Cheryl Wiggins, Pharmacy Director, at Pharmaceutical Compounding NZ Ltd is a specialised, experienced pharmacist and integrative practitioner with a wide range of knowledge to share on the Thyroid which will help you increase your understanding on how this gland impacts your own life. Please read Cheryl's article below:
As I mentioned in my article last month, "our hormones work as efficient messages calling to task many processes in our body that keep us running smoothly" – some of us cannot remember what it feels like to "run smoothly" as we would not have felt ourselves for some time. Widely misunderstood yet a surprisingly common condition that is often missed with standard blood tests, thyroid dysfunction can make or break your day – every day! It affects your brain, alters your moods and emotions and can lead to a wide range of problems.
The thyroid is a small butterfly shaped gland in the neck producing a group of thyroid hormones. These control human body metabolism and function, which is the way that we convert food and use energy in our cells. Its operation is a fine balance – too much thyroid hormone causes the body to race with nervousness and weight loss, while with too little the processes slow down affecting physical and mental activities. This balance can be affected by levels of other hormones in the body. Stress, food intolerances, low levels of Iodine in our diet, poor availability of key nutrients such as Selenium, various group B Vitamins and Amino Acids (from protein in the diet) also have a direct affect. While not forgetting that as we age the function of various glands including the thyroid slow down naturally, even to a point where we seem less able to cope with the day to day stresses of life.
If the human soul were to have a molecular structure then it would certainly be a thyroid hormone. Without it, our minds, the many sources of thought, memory, imagination and emotion would fail leaving very uninteresting beings or "blobs". The active thyroid hormones work in all cells as the spark that fires life and emotional wellbeing – without which low mood, anxiety, low energy and fatigue result.
Sometimes we do not realise what the cause of our low energy and fatigue is. There may be multiple symptoms that stand out as classical thyroid deficiency, which can in the long term can be life threatening and yet we and our doctor still do not know the cause. Many women do not really notice or realise they have a low thyroid function until they reach the peri menopausal/menopausal years, as changing levels of many hormones at this time have a direct affect on optimal thyroid function. If you have low thyroid function, you may recognise some of the following symptoms such as fatigue, cold hands and feet, constipation, poor memory, low mood, headaches, weight gain, general aches and painful muscles and joints, nervousness, heart palpitations, excessive and painful menstruation and or brittle nails to name a few.
We are all individuals and our bodies may and often require a slightly different treatment approach. There are many options but correct diagnosis is critical to finding the solution that best suits you.
Getting thyroid balance is vital to optimal health. Pharmaceutical Compounding has numerous resources to help you understand your health/hormone status including a free 15 minute advice and consultation sessions, with myself or Dr Sahar, with a special offer for grown ups members. Take time to speak with us. We are happy to talk with you, for more information click here.
If any of this is you; we invite you join us at our second free public Auckland Seminar on Thyroid Function and Dysfunction, to be held on Saturday 23rd November. For further information click here.
Read more here: "Is it my hormones or is it just me?" 