The Link Between Your Thyroid Hormone and Energy Levels

Your body is amazing. When something isn’t functioning as it should, your body sends you signals. Your thyroid is a small but mighty gland that produces two hormones critical to metabolic function. It is located at the bottom of your neck. These functions turn food into energy, as well as regulate your body temperature and your heart rate.

If your thyroid malfunctions, you need to seek the care of a specialist. Board-certified OB/GYN Christopher Joseph Riegel, MD at The Riegel Center, located in Plano, Texas, is a pioneer in endocrinology with special expertise in thyroid hormone regulation.

The thyroid’s link to low energy levels: Hypothyroidism

If your thyroid doesn’t produce enough of the hormones it’s responsible for, you could develop chronic fatigue. If you’re feeling tired all the time, you might think it’s because of your busy schedule or a normal part of aging.

Feeling tired all the time isn’t normal. Instead, it’s a signal that something is amiss in your body.

Signs of hypothyroidism

Following are signs of hypothyroidism:

Chronic fatigue
Weight gain even though you are eating normally
Decreased libido
Feeling sore and muscle weakness
High blood cholesterol levels
Puffy eyes and face and droopy eyelids

These are just some of the signs and symptoms.

Dangers of hypothyroidism

No one wants to feel tired all the time. If this describes you, you may miss out on activities that give you joy, diminishing your quality of life and increasing your risks of depression. Furthermore, a sedentary lifestyle and untreated hypothyroidism can lead to obesity.

In addition, thyroid hormone deficiency can increase your cholesterol levels and place you at a higher risk for heart disease. Untreated hypothyroidism can cause other significant health complications, including problems breathing and fluctuating body temperature.

Treatment for hypothyroidism

If you have hypothyroidism, you’ll be prescribed a synthetic thyroid hormone to take long-term.

Hyperthyroidism

Your thyroid may also malfunction by producing an oversupply of hormones. Whereas hypothyroidism tends to occur in older women over 60, hyperthyroidism affects women most frequently under 40. It puts your body’s organs into overdrive.

Symptoms of hyperthyroidism

Following are common symptoms of hyperthyroidism that you shouldn’t ignore:

Weight loss when you’re not trying to lose weight
Increased hunger
Irritability or your nerves are on edge
Rapid heartbeat — may be more than 100 beats a minute
Irregular heartbeat
Heart feels like it's pounding
Tremor in hands and fingers
Sweating

Treatment for hyperthyroidism

You’ll be given prescription medication that slows your thyroid hormone production. If you’re having a problem with a rapid heartbeat, you may need a beta-blocker.

Hormone regulation

If your thyroid is functioning as it should, but you’re having significant problems from menopause such as night sweats, frequent hot flashes, insomnia, low sex drive, or other troublesome symptoms, Dr. Riegel provides a custom bio-identical hormone replacement plan that restores your desire for intimacy, helps you sleep, and leaves you feeling the best you’ve felt in years.

Call or book an appointment online with Christopher J. Riegel, MD, today for safe and effective hormone replacement therapy.