How many of us have felt tired or emotionally down, and have even struggled with the ability to take off those last few pounds? Does this mean we have symptoms related to the function of our thyroid?

Shaped like a butterfly or shield (which is why its name comes from the Greek “shield”), the thyroid is a vital part of the body’s endocrine system. It is a gland that is under the Adam’s apple and located before the trachea in the neck. The hormones it produces get moved throughout the body via the bloodstream to supply bodily tissues; these hormones include T4, or Thyroxine, and T3, or Triiodothyronine.

When a body’s thyroid hormones function properly, one’s body is able to process food correctly, converting it to energy. In addition, all food is metabolized and then must be eliminated as waste which utilizes additional energy for the conversion process. One’s thyroid is essential for numerous bodily functions, as the hormones produced are responsible for determining proper metabolism and thus can affect the growth and efficiency of other body systems. A primary example of this is the hormone calcitonin. It is produced by the thyroid gland and regulates the levels of calcium circulating in the blood. To properly produce these hormones, the body must have enough iodine and an amino acid known as tyrosine.

Many millions of females have a barely detectable level of thyroid disfunction, and this is known as a “borderline” condition. Those who are from the age of 35 to 55 are especially at risk, since they are going through either perimenopause or menopause.

Studies have been performed by the Thyroid Foundation of America that give an estimate of the group of females that are impaired by a lowering of thyroid function at over 11 million. A considerable amount of countless females can have slight symptoms when one takes into consideration that a women may possibly have a slight deficiency in thyroid function. This condition is known as hypothyroidism and many women can have problems with this that are between the ages of 35 and 55, who are simultaneously going through the change of life which does include hormonal changes.

Since the thyroid primarily controls the body’s metabolic rate, its malfunction can cause all sorts of negative symptoms, including hot flashes, wakefulness, exhaustion, crankiness, brain fog and irregular heartbeat.

When one’s metabolism runs efficiently, one can burn calories most effectively and thus lose weight or at least stay at a normal weight. The hormones produced in the thyroid are what manages this, and also the way that the body uses vitamins it gets from food. Thyroid function is so important that it affects many bodily systems, including the muscular, reproductive, circulatory, nervous, and digestive systems. Within each cell, it affects the activity of the creation of the item that produces energy in the cells. It also allows for proper use of oxygen throughout the body.

When a person suddenly gains weight, even becoming obese, it signals a reduction in their metabolism. This means that the thyroid gland has not been producing enough hormones to properly process foods and generate sufficient energy, and this condition is called hypothyroidism.

When a person has a healthy metabolism, it must mean that the hormone leptin is properly curbing hunger within their system. This hormone is regulated by thyroid function and is created out of fat cells that also maintain proper energy for use by the body. Thus, thyroid function is crucial to proper appetite and the maintenance of one’s weight. In addition, it affects their ability to awaken and rise and their energy levels throughout the day.

The condition of hypothyroidism can imitate other bodily circumstances, so it is sometimes referred to as the “great imitator” in medical circles.

When a person has the following medical symptoms, why have they been told their thyroid is normal?

* Difficulty arising in the morning along with fatigue

* Trouble remembering things

* Brain daze

* Skin rashes

* Severe headaches, or migraines

* More susceptibility to hot and cold conditions

* Less moisture in the facial skin and Hair depletion (occurring mainly outside of the eyebrows)

* Loss of enthusiasm for life, increasingly noticeable with seniors

* Hysteria and extreme nervousness

* Tendency to crave more sleep

Unfortunately, when a doctor orders the usual thyroid tests performed (including the TSH and T4 tests) one’s thyroid levels are not always correctly evaluated. In fact, there are those who may believe that because of these tests, they do not have low thyroid levels, and that may actually be the case. The brain’s pituitary gland is responsible for the secretion of TSH and this in turn signals thyroid secretion of T4 (not the vital hormone of the thyroid); the body then changes this hormone into T3, which is the vital form of the hormone. The problem with diagnosing hypothyroidism today is that TSH levels are evaluated as to an increase as the T4 and T3 hormone levels fall. This is a successful way to diagnose very ill patients, but does not reveal those who are only slightly affected by these indicators and need a proper diagnosis involving other contributing factors.

When a woman knows there is a thyroid problem, it can be frustrating to seek assistance and be continuously misdiagnosed in this regard. Once the truth is exposed, women sense relief as they are able to gain hope in the proper diagnosis and alleviation of their resulting symptoms, coming from a low normal thyroid condition.

The latest research as reported in the journal of Archives of Internal Medicine indicates that subclinical hypothyroidism (or those with low normal efficiency of the thyroid) will have double the incidence of having a heart attack and a seventy-percent higher chance of having hardened arteries (arteriosclerosis). Unfortunately, when low normal thyroid function is left unnoticed and untreated, many women will not find relief from the symptoms of stubborn excess weight, tiredness, despair, and more. A person can have hope for a better state of health and state of mind when getting the proper level of thyroid functioning back to its previous healthy standing.

Why not end your discouragement and come in to see a doctor today? There is no charge for a consultation with a medical professional which can possibly put your mind at ease, especially if you are affected by negative symptoms that point to a possible thyroid condition.