Today’s healthy habit article will focus on the thyroid which is a butterfly shaped gland in the throat area that wraps around the windpipe. Within each thyroid there are two para thyroids thus four para thyroids in total. The thyroid can be function at a normal, underactive or over active state. Let’s look into some details about the thyroid, some you may be aware of and some you might not be aware of.
Let’s look at some common symptoms of a thyroid challenge;
1) weight issues or can’t lose weight as well as can’t gain weight.
2) Hair loss and changes in hair texture.
3) Eye brows, or lack of eye brows.
4) Skin changes, thinning.
5) Eye that seem to bulge out from the eye sockets.
6) Fatigue.
7) Swollen neck or mass at the front of the neck as in a goiter.
8) Depression or anxiety.
9) Raspy voice or irritated voice when talking.
Now for some less common symptoms of a thyroid challenge;
1) high cholesterol, even when you try to change your food intake and/or take medication and your cholesterol is still high.
2) Bowel problems.
3) Muscle and joint pain.
4) Fertility issues.
5) Irregular menses.
The thyroid produces hormones called peptides. These hormones are called thyroxine and triiodothyronine, also called T4 and T3 respectively. Notice the word within the word triiodothyronine, iodine. The thyroid needs iodine and as studies go the area we live in is lacking in iodine in the water source as well as other areas but let’s focus on this region. Iodine is critical for our body in many different ways including growth and metabolism.
A simple blood test can determine how your thyroid is functioning but the challenge is, it is not just about the thyroid. The thyroid is affected by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. So you can’t just look at the thyroid but you have to go to the root cause of the thyroid, is it an iodine issue or is it the hypothalamic or pituitary gland. More importantly, well at least in my opinion if the adrenal gland is depleted the thyroid gland is also not functioning as it should and vice versa.
The thyroid gland has several very important functions in the body and when you consider the less common symptoms of muscle and joint pain, bowel problems and high cholesterol it’s hard to imagine how many people might be being treated and taking medicine for the aforementioned and it could all have to do with the thyroid. I realize there are blood tests to detect hyper and hypo thyroid but my challenge is with the range of normal and I have stated this in other articles if your blood test number is not in the middle of the range you could have a challenge with the thyroid.
What to do if you are exhibiting some of the symptoms mentioned? Firstly I would be doing a mineral soak, not an Epson salt bath but a mineral bath soak. You want to soak in all the natural minerals from the mineral salts which also contain iodine. I would consider looking at my adrenals, are they depleted? They get depleted with stress. Don’t forget to also consider the pituitary gland and hypothalamus and get blood work done on all four of the glands.
I mentioned the para thyroid, in short, this part of the thyroid helps with calcium in the body. Those that have had your thyroid removed or radiated, you need to find out if the para thyroid was also removed. Calcium is needed for almost every aspect of your body, heart, muscles, bones and more. Here are some websites to check out, I don’t agree with everything they say but are general good information http://www.thyroid.ca/thyroid_gland.php, http://thyroid.about.com/cs/basics_starthere/a/10signs.htm, http://thyroid.about.com/cs/basics_starthere/a/symptoms.htm.
Diane Elms D.H.M.H.S., CCI, CCII, Homeopath, Specializing in Drugless Cancer Care, 2006 Iridologist of the Year, if you have any health related questions contact diane@choicesforhealthandharmony.com, or 905 768 0848.