If you are not feeling well but cannot identify the origin of your ailment, your thyroid gland may be causing your symptoms. A blood test can show the levels of thyroid hormone in your bloodstream, and Rhode Island thyroid hormone treatment can turn your situation around and improve the way you feel. Call our Greenwich office to learn more about how this therapy could benefit you.
Part of the endocrine system, the thyroid gland lies just beneath the Adam’s apple. The thyroid creates two hormones that circulate throughout the bloodstream: thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). Other cells convert T4 into T3, which influences virtually every aspect of the body.
The pituitary gland, located in the skull beneath the brain, regulates thyroid levels. When this gland senses that there is not enough hormone secretion, it sends out a hormonal stimulant to boost thyroid gland production.
Hypothyroidism is when the thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones. General discomfort is an early symptom of this condition, but this may worsen if left untreated. Left untreated, hypothyroidism could result in the following symptoms:
Some of these symptoms can accompany many conditions, but others—such as facial puffiness or a hoarse voice—are much more likely to be the result of low levels of thyroid hormones. While both sexes may develop this condition, hypothyroidism is more common in women than men.
It is also possible to have hypothyroidism at any age, but it generally develops during menopause. Regardless of which symptoms a patient in Rhode Island is suffering from, thyroid hormone treatment could offer relief through continued use and close monitoring.
A blood sample can reveal the level of T3 and T4 currently in a patient’s system, but a doctor may also use a CT scan or MRI to view the thyroid gland. A patient with hypothyroidism may be prescribed natural thyroid hormone treatment and must take pills twice daily, as opposed to synthetic hormone pills which are taken once a day.
Most patients report a preference for natural thyroid hormone treatment over the synthetic version. In a study published in Clinical Thyroidology, 70 patients took either synthetic thyroid hormones or natural hormones for three months, and then switched to the alternative option for an additional four months. At the end of the study, nearly half of the patients favored the natural hormone, while only 19 percent preferred the synthetic hormone.
In addition, those taking natural hormones experienced more weight loss. There were also patients who continued to have symptoms of hypothyroidism when taking the synthetic product, but these symptoms disappeared once they switched to the natural thyroid hormone.
If you have symptoms indicative of thyroid issues, you should call us today or contact us online to arrange a consultation. Ask Dr. Edward Jacobson about the ways Rhode Island thyroid hormone treatment could benefit you. If it turns out your thyroid levels are normal, we can discuss other options for symptom relief involving bioidentical hormones.