About 5 years ago I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism, which it turns out is a very common problem. The thyroid is very important to your body. It controls: the amount of oxygen each cell uses, the rate at which your body burns calories, your heart rate, overall growth, body temperature, fertility, digestion, and your memory and mood. Hypothyroid is when you have too little TSH (Thyroid stimulating hormone). Hyperthyroid is when you have too much TSH.
Signs that you might have Hypothyroidism:
Weight gain, snoring, slow pulse, lump on neck, muscle cramps, stiffness and pain, loss of outer third of eyebrow hair, Lethargy/loss of ambition, intolerance of cold, hoarse or slow speech, high blood pressure, heavy, prolonged periods, exhaustion, dry and yellowing skin, droopy eyelids, difficulty swallowing, depression, constipation, confusion and forgetfulness, coarse hair and skin, carpal tunnel syndrome, "brain fog"
Signs that you might have Hyperthyroidism:
Diarrhea, dizziness, emotional instability, excessive body heat, extreme hunger, fast pulse, fatigue, heat intolerance, hyperactivity, increased hair growth, insomnia, irritability, light or skipped periods, low blood pressure, lump on neck, nervousness, pounding heartbeat, prominent eyes, smooth, moist skin, sweating, weight loss
What can mess up your thyroid:
certain foods, especially excess iodine, environmental toxins, extreme dieting, genetics, medicines (lithium and amiodorone) menopause, pregnancy, stress, vitamin deficiencies
"Master Your Metabolism", Jillian Michaels
If you think you might have one of these, call your doctor or an endocrinologist, to have some blood work done. If you do have one of these, talk to your endocrinologist about ways to help your thyroid, such as foods to eat or avoid, or medications that you should be taking.
I have just been taking my medication everyday for the past five years, not thinking anything of it. But the more research that I've done lately, the more I've been looking into how the foods that I eat and my environment effect my thyroid. (more info to come)
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