18 Signs of Potential Thyroid Troubles
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in your neck. It governs energy metabolism in your body through the secretion of two essential hormones: triiodothyronine, or T3, and thyroxine, or T4. Every cell in your body has a thyroid receptor site for these hormones, so if your thyroid isn’t functioning properly, neither are you.
Here are the 18 signs of potential thyroid malfunction, which are often treated as separate issues:
- Weight gain/loss
- Constipation
- Heat/Cold intolerance
- Puffy skin
- Hair thinning or loss
- Fatigue
- Menstrual irregularity in women
- Weak, slow heartbeat or rapid, forceful heartbeat
- Muscular weakness and constant fatigue
- Thick puffy skin and/or dry skin
- Slowed mental processes (brain fog) and poor memory
- Goiter (increased size of the thyroid)
- Anxiety
- Difficulty sleeping
- Tremors in the hands
- Diarrhea (even sometimes)
- Light sensitivity, visual disturbances
- Puffy, dry, irritated or even bulging eyes
Members Lynda and Mike Find Relief with Dr. Rodier
Member Lynda told us how she was plagued with an undiagnosed hypoactive thyroid for 8 years. In that time she struggled with insomnia, weight gain, anxiety, depression, fatigue, migraines, and pills that didn’t heal any of it. Member Mike found himself feeling so sluggish from his metabolic syndrome that he worried he wouldn’t be able to keep up with the demands of a 3-month music tour.
Both recovered, and found life-changing guidance in Dr. Rodier’s book Switching off Chronic Disease and a helpful, caring health practitioner that armed them with the support they needed to heal.
Now Lynda is bouncing around her house, working on her yard, and running circles around her daughter, a busy actress in New York. Mike not only completed his music tour but also added a hot yoga routine into the mix and is ramping up for his next tour.
7 Simple Tips to Support a Healthy Thyroid
- Consult your physician. Lynda sings songs of praise for Dr. Rodier who identified and coached her to recovery from her 8-year journey with thyroid complications. Dr. Rodier offers discounted rates to new clients from Cell Nutritionals and is available to answer any questions via email or phone to individuals or groups.
- Get a metabolic profile test. It’s a common test that can be requested with your standard care practitioner. After his diagnosis, member Mike used the information about his triglycerides, cholesterol, and other markers to gauge his successful recovery. Click here to read Mike’s story.
- Eliminate Gluten from your diet. Dr. Rodier recommends going gluten free to detox and identify whether a gluten sensitivity may be contributing to the problem. When the body is sensitive to gluten, the immune system tags gluten molecules with antibodies. Left unchecked however, the body can eventually start attacking the thyroid too. 1 in 20 Americans has an undiagnosed gluten sensitivity, maybe more!
- Reduce stress. Stress produces cortisol, an adrenal hormone, that can interfere with thyroid function. Take slow deep breaths, meditate for 20 minutes a day, and practice yoga to calm and center yourself. Simply slowing down and being present to your body helps create a calm feeling and creates focus and energy to get through a busy day.
- Get complete nutrition. Cruciferous vegetables and sea vegetables contain heaps of nutrients that boost thyroid function like: iodine, B vitamins, zinc, selenium, iron, and vitamin D. Supplements can help bridge the nutrition gap as well when diet doesn’t provide enough nutrients, which is unfortunately the norm. Dr. Rodier recommends a plant-based diet and daily multi-vitamin for everyone.
- Get 7-9 hours of sleep every night. Many restorative processes in the body occur at night while you rest. Not enough or irregular sleep can disrupt these processes. To help get a solid night’s rest: don’t drink caffeine or alcohol within 4 hours of going to bed, use the bedroom only for sleep and sex, keep electronics out of the bedroom as the light prevents the body from releasing melatonin which helps you fall asleep, and stick to a regular sleep schedule.
- Exercise 5 times a week. Exercise helps the body flush toxins, metabolize fat, build muscle, and release feel-good endorphins. Even a 30 minute walk can make a noticeable difference.
Thyroid Hormones and Emotional Wellbeing Infographic
