Thyroid problems are on the increase in modern society, and sadly many of us are so stressed and tired that we completely miss the symptoms.

So what is the thyroid and what does it do?

It is a strange ‘butterfly’ shaped gland located in the centre of your neck. How well your thyroid is functioning, can be directly related to every single system in your body. In fact, it is the catalyst and starting point for many of your bodies hormone manufacture, and when it is not running optimally, neither are you.

Hypo-thyroidism or an under-active thyroid accounts for up to 90% of all thyroid imbalances.

So here are the 10 signs that you may have an under-active thyroid:

1. Fatigue – despite a good night’s sleep (8 – 10 hours)

2. Unexplainable weight gain and/or the inability to shed excess weight

3. Swelling in the neck area, a hoarse voice and/or snoring

4. An inability to concentrate, brain fog and a lack of memory

5. Fluctuations in normal hormone cycles such as PMS, irregular menstrual cycles, infertility and low sex drive

6. Constipation

7. Abnormal mood swings such as depression and anxiety

8. Muscle and joint pain

9. Dry or cracking skin, brittle nails and excessive hair loss

10. A constant feeling being cold when others are not

How do doctors diagnose a problem?

In order to determine whether your thyroid is functioning properly or not, you will require a series of blood tests to be done.

Many conventional doctors only use one or two tests, tests such as the TSH and T4 tests to screen for problems. This, however, is not adequate, a new age of functional medicine doctors is on the rise, these doctors are passionate about getting to the source of disease and correcting the imbalances in the body.

Here is the best test to have to get a full understanding of what is happening with your thyroid:

– TSH

– Free T4

– Free T3

– Reverse T3

– Thyroid Antibodies (TPOAb)

– Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAB)

Always consult a functional medicine doctor, do not self-diagnose as many illnesses share common symptoms.

When your body is not coping and underperforming, do not ignore these warning signs but rather make an appointment to visit your doctor. Don’t wait, avoid any serious long-term illness by acting quickly and remember … prevention is always better than cure!