Could You Have a Thyroid Imbalance?

• Are you struggling with your health, yet your doctor has advised that all of your tests look fine?
• Are you feeling fatigued and emotionally low?
• Are you suspecting that your thyroid might be a cause of poor health?
• Do you have a family history of thyroid issues?
• Do you find that you’re gaining weight with no obvious reason?
• Are you losing weight for no apparent reason and feeling anxious and buzzy?
• Has your menstrual cycle changed?
• Are you going through hormonal changes such as menopause?
• Are you struggling to conceive?

All of the above factors could be attributed to a thyroid imbalance, which can often be hard to uncover with standard pathology. An under-functioning thyroid, also known as hypothyroidism, may be the cause. This is extremely common in women between the ages of 35 and 65, with a high prevalence of under diagnosis, misdiagnosis or poor management. With proper diagnosis and hypothyroidism treatment in Melbourne, the symptoms of hypothyroidism can be successfully managed.

What is the Thyroid?

The thyroid is a small butterfly shaped gland that sits at the front of the neck. It produces thyroid hormones which influence and regulate the activity of every cell, tissue and organ. It primarily impacts the metabolism, which regulates functions such as growth and development, body temperature, weight, energy levels, psychological health and fertility, and influences muscular strength, bone/skin health, digestion, mood and heart rate. If your thyroid isn’t functioning optimally, it can significantly affect your overall health and wellbeing.

What Can Cause Thyroid Dysfunction?

Various factors can adversely impact thyroid function, including iodine deficiency, chronic stress, autoimmunity, chronic inflammation, environmental toxicity, hormonal changes, genetics and even pregnancy.

Testing Thyroid Function

Did you know that most standard medical testing doesn’t test any thyroid hormones? The standard medical procedure for testing thyroid function is to measure a single hormone called TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone). TSH isn’t even a thyroid hormone, as it’s released by the pituitary gland. Its role is to tell the thyroid to produce thyroid hormones like T3 and T4. While TSH can indicate thyroid dysfunction, it commonly falls in the “normal” range, so further detailed testing isn’t pursued. TSH testing only tells us part of the story and not the whole story. So, while the thyroid can often appear to be fine, when we take a closer look, there can be a significant imbalance present.

Functional Hypothyroid Assessment

When you understand the significant effect the thyroid can have on the body, it makes sense that a single test is inadequate when assessing thyroid function. Functional Hypothyroid Assessment includes a thorough evaluation of the patient’s medical history (including signs and symptoms), a comprehensive panel of blood tests and functional examinations (including saliva and urinary functional testing) where required.

What Does Treatment Involve?

The primary focus is to assess for thyroid dysfunction, and if present, identify the underlying cause. Once the cause is identified, treatment is directed to resolve the cause accordingly. Addressing your primary health concerns while optimising thyroid function is the main objective of treatment. Education, supplements and dietary and lifestyle recommendations can aid thyroid function and overall health. In complex cases, additional health professionals such as doctors, endocrinologists and natural medicine practitioners may be consulted for hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism treatment in Melbourne.

Help is at Hand

If you suspect thyroid dysfunction may be impacting you, don’t delay in making an appointment to identify the root cause and get support now. Clarifying and effectively treating thyroid dysfunction can have a profound impact in improving overall health and quality of life. For thyroid imbalance help in Melbourne, make an appointment at Melbourne Natural Medicine Clinic today.