Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Hypothyroid & Weight Loss

By Dr. Kevin Dobrzynski


People suffering from hypothyroidism often find losing weight a common battle. If you have been trying to lose weight but failed, your thyroid is to be blamed.

At least 27 million people in the US suffer from thyroid conditions, and many of them go undiagnosed. Hypothyroidism is the most common form where your thyroid glands are underactive. This condition does not just affect people from the US, but people from other developing countries can also experience thyroid issues.

Weight loss is a losing battle for anyone with this thyroid condition. This is because your metabolism slows down and not even a low-calorie diet can help. In fact, you may even depress your metabolic rate further by causing long-term damage to it.

This is the real issue

People with this disorder often go undiagnosed or even misdiagnosed. You may experience all the symptoms of the disease but your physician may not recognize the problem.

One of the reasons why the diagnosis of hypothyroidism is often missed is due to it's many symptoms. Hypothyroidism affects every system of the human body.

Another reason why doctors miss the correct diagnosis of this condition is that the blood test is often inconclusive. The test is called TSH, and it has up to 80 percent chance of not recognizing the disorder.

If you believe you have a thyroid problem, you must act on it right away!

The best way to start is by monitoring your symptoms. Get a journal and mark your symptoms on a scale of 0= not applicable 1= mild 2= not severe 3= severe, and make sure you keep this going for at least one week. It is recommended that you date all the entries and keep the journal for up to one month.

Now you are ready to perform the at-home body thermometer test. Body temperature is one of the most obvious signs that your metabolism is depressed.

To test your body temperature, place the thermometer by your bedside at night. When you wake up in the morning, before even getting out of bed, place the thermometer under your armpit for around 10 minutes or so. Make sure you sit still as any movement will affect the accuracy of the test.

Measure your body temperature for three consecutive days. If you're a female and menstruating, do the test on the second and third day of your period. Also, be aware if you have any current infections because this can make the test inaccurate.

Normal readings should be between 97.8 to 98.2. If the reading is below this point, you have a thyroid disorder. Your weight loss battle will continue until your body temperature and metabolism rate become normal again.

Show your journal and body temperature readings to an endocrinologist. This type of doctor is a specialist in thyroid conditions and will be able to help you get better.

Hypothyroid weight loss struggles can be a thing of the past with the correct diagnosis. Even if your own doctor has been unable to treat your disorder, don't give up trying. You should refer to a specialist physician who will investigate your condition and advise what to do.




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