Thyroid

Women and Thyroid Health - 27 Million Americans Suffer
Thyroid imbalances are one of the most widely under-diagnosed hormone issues for women.  Who would think one small gland in a woman’s lower neck can wreak havoc on her entire body? That gland is called the thyroid and it produces hormones that work to regulate metabolism and energy.

Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), when released from the brain, stimulates the release of Triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), the two primary thyroid hormones. When the thyroid gland produces too many or too few of these hormones, it results in an imbalance that brings a myriad of unwanted symptoms.

Known as hyperthyroidism, an overactive thyroid means thyroid glands are producing too many hormones for the body to process. A condition called hypothyroidism describes the opposite problem--and underactive thyroid that produces too few thyroid hormones. This is the more common scenario among adult women.

Either way, thyroid imbalances are widely under diagnosed in conventional medicine. In fact, by some estimates as many as 27 million Americans may be suffering from a thyroid disorder--and about half, or more than 13 million, are undiagnosed.

Considering how serious thyroid imbalances are to a woman’s overall health, it’s vital to learn to recognize the symptoms of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, and to take steps to optimize thyroid hormones.