Thyroid Function 101 with Eisely

Posted by Dr. Della Parker     on November 16, 2018

There is a ton of information regarding the thyroid gland and its effect on our health, yet most people have a hard time understanding the basics of how the thyroid works. Don’t worry, if we can explain to a 6-year old how the thyroid functions, then we can simplify the thyroid for you as well.

The thyroid’s job is to secrete hormones that help give your cells energy and help run your metabolism. This is very important since every cell in your body has a thyroid hormone receptor. Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) is what most doctors will test you for if you’re feeling tired and poor thyroid function is suspected. TSH tells your thyroid how much T4 to create but T4 is an inactive hormone which means it cannot access cells through the thyroid hormone receptors. T4 needs to be converted into T3 to become active and functional. If your body is not properly converting T4 to T3 you may experience symptoms of poor thyroid function. You won’t know if you your body is converting T4 into T3 unless you test your T3 levels, testing TSH does not provide the full story. If you’re experiencing poor thyroid function symptoms, contact Stellar Health and Wellness to get tested properly and a treatment plan so you can feel better!

Common Symptoms of Poor Thyroid Function

• Feeling tired
• Constipation
• Hair loss
• Dry skin
• Feeling cold
• Gaining weight
• Poor memory

Stellar Health and Wellness specializes in treating Subclinical Hypothyroidism, call 503-344-6631 today to schedule an appointment or to become a new patient, fill out our New Patient Application here.

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