Symptoms of an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)

• Fatigue despite having enough sleep
• Brain fog or memory loss
• Weight gain or difficulty losing weight
• Cold hands and feet, or feeling unusually cold 
• Dry skin and hair, brittle nails and hair loss
• Depression or anxiety
• High blood pressure
• Period problems or low libido
• Muscle and joint pain
• Constipation or sluggish digestion

Symptoms of an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism)

• Appetite change
• Hair loss
• Anxiety, irritability or moodiness
• Sweating or sensitivity to high temperatures
• Trembling in your hands
• Missed or light menstrual periods
• Difficulty sleeping
• Heart palpitations
• Problems with fertility
• High blood pressure
• Shortness of breath
• Frequent bowel movements /diarrhoea

Autoimmune conditions can cause your immune system to produce antibodies that attack your thyroid gland, affecting thyroid health.

Nutritional imbalances - iodine, zinc, selenium and vitamin D are essential for the production and conversion of thyroid hormones. 

Ongoing stress is handled by your adrenals, which  release cortisol to support your stress response. Long term cortisol production handicaps thyroid function and worsens symptoms.

Poor gut health, leaky gut and food intolerance can trigger antibodies to attack your thyroid. Poor gut health can increase cortisol levels, suppressing thyroid function over time. The H. pylori (bad) bacteria in the gut is linked to poor thyroid health.

Pregnancy - some women produce antibodies to their own thyroid gland during pregnancy, causing hypothyroidism, which can increase the risks of pregnancy.

Medications like lithium or steroids can contribute to hypothyroidism.

Radiation therapy to your neck or head can lead to hypothyroidism.

Pituitary disorder is a relatively rare cause of hypothyroidism. It occurs when the pituitary gland can't produce enough thyroid-stimulating hormone.

Hormonal dysregulation, high stress, fluctuating blood sugar levels and more can prevent traditional thyroid medication from working correctly.

Our practitioners take an integrated approach to address all of the aspects listed above (and more) for true healing.

Our naturopaths assess all factors for thyroid issues

Conventional doctors usually only test TSH and T4 to assess thyroid problems, but our naturopaths also look at FT3, FT4, and thyroid antibodies. Sometimes TSH levels are high, but antibodies are normal, which indicates a stress issue, rather than any need for thyroid hormone replacement.

Your naturopath may carry out additional testing for adrenal health and leaky gut.

A naturopath will also look at how diet, lifestyle, nutritional and genetic factors may be contributing and make sure you have a diet plan to support your health.

Counselling or attending our weekly Monday Mindfulness classes can help to reduce stress levels and support long term thyroid health.