and 2.0.

The good news is that you can actually help boost your energy naturally by getting a better lifestyle. By doing this, you will feel more healthy overall and you will even lose weight! If you have a good lifestyle, your body will be healthy and well maintained, and you will recover from illness more quickly, weigh less, respond to stress better, and just feel better overall. The first thing that you can do to help your hypothroidism is to change your diet.

Most typical American diets consist of many highly processed foods and not nearly enough fruits and vegetables. Although many things can contribute to the onset of hypothroidism, many people hypothesize that an overload of toxicity within the body is a major cause of the disease. But you can cleanse your body by simply changing your diet. First of all, avoid iodized salt. Instead, use Celtic salt, Japanese salt, or a good quality sea salt. Next, it will help if you eat more things with coconut in them. It does not matter whether you eat the nut meat, oil, or milk, all of these will have the same positive effect on your body. Also, eat more fish will increase healthy fatty acid needed by the body.

But the most important thing that you can do to help your body naturally heal itself from hypothroidism is to eat more green vegetables and fresh fruits! There are a few vegetables in the cabbage family that will actually worsen your hypothroidism. These include brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, kale, mustard greens and spinach. You can still eat these, just make sure that you eat it moderation. Vegetables that will combat hypothroidism include leafy greens, alfalfa, carrots, green peppers, watercress, beets, celery, parsley, sprouts, and seaweed.

Since it is sometimes hard to consume so many fruits and vegetables in one day, a wonderful option is to juice the fruits and vegetables. Juicing gives you all the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that are in the fruits and vegetables without filling you up as fast. For example, it takes a whole bag of carrots to make one glass of carrot juice. Delicious and healthy juices you can add to your diet can be made of any blend of apples, cranberries, alfalfa, apricots, grapefruits, pineapple, kelp, grapes, celery, carrots, or grapes.

Finally, be sure to avoid as many processed and refined foods as you can. Avoid antihistamines, chlorine faucet water, fluoride, and iodine. People who switch to this diet find that their cholesterol plummets and that they lose a ton of weight! Although it can initially be a hard adjustment, most people find that in the long run, it is well worth it. They look and feel so much better, and they can even wear jeans that they fit into way back in college!

The very first thing you should do is to ask for your medical records.  Do not let the doctor fool you and tell you that they cannot allow you to see them. You are legally entitled to see and have a copy of your medical records.  You can officially request your records in writing if the doctor puts you off in the office.  You may see patterns of health concerns as your go over your own medical records that may help you better communicate with your doctor as to what is going on with you.

Next, begin to keep your own health journal.  Jot down how you are feeling day to day and list any symptoms that are troubling you.  Keep a record of menstrual patterns if you are a woman.  Write down your dietary changes and adjustments and keep a track of your medications as you begin to take what your doctor prescribes for hypothyroidism.  Write down any questions that come to mind as you are keeping your journal so you will have them at your finger tips at your next doctor’s visit.

Learning how to take control if you have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism can involve learning all you can about alternative treatments.  Although these may be controversial, you may find it necessary to experiment with some of them if your current medication is not doing the trick.  These alternative treatments usually involve such things as taking certain herbs and supplementation along with your prescribed medicine.

You can also ask your doctor to suggest alternative treatments but don’t be surprised if they sound off on how they don’t work.  The truth is, some alternative treatments do work and some do not.  It is up to you to find the ones that do if you are serious about being an active participant in your health care.  On the other hand, if you do find an alternative medical treatment that your want to try, inform your doctor just in case it may interfere with your prescribed medication.

Now if you have all the symptoms listed like extreme fatigue, unexplained weight gain, dry and brittle nails, dry skin and depression or mood swings and your went to the doctor by he or she could find any thing wrong,  ask for more testing.  Hypothyroidism is an often overlooked health problem.  If you have a copy of your records you can always take them with you so you can point out any patterns to your doctor.  If your doctor refuses to listen and you still feel you have an under active thyroid, go for a second opinion.  Learn how to take control if you have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism and for any other health problems you have.  After all, it’s your life.