Low Thyroid Symptoms: When to Find a Thyroid Doctor in Colorado Springs

When your thyroid gland is underproducing, your body feels like it isn’t running at full capacity. You may feel more tired, colder, or constipated. You may also have drier skin or find that you’re more forgetful or depressed. The American Thyroid Association has named this lack of thyroid hormone “hypothyroidism.” Suppose you identify with any symptoms of hypothyroidism. In that case, it’s time to see a functional medicine Colorado Springs thyroid doctor who can find the root cause and get your thyroid functioning properly again. Since everything in the body works together, you will be feeling your best when your thyroid functions as normally as possible.

What is a Thyroid?

Your thyroid, in the lower neck, is a butterfly-shaped gland about the size of two thumbs. As part of the endocrine system, it produces thyroid hormones that regulate your body. Your blood carries thyroid hormones to every tissue in your body, keeping the muscles and organs working properly and regulating your temperature. 

Your pituitary gland controls the thyroid. When it detects that your thyroid hormone levels are low, the pituitary gland releases the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). As the name suggests, TSH stimulates the thyroid to increase hormone production.

There are a few common causes of thyroid issues. Autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, removal of the thyroid, or radiation treatment are the three usual suspects of low thyroid production. Less common causes are thyroiditis, congenital hypothyroidism, damage to the pituitary gland, too much or too little iodine, as well as a few rare disorders. 

There are various low thyroid symptoms that indicate you need to see a Colorado Springs thyroid doctor. Although not all hypothyroidism symptoms may be noticeable at first, the Mayo Clinic urges you to seek intervention immediately. Untreated hypothyroidism can cause serious health problems, such as infertility, heart disease, obesity, and severe joint pain.

Health Dangers of Hypothyroidism

Dangerous health issues can arise from not seeking help from a thyroid doctor in Colorado Springs: 

Infertility

The medical community now recognizes that the thyroid gland can significantly affect male reproduction. Many couples in Colorado Springs can improve their chances of having a child by looking into hypothyroid treatments.

Heart Failure

Your heart rate slows with inadequate thyroid hormones. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, hardened arteries, and poor circulation can all be possible symptoms indicating low thyroid levels. Harvard Medical School explains that a malfunctioning thyroid gland can cause symptoms that hide true heart disease or make existing heart conditions worse. 

Obesity

Studies have long indicated that obesity can cause hormone level imbalances. New studies, however, such as those at Endocrine Web, report that an underactive thyroid may also cause obesity. Overweight individuals may be at greater risk of getting thyroid cancer. Whatever the cause, increased weight gain is a reason to consult with your thyroid doctor.

Severe Joint Pain 

Mayo Clinic states that those with the most common type of hypothyroidism have a higher risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. Severe joint pain in the shoulders and hips or hands and feet are symptoms associated with rheumatoid arthritis, which currently has no cure. You should seek care from your Colorado Springs thyroid doctor before the disease leads to severe and irreversible pain.

Symptoms

As with many health conditions and diseases, at first, you may barely notice the symptoms of hypothyroidism, such as fatigue and weight gain. Or you may simply attribute them to getting older. But as your metabolism continues to slow, you may develop more obvious problems such as: 

•     Constipation
•     Depression
•     Dry skin
•     Enlarged thyroid gland (goiter)
•     Fatigue
•     Hair thinning
•     Heart rate slowing
•     High cholesterol
•     Hoarseness – from a goiter or nodule affecting your vocal cord nerves
•     Increased sensitivity to cold
•     Joint pain, swelling, or stiffness
•     Memory loss or impairment
•     Menstrual cycle irregularities or heavier than usual periods
•     Muscle weakness, aches, or stiffness 
•     Weight gain or a swollen face

Many of these symptoms are a result of the body’s processes slowing down from reduced thyroid levels. 

Testing

It is difficult to diagnose hypothyroidism from symptoms alone. Too many other diseases and disorders share the same symptoms. To accurately diagnose your condition, a thyroid doctor in Colorado Springs will order a blood test, which measures TSH to assess your thyroid. Because low thyroid symptoms lack uniformity and are so general, determining how much TSH you have is one of the key ways to determine if you have hypothyroidism. 

Solutions 

Some traditional doctors will not spend enough time analyzing your test results and treating your symptoms. Some blood tests come back in a “normal range,” even though patients experience extreme symptoms of hypothyroidism. The doctor, however, will simply conclude that the thyroid isn’t the issue. This response can leave you with more questions than answers. Your thyroid doctor at True Life Medicine will go beyond the basic results of the blood test. We will offer diet and lifestyle changes that you can make to heal and manage your thyroid.

Most individuals getting their thyroid tested are likely to have other health issues, and a thyroid test may or may not reveal the underlying cause of the symptoms. While a cure for true hypothyroidism has not yet been discovered, it can be easily and entirely managed.

Many Colorado Spring thyroid doctors will prescribe synthetic hormones to replace the amount being underproduced. Your functional medicine doctor will take a wide lens approach, listening to all your issues and carefully reviewing your health history and lifestyle. At True Life Medicine in Colorado Springs, your thyroid doctor may order additional functional medicine tests pertaining to your other hormones as well as your immune system to get a complete view of your health.  

After reviewing the test results and considering your current health and family health history, we will provide you with a careful diagnosis and customized treatment plan, which may involve the use of necessary hormones, homeopathic remedies, lifestyle changes, or additional medical treatment.

You can start finding answers to your low thyroid symptoms when you contact True Life Medicine to have someone truly listen to all your concerns and provide you with a personalized plan to get your low thyroid symptoms under control.