COMPREHENSIVE THYROID EVALUATION

Hormones are a big part of proper body function.  They are the messengers of the body and they are responsible for numerous actions, including metabolism, cell activity, controlling your immune system, cognition and behavior, growth, fertility, energy, and more.

Maintaining balanced hormones is an important part in your overall health.  For example, one of the most important hormones that your body produces is called thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormone is produced by the thyroid gland, which is located in your neck. There are a number of different types of thyroid hormone which are important in both female and male health. 

The thyroid has a number of different functions. One of the most significant of these is its responsibility for controlling your metabolism (the rate of chemical reactions that take place in each cell of body).

When the thyroid isn't functioning properly it can either produce too little thyroid (hypothyroidism), or produce too much thyroid (hyperthyroidism). Symptoms of an underactive thyroid include fatigue, brain fog or memory loss, hair loss, muscle cramping, dry skin, poor immune function, heart disease, weight gain, cancer, among others.

Unlike hypothyroidism, too much thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism) produces opposite effects, although some symptoms can overlap. A thyroid that produces too much hormone can cause the following symptoms: rapid heartbeat and/or heart attack, excessive sweating, irritability, fatigue, heat intolerance, difficulty sleeping, tremors, anxiety, nervousness, fidgeting, irregular menstruation, bulging eyes, and others.

There can be many different reasons for thyroid dysfunction. This is why we do a comprehensive thyroid evaluation, which tends to be much more detailed than most other medical professionals.

Our evaluation includes, but is not limited to looking for various thyroid markers, such as TSH, Free-T3, Free-T4, Reverse-T3, Thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO), Thyroglobulin antibodies (Tg), Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) receptor, as well as nutrient deficiencies (vitamins, minerals, etc.), food sensitivities and allergies, digestive health, microbial infections, toxic levels of heavy metals, to name a few. All can have their own effects on thyroid function.