Ladies, have you found yourself extra tired lately? Are you losing your hair, or is it getting thinner and thinner? Are you suddenly having irregular menstrual periods? While all of these things might be occurring simultaneously, you might not realize there could be one common issue causing all this havoc—your thyroid levels!
What Is Your Thyroid?
There is a tiny gland located at the base of your neck that is crucial to your body’s many functions. Even though it is tiny, it is extremely powerful. So, what is this crucial endocrine gland called? Your thyroid! It is responsible for steadily releasing thyroid hormones throughout your body via your bloodstream, which is then carried to every tissue in your entire body. This gland affects your heart rate, metabolism, energy levels, mood, growth rate, fertility, and even the onset of puberty for a teenager.
What Happens When It’s Not Working Properly?
While men can have issues with their thyroid levels as well, women account for most of the cases of thyroid disease. In fact, women are five to eight times more likely to experience issues with their thyroid than men.
If your body receives too much of these hormones, it can result in a variety of symptoms, such as:
- Thinning hair or hair loss
- Sleep issues
- Fatigue
- Dry skin
- Hand tremors
- Irregular heartbeat
- Puffiness or weight gain
- Muscle cramps or muscle weakness
- Absent or irregular menstrual periods
- Issues with fertility
- Pregnancy loss, preterm delivery, stillbirth, or postpartum hemorrhage
- Early onset menopause
How Do You Test Your Thyroid?
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms or are planning to try to become pregnant soon, you should get your thyroid levels tested. These tests can help to diagnose or screen for thyroid issues, including hyperthyroidism (over-active thyroid) and hypothyroidism (under-active thyroid). The sooner you discover the issue, the sooner you can get started on a treatment plan or medications to help regulate your thyroid levels.
The main tests for this that we offer here at All Labs Today are the TSH, Free T3, and Free T4 blood tests. No appointment is necessary! And you won’t even have to wait weeks for results—we pride ourselves on our fast results, often even available on the same day!