Could You Have Low Thyroid Function?
It's likely that as many as 25% of the Canadian population have low thyroid function. Many have never been diagnosed but deal with symptoms on a daily basis. The most common form of hypothyroidism in Canada is named after Dr. Hashimoto who first described it in 1912. Hashimoto's Thyroiditis is an autoimmune disease in which the body's own immune system attacks and destroys the thyroid tissue. This type of thyroid disease tends to run in families and is 5 to 10 times more common in women than men.
Symptoms Include:
A blood test can determine advanced stages of low thyroid function, however, a basal temperature test and symptoms assessment maybe a more reliable way to identify the early stages of thyroid disease. Caught early enough, low
thyroid function often responds well to a nutrient dense diet, nutritional supplements, and lifestyle management.
Symptoms Include:
- Low body temperature
- Unable to lose weight
- Skin is dry, scaly or thick
- Hair is dry couarse, breaking or falling out
- Hoarse or gravely voice
- Low blood pressure
- Constipation, sometimes severe
- Chronic fatigue, exhaustion
- Irregular menstrual cycles (longer, heavier or more frequent)
- Puffiness and swelling around eyes and face
- Muscle and joint pain
- Trouble conceiving a baby
- More frequent colds and infections
- Diminished sex drive
- Swelling in the neck or throat
- Irregular heart beat (feelings of butterflies in chest)
- Poor short term memory
- Family history of thyroid disease
- Hot flashes or night sweats
- Yawning often
A blood test can determine advanced stages of low thyroid function, however, a basal temperature test and symptoms assessment maybe a more reliable way to identify the early stages of thyroid disease. Caught early enough, low
thyroid function often responds well to a nutrient dense diet, nutritional supplements, and lifestyle management.
