Understanding Hypothyroidism

Roughly 5% of the American population over the age of 12 deals with hypothyroidism, which means their thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough hormones. That means that in a room of 20 individuals, one person likely lives with this condition.

The thyroid is a small gland in your neck, but it plays a big role in your body. The hormones it creates matter for everything from your body temperature and metabolism to the way your organs function. 

As a result, hypothyroidism — or hypo, for short — creates a variety of symptoms. You might feel cold all the time or deal with unexplained weight gain, for example. 

If that sounds familiar, visit us at Integrative Medica in Salt Lake City, Utah. As thyroid specialists, Jake Schmutz, NMD and Joshua Hersh, NMD can find out if hypothyroidism is affecting you. And if it is, we develop a treatment plan to help you mitigate your symptoms and lead your best life possible. 

Spotting hypothyroidism

Early on, many people with mild hypothyroidism never notice the symptoms. As your thyroid continues to produce too little of its key hormones, though, your systems slow down, creating noticeable changes. 

People with hypo often have symptoms that include:

• Feeling cold all the time
• Constipation
• Joint and muscle pain
• Dry hair and skin
• Weight gain
• Low mood
• Fatigue
• Menstrual irregularities

If those sound familiar, don’t hesitate to visit us. At our office, we can find out if your thyroid is underperforming. 

How we diagnose hypothyroidism

Drs. Schmutz and Hersh use blood tests to diagnose hypothyroidism. Specifically, these tests look for thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), which your pituitary gland makes to stimulate your thyroid gland. If you have abnormally high TSH levels, it means you have hypothyroidism. The heightened TSH is a sign that your body is trying to stimulate your thyroid because it’s not working the way it should. 

Hypothyroidism means your thyroid isn’t making enough of two important hormones: triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). These thyroid hormones help control your metabolism and other bodily functions. 

Beyond a blood test, we can also order a full thyroid panel to check these hormones and a few other parameters to fully assess your thyroid function.

Treating hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism can’t be cured. In rare cases, people get viral thyroiditis right after pregnancy that clears up on its own. Most of the time, though, hypo is a lifelong condition.

While there’s no cure, Drs. Schmutz and Hersh can absolutely offer treatment. Usually, that means replacement thyroid hormones. We offer bioidentical hormones, which are composed of natural ingredients that match the makeup of your natural hormones. 

With regular testing, we can ensure you have the right dosage of bioidentical hormones to keep your symptoms at bay. This way, you can enjoy the fullest life possible. Your thyroid may be underperforming, but that doesn’t mean you need to be. 

If the hypo symptoms we outlined above sound familiar, don’t hesitate to visit our office so we can see if this thyroid condition is affecting you. To get started, call us today.