IS YOUR UNDERACTIVE THYROID GLAND MAKING YOU FAT?
by LINDA PRESTON
Do you feel tired all the time? Do you often feel cold when others are wearing the minimum of clothing? Do you put on weight very easily and find it hard to lose?
If so you could be suffering from an underactive thyroid gland. This condition is surprisingly common and affects as many as 1 in 50 women and 1 in 1000 men.
The thyroid gland is found in the neck. It lies in front of the wind pipe above
the level of the collar-bone. It secretes hormones to help regulate how our cells work. The thyroid hormones are thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). These are released into the blood stream.
T3 speeds up the body's metabolism by encourging the cells, in the muscles of the skin for instance, to work faster or grow. Most of the T3 in the blood is converted into T4.
If your thryoid is functioning poorly it is known as hypothryoidism and too little of the thyroid hormones are being released to regulate certain body functions.
The symptoms of hypothyroidism relate to a general 'slowing down' of the body's functions. They include
weight gain for no reason
feeling tired and sleeping excessively
easily feeling the cold
dry and thickened skin
coarse, thinning hair and eyebrows and brittle nails
sore muscles, slow movement and weakness
depression and problems with memory and concentration
constipation
fertilty problems and increased risk of miscarriage
A simple blood test undertaken by your doctor can diagnose an underactive thyroid by measuring the TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) If it is raised above normal levels then this confirms that you are suffering from hypothyroidism.
Treatment is usually a Thyroxine tablet taken daily. The body is then able to convert this to T3 just as it would if the thyroid gland were producing thyroxine normally. It can take some weeks to get the dose right. It is usual to start with a low dose and build up gradually.
Once your TSH level returns to normal many of the symptoms of underactive thyroid function disappear and excess weight gain can be reduced much more easily.
* This article is a guide only and not intended to replace professional medical advice.
About the Author
Linda Preston works as a professional psychic but has a keen interest in medicine & alternative remedies. She lives in the N.W. of the UK and can be contacted via her website at http://www.psychicreadingsbylinda.co.uk