Underactive thyroid - How do I Test For It Properly!

If you are doing everything right and still felling unwell, there is definitely a hormonal imbalance that needs to be addressed. Perhaps you are suffering from clinical hypothyroidism (an under-active thyroid) or sub-clinical hypothyroidism (you have symptoms but the blood tests are normal). This was the case in Bev's story click here

Let's assume you are overweight and think you have hypothyroidism.

You've been to the doctor with complaints of:

weight gain,
slow weight loss
tiredness
chronic fatigue
weakness
constipation
shortness of breath
depression

fall asleep all the time
irritability
poor memory retention
difficulty concentrating
forgetful
feel cold all the time
low body temperature
dry coarse hair/dry skin

hair loss
muscle or joint pain
muscle stiffness
headaches
decreased libido
elevated cholesterol or triglycerides
heavy menstrual periods
difficulty falling pregnant

Normal thyroid tests but still feel tired?

The doctor examines you and performs some blood tests, including thyroid tests, and all the tests come back normal. This was the case in Val's story click here

You are sure you must have an under-active thyroid as you have all the symptoms, including a low body temperature, but the doctor decides to not prescribe any treatment. You go home, sentenced to a life of weight gain and feeling plain unwell. This scenario is played out again and again until one day you finally fall below the 'reference' ranges.

Underactive Thyroid - Body Temperature Test

If you feel that your thyroid is sluggish and you think you may be hypothyroid, testing your thyroid is important. You can take the do-it-yourself Barnes Thyroid Temperature Test, as an inexpensive, yet surprisingly accurate, initial test. Before the advent of the blood test, the Barnes basal temperature test and patients symptoms were all physicians had available to them to test thyroid function.

Doing the Barnes self temperature test will give you a starting point to determine if you may have hypothyroidism and need to have further confirmatory tests.

How do you test your thyroid at home?

Place a thermometer (preferably digital) within easy reach on the bedside table. Place the thermometer in your armpit for five minutes. Try to move as little as possible because movement will raise your body temperature.

Record your temperature each morning for five days. (For women, additional consideration is needed during ovulation, since ovulation somewhat elevates temperature. Because of this, women who menstruate should start recording their temperature on the second or third day of menstruation.)

A reading of 36,4 degrees or lower may indicate low thyroid function.

Underactive Thyroid - Serum (Blood) Test For Low Thyroid

If your temperature is low, you may want to request further testing. If you want to go the conventional medical test route you need to request that your physician perform the T3, free T3, sensitive TSH, reverse T3, and anti-thyroid antibody tests. Remember that the standard T4 blood test for thyroid function only measures T4 (the inactive form of the hormone) function and is rarely sensitive enough to determine hypothyroidism. That is why I recommend that you ask your doctor to perform the other blood tests.

In my clinical experience, most thyroid blood tests will come back within a 'normal range', but the patient still shows signs of (sub-clinical) hypothyroidism such as a low body (basal) temperature, etc. There is research indicating that the reference ranges are too broad and do not cater for the individual I guess we are not all the same after all!

The good news is that new and more accurate salivary and urine thyroid tests have become available.

Underactive Thyroid - Saliva & Urine Testing

Salivary and urine thyroid testing to the rescue! That's right. You saliva and urine now hold the key to determining whether or not you have an under-active thyroid. This is great as you will be able to find out if your thyroid is slowing down your metabolism and making you fat.

This brand new technology promised to change the lives of the millions of women suffering with an undiagnosed under-active thyroid. Because it tests thyroid function at the cellular level, the salivary/and or urine thyroid panel has been found to be more accurate than the blood tests in identifying an under-active thyroid.

The thyroid salivary test measures T3, T4 and free TSH. The salivary or urine thyroid test also measures antibodies against thyroperoxidase, an important enzyme involved in the production of thyroid hormone. Positive antibodies are a sign of an autoimmune process (the immune system attacking the body's own thyroid tissue).

Underactive Thyroid - Natural Treatments That Work

If your thyroid gland is found to be sluggish, through any of the various tests, you may first try the natural non-drug approach to reviving your thyroid.

Identify what is causing it to be sluggish e.g. stress, chemical exposure, etc.
Check your basal body temperature.
Consult your GP if necessary and request specific blood tests and discuss any possible need for medication changes.
Change your diet different foods do interfere with thyroid function. You may wish to consult a naturopath for help with this.
Consult a herbalist herbs such as withania, coleus, rehmania, kelp, etc. , are helpful if used in the correct dosages.
Improve your liver function with a detox
Avoiding the toxins I mentioned earlier and increasing your intake of iodine-rich foods such as seafood, asparagus, sea vegetables (kelp), garlic, lima beans, sesame seeds, spinach, Swiss chard and sea salt can be helpful.

The bottom line is most of the above symptoms may sound familiar it's not unusual for a 30, 40, or 50 something woman to feel tired, burnt out, and a little bit overweight and this makes hypothyroidism that much harder to diagnosed. However there are few things more frustrating than feeling unwell, and it can take a while to get the right diagnosis. Remember though, if you are feeling unwell there is most likely something triggering it. Ignoring the problem won't make it go away.

Getting a correct diagnosis is crucial when you realise that being treated can be a life-affirming event. So explore your options and strive for a better, healthy life!

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