Your thyroid is a small gland in your neck, and while it may seem like a rather insignificant organ, that couldn’t be further from the truth. This butterfly-shaped gland plays a crucial role in multiple functions and processes by making and releasing hormones. When your body produces too much or too little of these hormones, it can lead to an imbalance, frustrating symptoms, and a decline in your health and quality of life. Keep reading to learn more about thyroid gland hormones and why they’re important, plus our holistic approach to treatment.
What are thyroid gland hormones?
The thyroid gland’s main job is to regulate your metabolism, the rate by which your body turns food into energy. It does this by releasing several hormones, the main 2 being thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). These thyroid gland hormones, along with thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) produced by the brain and pituitary gland work together for various functions throughout the body.
What is the function of thyroid hormones?
As previously mentioned, the thyroid is responsible for your body’s metabolic rate, but that’s not the only thing affected by thyroid gland hormones. These are just a few other areas that require involvement from the thyroid:
- Heart rate
- Body temperature
- Digestion
- Breathing
- Skin and bone health
- Fertility
This is why an imbalance in your thyroid hormone production can be critical to your overall health. Next, we will discuss how to know if you are experiencing a hormonal imbalance and what to do about it.
What are the symptoms of a thyroid hormone imbalance?
Hypothyroidism is the medical term for when your body doesn’t produce enough thyroid gland hormones and is often linked to Hashimoto’s, a common autoimmune disease. Signs and symptoms can include fatigue, weight gain, numbness and tingling in hands, muscle weakness, cold sensitivity, and brain fog.
On the other hand, producing too much hormone production can result in hyperthyroidism and its corresponding autoimmune disease called Graves’ disease. This condition manifests in symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, shakiness, weight loss, increased appetite, intolerance to heat, and hair loss.
What are the treatment options?
The functional medicine team here at Revolution Health are experts in finding and treating hormone imbalances. We utilize comprehensive medical testing to pinpoint exactly what’s going on as well as a root cause approach to your symptoms so that we have a clear picture of how best to support your health needs. Treatment and therapies can include nutrition and lifestyle coaching, personalized supplement regimens, and in some cases, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. This type of treatment is derived from natural plant sources and helps to resolve the imbalance so you can get relief from your symptoms in just a few weeks.
Now you know why thyroid gland hormones are so important and the effect an imbalance can have on your physical and mental well-being. Get in touch with our hormone experts today, and let us help you get your health back on track.
