Most people don’t realize that women have a much higher chance of having a thyroid disorder. Another fact that is often overlooked or pushed into a “corner” is that over 90% of low thyroid cases are actually autoimmune in nature. This means that the immune system is the source of the problem, not your thyroid. Identifying a hypothyroid condition and the cause of low thyroid function is critical for effective treatment and symptom relief.
Unfortunately, many women are told that the reason for their suffering is stress or aging.
Many of the symptoms associated with low thyroid are identical to the complaints we hear when women are dealing with menopause or a high-stress situation.
Many of the shared symptoms reflect changes to their metabolism, which can be caused by insufficient thyroid hormone levels or by reduced estrogen levels, so both conditions can share the blame. However, brushing symptoms off as menopause can be very dangerous for the women who are suffering from an underlying thyroid imbalance.
Autoimmune thyroiditis, or Hashimoto’s, is a progressive disease that reflects high levels of inflammation and eventually tissue damage.
It’s critical to identify low thyroid and the root cause of this imbalance as early as possible to prevent long-term and irreversible injury to tissues throughout the body. That’s why it’s essential that women listen to and trust their intuition. If something feels off, don’t shirk the blame on menopause or accept that as an excuse from your medical provider. While symptoms certainly can be due to shifting estrogen levels, that is a common time to develop low thyroid conditions as well.
Pay attention to the following six common symptoms, and if you’re experiencing any of them, don’t wait around for things to get better.
- Fatigue
- Heart palpitations
- Dry skin
- Trouble sleeping
- Hair loss
- Weight gain
If you suffer from low thyroid symptoms and you’ve been blaming it on menopause, think twice. It’s crucial to take advantage of comprehensive testing that can help you identify the root cause. A functional medicine approach like the one I use in my clinic aims to identify the root cause and tailor an individualized therapy targeted to your specific needs. This ensures the best chance of effective treatment to reverse unwanted symptoms, repair your thyroid function, and give you your health back.