If you’re feeling drained, sluggish, or struggling to keep your metabolism on track, it could be more than just the stresses of life taking their toll — it just might be your thyroid gland that’s to blame. This small, butterfly-shaped gland in your neck has a big influence on your body’s energy and metabolism, which means it also affects your overall health and your quality of life.
Shamsah Amersi, MD, has extensive experience diagnosing and managing hormonal imbalances, including imbalances involving the thyroid gland. Here, learn how the thyroid works and how it could be affecting your own metabolism and energy levels.
Your thyroid gland produces two primary hormones: triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). Together, these hormones play an essential role in maintaining your metabolism and your energy levels, as well as your body temperature, your heart rate, your weight, and other aspects of your health.
When your thyroid gland is working the way it's supposed, hormone levels are balanced, and you feel energized and alert. But when the production of thyroid hormones is "off," you can experience imbalances that have far-ranging effects on your health and wellness.
Thyroid disorders can be roughly divided into two types: hyperthyroidism, which develops when your thyroid gland overproduces hormones, and hypothyroidism, which occurs when the gland produces too few hormones. The symptoms of both conditions are diverse, and they may even overlap.
Thyroid hormones perform lots of functions, including regulating your metabolism — the processes your body uses to convert food into a form of energy your cells can use. In this way, the thyroid gland has a direct effect on your body’s physical and mental energy, as well.
When your thyroid gland is working the way it’s supposed to, your metabolism stays in balance and your cells and organs receive a steady supply of energy, helping you feel more focused and energized, as well. But if your thyroid produces too many hormones or too few, you can develop a wide array of symptoms that can sometimes be difficult to diagnose without lab testing.
An overactive thyroid can cause a condition called hyperthyroidism, along with symptoms like rapid heartbeat, unintended weight loss, diarrhea, tremor, anxiety, insomnia, and irritability.
On the flip side, an underactive thyroid causes hypothyroidism, a condition associated with symptoms like weight gain, depression, constipation, and sensitivity to cold. Of the two conditions, hypothyroidism is more common, happening about five times more often than hyperthyroidism.
Interestingly, both conditions share some of the same symptoms, like general fatigue and muscle weakness. In more severe cases, you may develop a lump in your neck called a goiter that happens when the thyroid gland enlarges or when small lumps or nodules form in the gland.
Because thyroid-related issues tend to develop very gradually, they're often ignored or attributed to something else, like stress, aging, or even menopause, leading to delays in care. Paying attention to subtle changes in energy and metabolism can help you get the treatment you need to rebalance your hormone levels and improve your overall health.
At our practice, we take a careful, individualized approach to thyroid management. Treatment begins with lab testing to gain accurate measurements of your thyroid hormone levels. Then, we work together to create a plan that rebalances your thyroid hormones while considering the factors that caused the imbalance in the first place.
For many patients, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) helps establish a normal balance of thyroid hormones by supplementing the body's natural production. Lifestyle changes involving a healthy diet, stress management, and better sleep habits can be beneficial, too, supporting natural thyroid function and improving general health, as well.
Throughout treatment, we monitor your thyroid hormone levels regularly to ensure your therapy stays on track as your needs evolve. We also encourage you to keep track of your symptoms, as well, so you can let us know how well your therapy is working.
A simple blood test is all it takes to determine if your thyroid gland is working the way it’s supposed to. If you have any symptoms of thyroid dysfunction, request an appointment online or over the phone with Dr. Amersi at her Santa Monica, California, office today.
