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Thyroid Disease

Thyroid Hormones & Thyroid Function — An Overview

What is Thyroid

As the master gland, your thyroid is central to all of your body’s major functions. It influences your metabolism, digestion, energy, body temperature, skin, hair, sleep, mental acuity, nervous system, sex organs, and hormonal system. In fact, it would be very difficult to find a system that is NOT influenced by the thyroid.

When your thyroid is off-balance, most likely, you will feel pretty lousy. Whether your thyroid is working too fast (hyperthyroidism) or working too slow (hypothyroidism), or a combination of the two, there will be trouble. A properly-functioning thyroid helps maintain a delicate balance through a set of complex feedback loops that ultimately define the rate and efficiency of many of our metabolic processes. The thyroid indirectly – but powerfully – influences the way we feel physically, mentally and emotionally.

If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, we recommend getting your thyroid checked right away.

  • Fatigue and weakness
  • Intolerance to cold or low basal temperature
  • Heat intolerance
  • Dry or coarse skin
  • Clammy skin
  • Hair loss
  • Cold hands and feet
  • Hot hands and feet
  • Unexplained weight gain or trouble losing weight
  • Unexplained weight loss or inability to maintain a healthy weight
  • Insomnia
  • Constipation
  • Frequent bowel movements
  • Depression
  • Poor memory, forgetfulness or dementia
  • Nervousness and tremors
  • Immune system problems
  • Heavy menstrual periods
  • Very light menstrual periods

Because of the thyroid’s widespread effects, malfunction can significantly affect a person’s life and poses a detriment to long-term health. Learning more about the thyroid itself can help you understand why it is important to work with a physician who truly understands the complexities of the organ.

To partner with a holistic medical doctor that is an expert in the field of treating thyroid disorders and can recommend a natural, safe and effective treatment plan, call 212-991-9991 or request that a patient coordinator contact you with more information.

If you’ve been tested for thyroid disease and your TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) test diagnostics reveal that your levels are “within normal range”, but you still are feeling unbalanced, it’s time for more comprehensive testing. Conventional doctors only use the TSH test, which measures your thyroid function from a limited perspective.

Our holistic physicians offer a variety of tests that diagnose “subclinical” thyroid conditions that most conventional doctors miss. Patients Medicaloffers tests for T3, T4, Free T3, Free T4, anti-thyroid antibodies and the TRH Challenge test. These additional tests help our doctors analyze the various aspects of thyroid function and pinpoint the exact dysfunction so that they can better prescribe a treatment plan that will get you feeling better more quickly.

The TRH test is a valuable component of this process. Especially for those cases that are difficult to diagnose through the more common types of testing, the TRH (Thyrotropin Releasing Hormone) Challenge test is essential for analyzing the relationship between the thyroid, the pituitary gland and they hypothalamus gland. Plainly stated, it measures the thyroid’s communication with your brain.

Beyond the typical synthetic hormone replacement strategies, Patients Medical’s integrative medical doctors offer treatments that include nutritional therapy, nutritional supplements, natural hormones, homeopathy, acupuncture and herbal remedies.

Thyroid disease can take many different forms. Beyond the typical hypo- or hyperthyroid classifications, doctors have distinguished several types of thyroiditis that include Hashimoto’s Disease, Graves’ Disease, goiter, nodules, and thyroid cancer.

Graves’ Disease is an autoimmune disorder that causes hyperthyroidism, or an overactive thyroid gland. Sometimes referred to as Toxic Diffuse Goiter, the thyroid gland synthesizes more thyroid hormones than the body requires, causing weight loss, rapid heart rate, anxiety and nervousness. 2% of all women experience Graves’ Disease at some point in their lives and commonly strikes women between the ages of 20-40, however men, infants, children and older adults may also be affected.

Hashimoto’s Disease is an inflammation of the thyroid gland that may be accompanied by hyperthyroid or hypothyroid symptoms. Those with Hashimoto’s may experience a fever and swelling, tenderness or pain in the front of the neck, in and around the thyroid area – by the throat. The thyroid is inflamed due to abnormal activity in the immune system, in which anti-thyroid antibodies are created and attack the thyroid gland. This can damage or destroy the thyroid cells. This form of thyroid disease affects 1.5 million people in the United States and is often mis-diagnosed because of the tendency of symptoms to bounce between hypothyroid and hyperthyroid.

Postpartum Thyroiditis may result from changes in the immune system and hormones during pregnancy, affecting about 7% of all pregnancies depending on the region. Interestingly, this type of thyroid disorder is simply an exacerbation of an underlying or undiagnosed autoimmune thyroid disease prior to pregnancy.

DeQuervain’s Thyroiditis is a much less common type of thyroid disease caused by a bacterial or viral infection. Symptoms of this type of imbalance may include increased release of thyroid hormones, fatigue or cognitive impairment.

Goiter is a condition in which the thyroid gland is swollen or enlarged. This can happen for a variety of reasons, including hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism and other conditions. Goiter can create other health concerns such as pressure on the esophagus and inconsistencies in the thyroid tissue, including nodules that may be malignant or benign. This condition can be treated and is not life-threatening if addressed promptly.

Thyroid nodules are abnormal growths of thyroid cells that cause a lump in the surface of the tissue. Nodules are not usually cancerous, but can alert you to a cancerous growth. Usually, there are no specific symptoms that accompany nodules besides the slight lump that may be visible through the skin if it is large enough. In some cases, lack of dietary iodine or a genetic predisposition may cause the condition. Thyroid nodules can lead to hyper- or hypothyroid conditions, depending on the cell growths.

Thyroid cancer can be categorized into Follicular, Papillary, Medullary, and Anaplastic. Genetic factors and toxic exposures are the most common potential causes of thyroid cancer, but these causes are multifactorial and not well understood. Some symptoms that may accompany thyroid cancer may include persistent pain in the neck, swollen lymph nodes, problems with swallowing, formation of a lump near the Adam’s apple and hoarseness.

Papillary thyroid cancer accounts for approximately 60% of the cancer cases. Papillary tumors are cystic masses that form on otherwise normal thyroid hormone-producing tissue and tend to stay localized. Follicular thyroid cancers, however, account for 12% of thyroid cancer cases and are more invasive, thus likely to spread to other body parts. These two types of thyroid cancer are usually curable. Medullary thyroid cancer and Anaplastic thyroid cancer are more rare and invasive, however advances in medicine as well as integrative treatment protocols are helping minimize fatalities associated with even the most aggressive types of thyroid cancer.



Begin Your Journey to Wellness with Patients Medical

A well-functioning thyroid is essential to your overall health. If you feel that your thyroid is not functioning properly, there are measures you can take to minimize the health risks and damage that thyroid dysregulation may pose. We have extensive experience in treating thyroid hormone imbalance, thyroid diseases, and other endocrine disorders. With a range of tests offering greater specificity and sensitivity than conventional testing, the expert physicians at Patients Medical can provide timely and accurate diagnosis. In partnership with you, we design and coordinate an individualized integrative protocol, combining the best of conventional and alternative evaluation and treatment solutions to help you achieve maximum health.

Supporting Your Hormonal Health and Well-Being

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Article Last Updated: 11/17/2011