Six strangers sit in a doctor’s waiting room. Unbeknownst to each, they’ve been drawn there by the exact same symptoms. All six suffer from weight gain, brain fog, fatigue, weak nails, and depression. Worst of all, each one is about to be told that there’s no diagnosis for their ills. Or they’ll receive the wrong diagnosis, causing them to waste time taking the wrong medication or seeking the wrong treatment…and seeing absolutely no improvement.

Who is this doctor, you wonder? Should he or she be thrown out of the AMA? 

It’s not that the doctor is bad, per se. It’s just that these are all classic symptoms of low thyroid or hypothyroidism, but in all likelihood, the two thyroid tests their doctor is about to run are going to show that their thyroids are functioning “normally.” What’s worse, these six strangers could have six very different thyroid disorders that could be treated if only the right tests – the right SEVEN tests – were performed.

The Thyroid is Kind of a Big Deal

Source: Lum3n.com, via Pexels

Virtually every tissue in your body is affected or regulated by the thyroid. That’s a lot of responsibility for one little body part. This small butterfly-shaped gland sits in the front of the neck just below a man’s Adam’s apple, and is under the control of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. Together, they trigger the release of thyroid hormones (triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4)), which travel throughout the body via the blood helping to regulate growth and metabolism. But that’s not all.

Thyroid function directly affects heart rate, memory, energy, cholesterol levels, muscle contraction and relaxation, hair and skin texture, bowel function, fertility, menstrual regularity, mood, and body weight. Without enough thyroid hormones, every system in your body slows down. And like the six strangers in the waiting room, you’re going to feel the effects. So, what causes this?

While the thyroid gland is critically important, it’s also acutely sensitive. External influences like chlorine, fluoride, and some heavy metals can negatively impact its function, and internal stressors can turn it against you. Spending extended time periods around pesticides? Dealing with gastrointestinal issues or leaky gut syndrome? Either and both could be making your thyroid function worse. But how can you know if your thyroid is happy with you?

Put Your Thyroid to the Test

Our six strangers are about to undergo two standard thyroid tests (TSH and T4), – but they really need seven (more on that in an upcoming blog post). Their conventional doctor only runs tests that insurance companies consider “medically necessary,” and that means a thorough thyroid panel won’t be paid for. That also means knowing the underlying causes of their symptoms isn’t seen as “medically necessary.” Because of this, millions of people have a thyroid disorder and don’t know it.

At Twin Cities Metabolism, we put you in the know. We believe it’s very necessary to understand your thyroid function and how it contributes to your overall health. Our Thyroid Optimization Program identifies the causes of the most distressing symptoms with extensive metabolic and thyroid testing, and aims to correct them with a natural, customized approach. Isn’t it time you gave your thyroid a little love?