IS YOUR thyroid on the blink?

HOW TO SPOT IT AND GET ON IT

you eat right. You exercise, you drink your water and you don’t smoke. You try to get enough sleep. In fact, you are practically the poster child for healthy living.

Why then, in the name of all that is holy on God’s green earth, is it so hard for you to shift a measly few kilos?

No matter what you do, that scale just won’t budge. Or worse, it’s heading in the wrong direction altogether!

To add insult to injury, despite your good living ways, you’re feeling decidedly blah. You’re tired all the time, anxious, foggy-brained and just generally out of sorts. What’s really going on here? LIGHT-BULB MOMENT!

Your thyroid might be messing with you. This important little gland has a big job. Located at the base of the front of your neck, and shaped like a butterfly, the thyroid is responsible for producing hormones that regulate metabolism, mood, digestive function, body temperature, brain, heart, muscle and bone health.

Among women aged 40-plus, the most common type of thyroid disorder is hypothyroidism, aka an underactive thyroid.

Trouble is, many telltale symptoms can niggle and lurk for years. They may be misdiagnosed as other conditions, chalked up to menopause or dismissed as something you just need to live with, which, of course, you do not!

WHO’S AFFECTED?

Anyone can develop thyroid issues, but they affect more women than men. Some risk factors include: Family history

Being female and middle-aged Autoimmune disease (Hashimoto’s Disease, for example, is a condition where the immune system attacks the thyroid, causing it to malfunction)

Certain meds, such as lithium, used to treat bipolar disorder

Being born with an underdeveloped thyroid (congenital)

A pituitary gland disorder, such as a benign tumour

Radiation treatment for certain cancers Pregnancy

Surgery or other treatment for an overactive thyroid

Iodine deficiency, although rare in developed countries today. Iodine is a mineral necessary for healthy thyroid function. Sources include seaweed, eggs, dairy, iodised table salt, prawns and prunes.

WHAT TO DO

If you suspect something is amiss, see your GP. They may go over your history, do a physical exam and order blood tests to check your thyroid hormone levels, specifically thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). Left untreated, symptoms may worsen, and serious complications such as heart trouble, infertility, birth defects and nerve damage can occur.

WHAT’S THE TREATMENT PLAN?

If you are diagnosed with an underactive thyroid, you’ll likely be prescribed a thyroxine replacement drug called levothyroxine. It can take a while to get the dose right, but you should start to feel better fairly quickly. Yearly thyroid function tests will be recommended.

Be open with your doctor about any supplements you take, especially iron or calcium, as they may interfere with absorption of thyroid hormone replacement meds