Thyroid Imbalances In Weight Problems
Part of the endocrine system of the body, the thyroid is a gland which produces hormones that are responsible for metabolic regulation. Imbalances in this gland can have many effects on the body including fluctuations in weight, either up or down, that can not be adjusted through diet or exercise alone.
Thyroid dysfunction can be broadly divided into under activity, hypothyroidism, or over activity also known as hyperthyroidism. If it is under active, it is not producing enough hormones and if overactive, it is producing too much. Either condition will lead to a metabolic imbalance but the resulting symptoms will depend upon which of these is present.
When the metabolism is too rapid, as with hyperthyroidism, the person usually experiences an uncontrollable loss in weight along with an increase in appetite. Other symptoms are common which are indicative of the overactive nervous system, including shortness of breath, anxiety and palpitations, to name a few.
A too slow metabolism and, therefore, weight gain and edema are hallmark symptoms of an under active thyroid. Other symptoms besides the slower metabolism include depression, fatigue, and feeling the cold more than usual.
It is rare for these symptoms to come on suddenly. Usually, they develop over a period of time. This makes it tricky to know that medical help should be sought, as most of the symptoms can be indicative or other issues. Fatigue, in particular, can be a result of other illnesses or merely not getting enough sleep.
Once medical help is sought, various tests are usually done to confirm a diagnosis of thyroid disease. Blood tests are done but cannot always be relied upon to give a true confirmation. Causes of thyroid problems are many, whether hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, and there are various treatment methods possible.
For an overactive thyroid, surgery is normally not recommended if it is possible to avoid. There are medications that can help to balance out the hormone levels, although if too high doses are given, the patient may be pushed into hypothyroidism. In some cases, people taking these medications will end up having remissions of their condition. Another common treatment is with radioactive iodine. However, this treatment is somewhat controversial, due to the inherent radioactivity.
In the case of hypothyroidism, treatment is almost always the taking of medication to replace the thyroid hormones. Generally, these medications are synthetic although there are some available that are produced from the thyroids of pigs.
Among the various alternative therapies which are now considered are yoga and other breathing exercises, acupressure, acupuncture, herbal supplements, and diet. Generally, these therapies are thought to be more effective if the condition is treated in the beginning before the imbalance becomes too severe. Even for people who need to be on medication of some type, these therapies may help to improve the thyroid imbalances as well.
Would you like to learn more about foods for thyroid? Read other articles at thyroid diet
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