Is Your Thyroid Making You Fat?

By the Vteam, Kamau Austin Publisher

You might wonder if your thyroid is to blame for your excess weight. If you are concerned about this possibility, you need to answer a few important questions about thyroid disease:

" Have you been to the doctor yet?
" Will thyroid hormone treatments help you achieve your ideal weight?
" Are there risks associated with thyroid treatments?
" Can herbal supplements help?

This article will examine each of these questions in detail. In answering these questions we hope to enlighten you about the severity of thyroid disease, the potential treatments, and the risks associated with these treatments.

Have You Been to the Doctor Yet?

If you are concerned about thyroid disease, you should visit a doctor. A trip to the doctor to determine whether or not thyroid disease is present is extremely important and should be one of the first steps you take if you suspect thyroid disease. Some of the symptoms of hypothyroidism include weight gain, fatigue, depression, forgetfulness, dry hair, dry skin, sensitivity to cold, heavy menstrual periods and constipation. Some of the symptoms of hyperthyroidism include nervousness, irritability, difficulty sleeping, sensitivity to heat, weight loss and moist palms.

If you are experiencing several of these symptoms, a trip to the doctor to discuss the possibility of thyroid disease is definitely warranted. Your doctor can perform a simple blood test to determine whether or not thyroid disease in the form of hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism is present. Once the condition is diagnosed, a treatment program can be designed to rectify the hormone levels and help you lose any excess weight caused by the condition.

Will Thyroid Hormone Treatments Help You Achieve Your Ideal Weight?

Whether you are suffering from hyperthyroidism and a loss of weight or hypothyroidism and a weight gain, you might wonder if thyroid hormone treatment can help you achieve your ideal weight. This is a difficult question to answer because the subject of weight and thyroid function is rather complicated.

The American Thyroid Association discusses the subject of using thyroid hormones for the purpose of weight loss in the following statement, "Thyroid hormones have been used as a weight loss tool in the past. Many studies have shown that excess thyroid hormone treatment can help produce more weight loss than can be achieved by dieting alone.
However, once the excess thyroid hormone is stopped, the excess weight lost is usually regained." This statement alludes to the use of thyroid hormone to stimulate weight loss but also implies weight gain is likely to follow when the treatment ends. If you are considering hormone treatments for the purpose of losing weight, you should be aware that the hormone treatments will likely only reduce the amount of weight caused by the hormonal imbalance. Any additional weight loss will require a diet and exercise program.

Are There Risks Associated with Thyroid Treatments

There are risks associated with just about any treatment plans and thyroid treatments are no exception. Overcorrection of the problem is one of the risks of thyroid treatment. If you suffer from hypothyroidism, or a lack of thyroid hormone, your treatment could cause the opposite condition. This condition is known as hyperthyroidism, or excessive thyroid hormone. The American Thyroid Association explains additional risks by stating, "Furthermore, there may be significant negative consequences from the use of thyroid hormone to help with weight loss, such as the loss of muscle protein in addition to any loss of body fat. Pushing the thyroid hormone dose to cause thyroid hormone levels to be elevated is unlikely to significantly change weight and may result in other metabolic problems."

Can Herbal Supplements Help?

You might wonder if there are herbal supplements which can assist you in obtaining your weight loss goals by regulating the amount of thyroid hormone in your system. Herbal supplements such as Thyvox can be used for this purpose. Visiting the following website will help you learn more about Thyvox and how you can use it to achieve your weight loss goals: www.Thyvox.com. It is important to carefully review this website and other sources to learn as much as you can about the supplement before you make the decision to start using it.