Expert Advice

Acella Pharmaceuticals is partnering with Lindy Ford, RD, LDN to bring greater awareness to the importance of thyroid care and education. This post is sponsored by Acella Pharmaceuticals.

Disclaimer: The information provided is for educational purposes only and does not substitute professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider before beginning any exercise, fitness, diet, or nutrition routine. Acella Pharmaceuticals does not endorse, promote, or sponsor any products or brands mentioned in this article. The views expressed here are those of the author.

How you feel each day may be related to your hormone balance. There are different hormones that impact health, and there are also common indicators that a person's thyroid hormones may be out of balance.

When a new patient comes into my practice, I quickly switch to "detective" mode. I'm looking for clues from everything they give me. I look at their labs, food intake, and medical history and do something out of the ordinary – review a Hormone Health Profile,* a tool I created for use with my patients.

This Hormone Health Profile* is a 12-page questionnaire with alphabetical designations of conditions. (The name of the condition is not on there in an effort to remove preconceptions from the process.) Under each one of the conditions are common symptoms associated with that condition. The more symptoms patients check, the greater their chance of presenting with that condition.

Common symptoms that may indicate an imbalance of thyroid hormones include:^1-9

• Fatigue and sluggishness
• Depression and mood changes
• Weight gain
• Cold intolerance
• Hair loss
• Constipation
• Sleep issues
• Joint pain & stiffness
• Cold hands and/or feet
• Brittle nails
• Eyebrow thinning on corners
• Muscle aches, pains and/or weakness
• Dry skin and nails

I don’t use my Hormone Health Profile to diagnose conditions. I use it to help identify problems that may need further testing. For example, if the majority of Condition O (low thyroid) symptoms are checked, I will recommend they seek and review more accurate thyroid testing from their healthcare provider.

I don’t believe the standard TSH test alone is sufficient enough to give a true picture of thyroid health, but recommend patients work with their healthcare providers evaluate the full spectrum of thyroid function (free T3, free T4, reverse T3, and sometimes even thyroid antibody tests).

I know firsthand how important this is. Many years ago, I was presenting with raging thyroid disease symptoms, and at least four healthcare practitioners told me there was nothing wrong with my thyroid because I had a “normal” TSH.

I know me, and I knew things weren’t “normal.” I didn’t experience relief until I went to a doctor who tested for those other thyroid functions – most importantly, the thyroid antibody labs. Lo and behold, I presented with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Through a thyroid-friendly diet and the right medication, I regained my health and enjoy vibrant health today.

If I had taken my own Hormone Health Profile back then, I would have checked off most of the symptoms under "low thyroid" – fatigue, depression, hair loss, outer edge eyebrow thinning, cold hands/feet, cold intolerance, etc.

All hormones, including sex, thyroid, blood sugar, and adrenal, may impact your quality of life if they are out of balance. When you are symptomatic and know something isn’t quite right, keep advocating for your health and seek further testing from your healthcare provider. You may also download this discussion guide to help guide the conversation:

Download the Discussion Guide>>

Your quality of life is sacred. Protect it!

*Please note that the Hormone Health Profile is a 12-page questionnaire specific and unique to Lindy Ford, RD, LDN’s practice.

REFERENCES: 1. American Association of Clinical Endocrinology. Hypothyroidism. Updated December, 2016. Accessed December 7, 2022. http://www.thyroidawareness.com/ hypothyroidism. 2. Harvard Medical School. Thyroid Disorders. Fort Dodge: Harvard Medical School, n.d. Patient Education Center. Harvard Medical School. Accessed December 7, 2022. https://www.health.harvard.edu/topics/thyroid. 3. Jonklaas J, Bianco AC, Bauer AJ, et al. Guidelines for the treatment of hypothyroidism: prepared by the American Thyroid Association Task Force on thyroid hormone replacement. Thyroid. 2014;24(12):1670-1751. doi: 10.1089/thy.2014.0028. 4. Feldman AZ, Shrestha RT, Hennessey JV. Neuropsychiatric manifestations of thyroid disease. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2013;42(3):453-476. 5. Mayo Clinic. Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid). Accessed December 7, 2022. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ hypothyroidism/symptoms-causes/syc-20350284. 6. Verma I, Sood R, Juneja S, Kaur S. Prevalence of hypothyroidism in infertile women and evaluation of response of treatment for hypothyroidism on infertility. Int J Appl Basic Med Res. 2012;2(1):17-19. doi: 10.4103/2229-516X.96795. 7. Gupta N, Arora M, Sharma R, Arora KS. Peripheral and central nervous system involvement in recently diagnosed cases of hypothyroidism: an electrophysiological study. Ann Med Health Sci Res. 2016;6(5):261-266. doi: 10.4103/amhsr. amhsr_39_16. 8. Szczepanek-Parulska E, Hernik A, Ruchala M. Anemia in thyroid diseases. Pol Arch Intern Med. 2017;127(5):352-360. doi: 10.20452/pamw.3985.

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