Why Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symptoms are Strikingly Similar to Hypothyroidism Symptoms?

Click HERE to Find Out How You Can Achieve Thyroid Levels within a Short Period of Time

The hall mark symptom of chronic fatigue syndrome is overwhelming physical and mental exhaustion which is not made better with rest. It is also gives rise to a long list of debilitating symptoms.

Chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms checklist

There are striking similarities between the symptoms of hypothyroidism and those listed for chronic fatigue syndrome.

The two conditions overlap, as both are associated with what is essentially a functional breakdown in the body’s ability to generate energy at a basic cell level.

Chronic fatigue syndrome takes feeling tired to a whole new debilitating level.

Spot the signs…

·         Aching joints.

·         Allergies.

·         Chemical sensitivity.

·         Digestive problems. Including nausea, bloating, constipation or diarrhoea.

·         Fibromyalgia (muscle pain).

·         Food intolerances.

·         Heart palpitations; increased heart rate or shortness of breath with exertion or on standing.

·         Low blood pressure. You may also feel dizzy if you get up too quickly.

·         Neurological symptoms. Poor memory and concentration, muscle twitching, mild electric shock sensations in the muscles and tingling in the joints or muscles.

·         Pain and tenderness of the liver

·         Persistent fatigue.

·         Reduced ability to cope with changes in temperature.

·         Sleep problems.

·         Sore throat and runny nose.

·         Tender lymph nodes.

·         Urinary problems.

·         Vision loss.

How big a role do infections play in the onset of chronic fatigue syndrome?

Some infections, once thought to only cause short lived symptoms may in fact remain active in the body giving rise to a range of diverse symptoms depending on the original infection, or multiple infections involved.

Termed ‘latent infections’, these are not necessarily dormant infections. There is mounting evidence these infections continue to play a major role in disrupting healthy immune system activity.

Chronic fatigue syndrome is characterised by an immune system that is continually ‘switched on’. It is commonly assumed that some type immune dysfunction is occurring. This is a theory and has not been proven conclusively.

Is it possible the immune system remains activated as it is fighting against some type of latent infection? Many of the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome closely resemble those associated with a lingering infectious illness.

Some of the infections linked to chronic fatigue syndrome include:

·         Barmah Forest virus

·         Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium (linked to Lyme disease)

·         Coxiella burnetii (linked to Q fever)

·         Coxsackievirus A + B

·         Cytomegalovirus

·         Echoviruses

·         Epstein-Barr virus

·         Hepatitis B virus

·         Herpes virus

·         Ross River virus

·         Rubella virus (linked to German measles)

·         Varicella zoster virus (linked to shingles)

·         Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV)

Due to the close connection between the thyroid and the immune system an effective treatment plan to recover your thyroid health should include a proper investigation into the possible role infections are playing on your health and vitality.

This is particularly important if you have a thyroid autoimmune disorder.

Of all the environmental factors with a potential to trigger autoimmunity, the most important seem to be viruses, bacteria, and other infectious pathogens. They have long been associated with autoimmune diseases.

Uncovering a latent infection, or even multiple infections may provide the missing pieces of the puzzle to help you recover your thyroid health. Your medical practitioner can request specific blood tests to check for viral infections commonly associated with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Apart from checking for chronic infections there is no single blood test or scan to accurately diagnosis chronic fatigue syndrome. The diagnosis is usually made after all other illnesses are excluded.

Watch this video below - Solutions for chronic fatigue syndrome, low thyroidactivity, digestive disorders & much more

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Hormone Problem? Here’s Your Hormone Imbalance Checklist

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Is It Safe To Take Iodine When You Have Hashimotos Disease?

Why these Top 5 Thyroid Blood Tests are Essential?

What Causes High Reverse T3(RT3) – a Major Driver of an Underactive Thyroid?

Author Bio:

Louise O’ Connor, the author of The Natural Thyroid Diet –The 4-Week Plan to Living Well, Living Vibrantly, who is a specialist in Thyroid Health. She is a highly regarded Australian Naturopath and founder of Wellnesswork.

The Natural Thyroid Diet goes beyond diet advice and offers practical and effective ways to achieve healthy thyroid levels within just a short period of time. For more details, Click on The-Natural-Thyroid-Diet.com

What Causes High Reverse T3 (RT3) – a Major Driver of an Underactive Thyroid?

Click HERE to Find Out How You Can Achieve Thyroid Levels within a Short Period of Time

If you are experiencing the typical signs and symptoms of an underactive thyroid but your Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, free T4, and even your free T3 appear to be normal you may want to consider checking your reverse T3, which is an inactive form of T3.

This article answers the question ‘what causes high reverse T3’.

Firstly, what does a high reverse T3 mean to your health?

Too much reverse T3 can trigger a range of symptoms associated with an underactive thyroid such as fatigue, depression, hair loss, muscle weakness, low blood pressure, and a slower than normal pulse rate.

The single reverse T3 test is included in the top 5 thyroid blood tests that are most useful to check your thyroid health. Many integrative doctors and Naturopaths now consider the reverse T3 blood test to be essential to effectively diagnose and manage hypothyroidism.

What causes high reverse T3 (RT3)? {There are 5 key reasons}

+ Unrelenting physical and emotional stress.

Ongoing stress and anxiety cause cortisol to soar. Cortisol is the hormone that helps you cope with stress.

There is a flip side to having excessive amounts of cortisol circulating in your blood stream. High cortisol inhibits normal thyroid hormone activity. This leads to an excess amount of reverse T3 being produced.

Health experts propose this is a protective response to slow metabolism and conserve energy during times of prolonged stress. Your body knows it simply cannot survive on high alert for too long. It can lead to burnout.

+ Extreme, or yo-yo dieting.

Cutting calories in an effort to lose weight sparks the body’s hard wired famine response. Your body feels the need to conserve energy when food becomes scarce and it achieves this by putting the brakes on your metabolic rate.

The easiest and quickest way your body can slow your metabolic rate and thereby conserve energy is by producing a massive amount of reverse T3.

+ Low iron is leaving you tired and breathless.

Chronic iron deficiency is a common finding of an underactive thyroid. This deficiency needs to be addressed as a lack of iron impairs proper thyroid hormone metabolism. More specifically, low iron decreases healthy conversion of thyroxine (T4) to more active triiodothyronine (T3).

Adequate levels of iron are especially important to help fight fatigue as this mineral is required by your red blood cells to carry oxygen around your body. When iron is low your oxygenation levels are low and your body cannot utilise T3 at a cell level.

+ Long term exposure to toxins.

Toxins such as heavy metals, pesticides, and industrial chemicals switch on a physical stress response. Toxins also have serious effects on your thyroid health.

At a cellular level toxins can block the thyroid cell receptors so the thyroid hormones cannot perform their job, and toxins can enter the thyroid causing damage to the actual thyroid tissue.

These factors sabotage day to day function of your thyroid leading to an underactive thyroid. Over time the stress of dealing with toxins and the diminishing function of the thyroid can activate far greater production of reverse T3.

+ Systemic illness is a factor.

It is difficult to recover from reverse T3 dominance when a chronic underlying illness is not addressed. When your body feels under threat by a long standing illness it slows metabolism. Your body hits the ‘hibernation’ button to lessen the impact of a chronic illness.

For example, a latent viral infection may be causing widespread problems. This can lead to chronic fatigue syndrome which is often associated with over production of reverse T3.

If you have low T3 you should get your reverse T3 checked, especially if you have some type of long standing illness. On testing it’s typical to see low T3 and high reverse T3.

Treating excess reverse T3 secondary to a specific chronic illness is best discussed with a skilled healthcare practitioner.

Watch this Video Below Here from Dr.Richard Hagmeyer - How High Reverse T3 Causes Symptoms Associated with an Underactive Thyroid

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What is Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis?

5 Best Ways to Protect Yourself from Iodine Toxicity

Is It Safe To Take Iodine When You Have Hashimotos Disease?

Why these Top 5 Thyroid Blood Tests are Essential?

Author Bio:

Louise O’ Connor, the author of The Natural Thyroid Diet –The 4-Week Plan to Living Well, Living Vibrantly, who is a specialist in Thyroid Health. She is a highly regarded Australian Naturopath and founder of Wellnesswork.

The Natural Thyroid Diet goes beyond diet advice and offers practical and effective ways to achieve healthy thyroid levels within just a short period of time. For more details, Click on The-Natural-Thyroid-Diet.com

Why these Top 5 Thyroid Blood Tests are Essential?

Click HERE to Find Out How You Can Achieve Thyroid Levels within a Short Period of Time

The top 5 thyroid blood tests I recommend will help reveal how well your thyroid is working. Also discover why you need to check more than TSH.

For most people the standard thyroid test used to assess their thyroid health is the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test. This test measures the amount of TSH circulating in your bloodstream.

TSH is a thyroid hormone however it is not actually produced by the thyroid. It is produced by the pituitary gland located deep within the brain.

When TSH is released by the pituitary gland it travels to the thyroid via the bloodstream to signal to the thyroid to get busy making your essential thyroid hormones.

The two main hormones produced by the thyroid are: thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). Greater quantities of TSH are released when the body requires more T4 and T3.

Could you have an underactive thyroid despite having a ‘normal’ TSH?

Testing thyroid health status is controversial. Due to restraints within the medical system the stand alone TSH test is regarded as the gold standard to check your thyroid health.

Individuals are often advised no further investigation is necessary when their TSH test result falls within the acceptable reference range. This can be despite the fact they are displaying the typical signs of a thyroid in crisis.

A TSH test result may appear ‘normal’ but this can be misleading and does not automatically rule out a low thyroid issue.

Simply testing TSH also raises questions about what level should be considered adequate and the validity of using a wide reference range. Current research shows TSH between 0.5 and 2.0 mIU/L is ideal.

What are the top thyroid blood tests?

A single test of TSH is often inadequate.  If you suspect your thyroid is underactive it is a good idea to discuss comprehensive thyroid testing with a skilled healthcare practitioner.

Testing more than TSH will help reveal how well your thyroid is actually working and is useful to monitor your thyroid health recovery.

Comprehensive testing includes an evaluation of the key thyroid hormones. Testing free T4 and T3 provides clues as to how much of these hormones are ‘free’ and available for uptake and use throughout the body.

If you rely on simply testing TSH alone and do not measure these two main thyroid hormones you are missing critical parts of the puzzle.

In addition, when you assess the amount of circulating T4 and T3 in the bloodstream it provides an overall picture of how much T4 is converting to the more potent T3. For many people with a thyroid problem their bodies are not converting T4 effectively through to T3.

When T3 levels rise it is usual to notice improvements in low thyroid symptoms. T3 helps stimulate metabolism which has far-reaching effects in the body including sparking energy metabolism, fat burning for weight loss and reducing thyroid hair loss.

Under normal conditions your body converts T4 to both T3 and ‘reverse T3’, which has the opposite effects of T3. The body quickly eliminates reverse T3 if it is not required to put the brakes on metabolism. Low T3 can indicate T4 is not converting effectively to T3 and may in fact be creating excess amounts of reverse T3.

Too much reverse T3 is rapidly produced when you are under enormous stress. This then leads to the common symptoms of a sluggish thyroid.

Only a specific test for reverse T3 can identify high levels of this inactive form of T3. Reverse T3 dominance syndrome is diagnosed when reverse T3 remains elevated.

Evaluating thyroid antibodies levels will confirm an active thyroid autoimmune disorder. Most commonly elevated levels of thyroid antibodies are associated with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis which is a chronic inflammatory condition of the thyroid.

Watch this Video Below Here – Thyroid Blood Tests

In summary, the top 5 thyroid blood tests I recommend are:

·         thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)

·         free T4 (FT4)

·         free T3 (FT3)

·         thyroid antibodies

·         reverse T3 (RT3)

When discussing getting thyroid blood tests, you should also mention if you have a family history of thyroid problems and definitely list your thyroid related symptoms.

Watch this Video Below Here – Everything You Need to Know about Thyroid Blood Tests

Low thyroid symptoms are significant indicators that your thyroid is not working well and should not be ignored.

The most common low thyroid symptoms include fatigue, feeling the cold, dry skin and hair, low libido, weight gain, menstrual irregularities, mood changes, low blood pressure, heart palpitations, hair loss and muscle weakness. Your individual symptoms should be carefully considered along with the thyroid blood test results.

You may also want to mention if you have had any serious infections such as hepatitis, Epstein-Barr virus or cytomegalovirus. These viruses are often linked to chronic fatigue syndrome. It is not unusual to see raised reverse T3 levels in response to chronic illness.

Watch this Video Below Here – Thyroid Test - Simple DIY Test at Home

Read the following related articles:

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Are Iodine Supplements For Thyroid Health Really Safe?

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Author Bio:

Louise O’ Connor, the author of The Natural Thyroid Diet –The 4-Week Plan to Living Well, Living Vibrantly, who is a specialist in Thyroid Health. She is a highly regarded Australian Naturopath and founder of Wellnesswork.

The Natural Thyroid Diet goes beyond diet advice and offers practical and effective ways to achieve healthy thyroid levels within just a short period of time. For more details, Click on The-Natural-Thyroid-Diet.com

Is It Safe To Take Iodine When You Have Hashimotos Disease?

Click HERE to Find Out How You Can Achieve Thyroid Levels within a Short Period of Time

When you spend some time online researching the question “is it safe to take iodine when you have Hashimotos” you will soon realize there are conflicting opinions, and information about how much iodine is safe to take.

If are feeling confused, you are not alone. It can be a challenge making sense of it all. For this reason I would like to answer this important question from my Naturopathic perspective.

Firstly let’s take a look at some facts that we all know to be true

+ Your body does not make iodine. Consequently, this mineral must be derived from the diet or from an iodine supplement.

+ Your thyroid requires a constant supply as iodine is an essential component of your thyroid hormones.

+ Nutrient rich blood continuously circulates through your thyroid so iodine is simply absorbed as required.

+ About 80% of your body’s iodine stores are held in your thyroid.

+ When your thyroid has enough iodine it stops absorbing iodine from the blood supply.

+ This mineral is normally only required in trace amounts. Adverse effects are more likely when excessive amounts are taken.

+ Iodine deficiency is a common world health problem.

+ Iodine is critical to overall health, not just the thyroid. For example, iodine plays a role in the immune response, is essential for normal growth and development of a developing baby, and is particularly important to safeguard breast and prostate health.

+ In Australia, iodine supplements, or thyroid supplements that contain iodine usually supply microgram, not milligram quantities of iodine.

+ A microgram measurement of iodine is routinely abbreviated as ‘mcg’ or ‘µg’.

+ It’s important to know 1000 micrograms equals 1 milligram.

+ The Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the US Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health (NIH) have both set the safe upper level of intake from all sources at 1,100 micrograms (1.1 mg) daily.

+ Hashimoto’s disease is a complex autoimmune thyroid problem. It’s associated with chronic inflammation which over time can lead to destruction of the thyroid gland.

There is no evidence to suggest that iodine alone will solve a complex thyroid disorder such as Hashimoto’s

It’s true, iodine alone will not help heal your thyroid. However it is still an important nutrient for day to day function of the thyroid.

If your iodine stores get too low this will place further pressure on your thyroid. Taking what is considered a safe amount of iodine is usually necessary to support ongoing thyroid hormone activity.

Single iodine may not be the solution

Iodine is ideally best taken in combination with selenium. In fact, selenium is an important nutrient to consider if you have a diagnosed autoimmune thyroid disorder.

Ongoing research shows selenium can help reduce raised thyroid specific antibodies. This is promising research for those with Hashimoto’s.

Selenium helps reduce the risk of iodine aggravating your thyroid if you did opt to take a sudden and excessive amount of iodine.

When I hear someone with Hashimoto’s report a bad experience with iodine it does raise two key questions in my mind. Did they take too much? Were they also low in selenium?

A good quality thyroid health formula contains both iodine and selenium. The nutritional panel or supplement facts section on a label is the best place to check the amount of iodine and selenium.

You may already know that here in Australia nutritional companies are not permitted to recommend more than 300 micrograms of iodine, and 150 micrograms of selenium per day for adults.

Your take home message: not too much, not too little

It’s a myth that any amount of iodine is dangerous when you have Hashimoto’s. In truth, it’s really about balanced intake. The controversy is centered on how much iodine is safe to take.

Studies do indeed confirm taking iodine well above what is generally recommended can trigger an autoimmune reaction, particularly if selenium is in short supply.

Yes, you can get too much of a good thing and opting to take extreme amounts of iodine may be harmful when you have diagnosed Hashimoto’s disease.

An iodine overload could actually cause a flare up, and worsen your hypothyroid symptoms. As with any type of autoimmune condition tissue destruction is at an all-time high when you experience a flare up.

Watch this Video Below Here – Hashimoto's:Should I Take Iodine for my hypothyroid?

In summary…is it safe to take iodine when you have Hashimotos?

+ Iodine supplements can help prevent and treat an iodine deficiency.

+ Iodine supports ongoing thyroid hormone production and is normally only required in trace amounts to be effective.

+ Selenium is a mineral that safeguards your thyroid. Adequate selenium intake can also reduce the risk of iodine aggravating your thyroid if you opted to take excessive amounts.

+ When you are taking a prescribed thyroid medication your medical practitioner can advise if an iodine supplement will be suitable for you.

Watch this Video Below Here - Are Iodine Supplements Safe for Low Thyroid (Hypothyroid)

Read the following related articles:

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5 Important Steps for Hypothyroidism Treatment Success

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Are Iodine Supplements For Thyroid Health Really Safe?

What is Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis?

Author Bio:

Louise O’ Connor, the author of The Natural Thyroid Diet –The 4-Week Plan to Living Well, Living Vibrantly, who is a specialist in Thyroid Health. She is a highly regarded Australian Naturopath and founder of Wellnesswork.

The Natural Thyroid Diet goes beyond diet advice and offers practical and effective ways to achieve healthy thyroid levels within just a short period of time. For more details, Click on The-Natural-Thyroid-Diet.com

What is Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis?

Click HERE to Find Out How You Can Achieve Thyroid Levels within a Short Period of Time

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting the thyroid, the small gland at the base of the neck.

This thyroid disorder was first described by the Japanese specialist Dr. Hashimoto Hakaru in 1912. Today Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is the most common cause of hypothyroidism.

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is termed an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune problems occur when the immune system attacks specific organs of the body.

The immune system launches an attack on an organ in the same way it would attack a foreign invader such as a virus or bacteria.

The autoimmune reaction associated with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis creates inflammation within the thyroid. The thyroid stops functioning properly, and in some cases the inflammation leads to destruction of the thyroid.

The signs and symptoms of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis are similar to the symptoms usually associated with hypothyroidism. The symptoms vary widely depending on the severity of the problem.

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and pregnancy

Optimal thyroid health is particularly important for women who are pregnant or who are considering having a baby. For women with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis there is an increased risk of early miscarriage or developing postpartum thyroiditis within the first year of having a baby.

How to diagnose Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is signified by excess production of thyroid antibodies. To diagnose this disorder a specific test that measures antibody levels is required. Abnormally elevated thyroid antibodies thereby confirm the diagnosis.

Your healthcare practitioner may request the following pathology tests; thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb) and thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb). Most practitioners will also measure T4 and T3 and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) to determine how the thyroid gland is functioning.

A physical examination of the thyroid region along with a thyroid ultrasound may also be performed.

A single test of TSH is inadequate to screen an individual for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. You must get your thyroid antibodies checked!

Why is the thyroid prone to autoimmune disease?

There are no established reasons why the immune system triggers an autoimmune attack on the thyroid. Some health researchers think a virus or bacterial infection may initiate this response, while others believe a genetic flaw may be involved.

It is likely Hashimoto’s results form a range of factors. This thyroid autoimmune disorder may be triggered by exposure to toxins, chronic infections, food intolerances (especially gluten), high iodine intake and heavy metal toxicity.

Watch this Video Below Here – What Causes Hashimoto's Thyroiditis?

There is a high volume of blood washing through your thyroid. This makes the thyroid extremely susceptible to damage from environmental toxins or whatever compounds happen to be circulating in the blood. Damaged thyroid cells may be the spark that ignites an autoimmune reaction within the thyroid.

There is a clear-cut link between selenium and thyroid function. Is this the missing link?

After iodine the next most important nutrient to aid thyroid health is selenium. Selenium acts as an important co-factor to the iodide peroxidase enzyme. This specialised enzyme converts thyroxine (T4) to triiodothyronine (T3). This enzyme therefore plays an pivotal role to regulate concentration of T3.

Selenium also plays an important role in safeguarding the thyroid from environmental damage.

This trace mineral helps boost glutathione, a potent antioxidant that is highly active within the thyroid. Glutathione is naturally produced by the body by combining selenium with three amino acids sourced from dietary protein. These three amino acids are cysteine, glycine and glutamine.

The thyroid contains more selenium than any other body part. When a deficiency develops due to low dietary intake an individual is more likely to develop an autoimmune thyroid disorder. In fact, in regions of severe selenium deficiency there is a higher incidence of autoimmune thyroid disorders.

Research suggests selenium supplementation could be useful in combination with levothyroxine (T4) in the treatment of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

Selenium is generally considered safe when taken as recommended. In Australia and New Zealand it is recommended that a daily dose of 150 micrograms from dietary supplements should not be exceeded.

Read the following related articles:

Warnings: 4 Types of Toxic Cookware to Avoid & Why

What is really The Best Cooking Oil for Thyroid Health?

5 Important Steps for Hypothyroidism Treatment Success

Hormone Problem? Here’s Your Hormone Imbalance Checklist

Author Bio:

Louise O’ Connor, the author of The Natural Thyroid Diet –The 4-Week Plan to Living Well, Living Vibrantly, who is a specialist in Thyroid Health. She is a highly regarded Australian Naturopath and founder of Wellnesswork.

The Natural Thyroid Diet goes beyond diet advice and offers practical and effective ways to achieve healthy thyroid levels within just a short period of time. For more details, Click on The-Natural-Thyroid-Diet.com