Friday, March 7, 2014

Hypothyroid & Weight Loss

By Dr. Kevin Dobrzynski


The hypothyroid weight loss struggle is a common battle for those with hypothyroidism. If you've failed to lose weight despite dieting, it's possible that your thyroid is to blame.

It's estimated that 27 million Americans have a thyroid condition and many more go undiagnosed. The most common form of thyroid disease is hypothyroidism, which is a low thyroid or hypothyroid. This condition is not only affecting Americans but also anyone living in an industrialized country.

Weight loss is a losing battle for anyone with this thyroid condition. This is because your metabolism slows down and not even a low-calorie diet can help. In fact, you may even depress your metabolic rate further by causing long-term damage to it.

Here is where the real problem lies

You may either be misdiagnosed or undiagnosed. Even if you are experiencing all the symptoms of this disorder, your doctor may not successfully detect the problem.

One of the reasons why the diagnosis of hypothyroidism is often missed is due to it's many symptoms. Hypothyroidism affects every system of the human body.

The other reason why this condition goes undiagnosed is that blood testing is often inconclusive. The main blood test used to diagnose hypothyroidism, called the TSH test, can miss cases of hypothyroidism up to 80% of the time.

If you think you may have a thyroid problem, you will need to take action!

The best way to start is by monitoring your symptoms. Get a journal and mark your symptoms on a scale of 0= not applicable 1= mild 2= not severe 3= severe, and make sure you keep this going for at least one week. It is recommended that you date all the entries and keep the journal for up to one month.

The next step is to perform a body thermometer test at home. This is one of the easiest ways to see how low your metabolism is.

To do this test, you must put a thermometer by your bedside at night. First thing in the morning when you wake up, place the thermometer immediately under your armpit without moving or rising. Any movement may affect the test's accuracy.

Measure your body temperature for three consecutive days. If you're a female and menstruating, do the test on the second and third day of your period. Also, be aware if you have any current infections because this can make the test inaccurate.

Normal body temperature should read between 97.8 and 98.2. Any reading below this could point to a thyroid problem. Your hypothyroid weight loss struggles will continue until your body temperature and metabolism normalizes.

Present your symptoms checklist and your basal body temperature test to your endocrinologist. Endocrinologists specialize in hormones and are much more knowledgeable about thyroid conditions than regular doctors.

Hypothyroid weight loss struggles can be a thing of the past with the correct diagnosis. Even if your own doctor has been unable to treat your disorder, don't give up trying. You should refer to a specialist physician who will investigate your condition and advise what to do.




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