Hmm, how did I come to pick out one organ and dedicate an entire article to it? Why the thyroid gland of all things? I didn't know that at first either. I'm a kinesiologist and use muscle testing to test physical and mental imbalances. This always reveals regularities that give me food for thought. For example, an increased need for iodine or an impaired thyroid in a relatively large number of women. Interesting, I thought, and perhaps I also questioned myself a little. Am I making a mistake somewhere? Not at all. I recently came across the following study:

Every second woman over 45 is affected

The thyroid initiative Papillon carried out a thyroid screening study of German women who had not been pre-treated and found that 48.7 % (almost half!) of women over 45 had abnormal findings! The figure for men was 41.5 %. This is alarming.

I did some research. There are thyroid experts who claim that, in their experience, one in three adults has a thyroid disorder.

Problems despite normal blood values

Now, at the latest, you may also be interested in this topic. Symptoms of a disturbed thyroid gland are very unspecific and not so easy to identify. The blood test often shows nothing, even though the symptoms indicate a thyroid disorder. We have a lot to thank these tests for, but sometimes they also prevent the correct diagnosis. This is because the blood values are also determined somewhat arbitrarily. The average values of the population are analysed. The average value is then taken as the norm. And now we remember that one in three adults may have abnormal values. It is already clear that the values set can only be the average and never the healthy norm.

As doctors have become accustomed to relying on laboratory values, they often lack a trained eye for symptoms. The last generation still relied on closely observing the patient and their symptoms. This is often no longer the case today and so it sometimes happens that I point out the thyroid gland to my client and she still doesn't get any conspicuous blood results.

My hands are then tied, because from then on a doctor would actually have to take over. Sometimes people say "Oh yes, I used to have it with my thyroid" and I have to point out how important it is to continue to keep an eye on this organ. From my point of view, it would be very desirable for doctors to focus more on symptoms and train their observations instead of always just reading blood values. Tiredness, weight gain, listlessness, skin and hair problems - the thyroid gland can really make life miserable. If the client's doctor doesn't support me, I can only Recommendations that I will also summarise for you next week.

The butterfly-shaped control centre

The thyroid gland is a small, butterfly-shaped organ in the neck under the thyroid cartilage in front of the windpipe. It controls all metabolic processes in the body by producing hormones. It therefore has the metabolism under control: in the case of hyperthyroidism, it produces too many hormones and speeds up the metabolism; in the case of hypothyroidism, which very often remains undetected, it slows down the metabolism.

What very few people know Both cases jeopardise the blood vessels and the heart. With hypofunction, fat is also burnt more slowly, is deposited in the blood vessels and increases the risk of a heart attack. In the case of hyperthyroidism, the pulse also increases and the heart is rushed. Under no circumstances should thyroid disorders be left untreated. This is not about the pros or cons of hormone therapy, but if the thyroid gland is out of sync, hormone tablets are a really good thing. As I said, I will explain next week what else you can do for your thyroid. Today it is important for me to tell you about the symptoms that could indicate that your thyroid needs attention.

Image source: pixabay.com/JanBaby

Basically, it must be said that the thyroid gland ages early. The glandular tissue begins to shrink and possibly degenerate between the ages of 30 and 40. The older you are, the more careful you should be. The tragic thing is that symptoms of a thyroid disorder are very similar to "harmless" signs of ageing: Poor concentration, loss of performance, slowing down, poor memory. Women in particular are quick to say: "Well, it's the menopause".

Hyperthyroidism

These symptoms are not as easy to overlook as those of hypofunction. The body is constantly running at full speed and the following symptoms occur:

• Irritability, restlessness, nervousness

• Sleep disorders

• Hair loss

• Sweating

• Weight loss (despite eating normally - sufferers can often eat around the clock without gaining weight)

• Tendency to diarrhoea

• Heart problems

• Permanently elevated pulse, possibly irregular heartbeat

Nervous people do not always have mental problems, sometimes they simply have a diseased thyroid gland. Sometimes, however, this goes hand in hand. As my work takes place precisely at the interface between body and soul, I can report that calming the mind can also lead to calming the thyroid gland. Nevertheless, the doctor is definitely the first port of call here.

Hypothyroidism

This leads to a slowdown in bodily functions and the metabolism runs at a low level. It mainly affects women in the second half of life and, unfortunately, hypofunction all too often goes undetected. That's why I want to go into as much detail as possible so that you can assess your symptoms as accurately as possible.

Symptoms that occur in 70% sufferers:

• Lack of drive, tiredness (especially at rest), lethargy

• Dry, rough skin

• Sensitivity to cold, freezing at normal room temperature

• Puffy face, bags under the eyes

• Speak slowly

• Reduced amount of sweat

• Slowed muscle relaxation during reflex test

Symptoms that occur in 50% sufferers:

• Dry, brittle hair

• Low pulse (<60 / min)

• Forgetfulness

• Problems losing weight (weight problems, although you don't eat more than before)

• Depressive moods

• Muscle or joint pain (especially in the morning)

• Menstrual disorders

So you read through this, find your own symptoms, go to the doctor and quite often you - or rather women - will be told: "Well, age, the change... should I prescribe you mild antidepressants?"

Image source: pixabay.com/JerzyGorecki

At this point I would like to point out once again that untreated hypofunction damages the blood vessels to an extent that not even smoking does. No, you haven't misheard me. While smokers have a 2x higher risk of vascular ageing and fatal heart attacks, people with untreated hypofunction have a 2.5x higher risk than a healthy person.

Recognising hypofunction

As the doctor often does not detect hypothyroidism straight away, as already mentioned, doctors Rüdiger and Simone Homm recommend looking out for the following symptoms in their book "Handbuch Anti-Aging und Prävention". If two or more of these are present, this indicates that hypothyroidism is almost certainly present:

• In the morning, before getting up, take the temperature in the crook of your arm - the value is below 36.6° (I have clients who measure values close to 35°!)

• Slowed muscle reflex relaxation time (e.g. with Achilles tendon reflex)

• Puffy face

• Slowed movements

• Deteriorated hearing

The thyroid gland and the unfulfilled desire to have children

Finally, I would like to mention that unrecognised thyroid problems can significantly affect fertility. It is therefore advisable to consult a thyroid specialist if you have an unfulfilled desire to have children and the cause is unknown. Around 25% of women with fertility problems have a thyroid dysfunction, primarily hypothyroidism. That's worth mentioning.

This topic has been close to my heart for a long time, as untreated women simply really struggle. They can starve themselves and still put on weight, they can't get out of bed, that's not quality of life.

Don't always rely on the doctor, feel inside, look for clues, You are responsible for your body. The thyroid gland is very important, it is our power centre. If you suspect that you might have a thyroid disorder, don't give up after the first negative test. It's better to see a specialist who also looks for symptoms and is more open-minded.

Why, why, why - and what can be done?

But I think it's just as important to know the reasons that lead to thyroid problems. Prevention is important. So next week I'll be writing about how you can strengthen your thyroid and what other foods and supplements besides iodine are important for your thyroid. Make sure my article reaches you!

I have already written two articles on the subject of hormones:

If this one thing doesn't fit, everything is out of balance

The video "Bioidentical hormones" - Interview with Dr Plakolm