Understand Your Thyroid And Find the Right Approach to Hypothyroidism
Feeling tired, gaining weight unexpectedly, feeling unusually cold, experiencing dry skin, constipation, or having difficulty concentrating can all be associated with an underactive thyroid.
Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone to meet the body’s needs. Because thyroid hormones influence metabolism, energy production, heart rate, temperature regulation, and many other body systems, low thyroid hormone levels can affect how you feel and function.
At Wild Horse Health, our General Medicine Department takes a comprehensive approach to hypothyroidism. We evaluate your symptoms, medical history, laboratory results, medications, and potential underlying causes to develop an individualized treatment plan.
The risk of developing hypothyroidism may be increased by:
The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located in the front of the neck. It produces hormones that help regulate many of the body’s metabolic processes. Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid does not produce enough thyroid hormone. The most common cause in the United States is Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks thyroid tissue. Other causes can include thyroid surgery, certain medications, radiation treatment, iodine imbalance, congenital thyroid disorders, and problems involving the pituitary gland.
Not everyone with hypothyroidism experiences the same symptoms. Many of these symptoms can also occur with other medical conditions, which is why appropriate testing is important.
Seek prompt medical evaluation for:
Severe untreated hypothyroidism can rarely progress to myxedema coma, a medical emergency.
Treatment depends on the underlying cause, severity of thyroid dysfunction, laboratory findings, symptoms, age, pregnancy status, and other individual factors.
Our approach may include:
When thyroid hormone replacement is indicated, treatment is generally based on restoring adequate thyroid hormone levels rather than simply treating individual symptoms.
Symptoms alone cannot diagnose hypothyroidism because many of its symptoms overlap with other medical conditions. Diagnosis typically combines your medical history, physical examination, and thyroid laboratory testing.
Depending on your symptoms, your examination may include:
Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) is commonly used as the initial laboratory test for evaluating thyroid function.
Testing may include:
Additional testing may also be appropriate to evaluate other conditions that can produce symptoms similar to hypothyroidism.
Reviewing Your Results
Thyroid laboratory results should be interpreted in context. A laboratory value outside the reference range does not always tell the entire story, and symptoms alone should not be used to diagnose hypothyroidism. We consider your laboratory results alongside your symptoms, medical history, medications, and overall health.
There are several potential causes of an underactive thyroid.
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is an autoimmune condition and one of the most common causes of hypothyroidism. The immune system produces antibodies that target thyroid tissue, which can gradually reduce the thyroid’s ability to produce hormones.
Removing part or all of the thyroid gland can reduce thyroid hormone production. Some people require lifelong thyroid hormone replacement after thyroid surgery.
Radioactive iodine may be used to treat certain thyroid conditions, particularly hyperthyroidism. Treatment can subsequently result in hypothyroidism.
Certain medications can interfere with thyroid hormone production or function.
Examples include some medications used for:
Your medication list should be reviewed when evaluating abnormal thyroid function.
The thyroid requires iodine to produce thyroid hormones. Both inadequate and excessive iodine intake can interfere with normal thyroid function. In the United States, significant iodine deficiency is relatively uncommon, so iodine supplementation should not be started automatically simply because someone has hypothyroidism.
Less commonly, hypothyroidism can result from a problem with the pituitary gland. This is called central hypothyroidism and requires a different diagnostic approach than the more common thyroid-gland disorders.
If you’re experiencing persistent fatigue, unexplained weight changes, cold intolerance, brain fog, or other symptoms associated with thyroid dysfunction, our General Medicine Department can help determine whether your thyroid may be contributing.
Your evaluation may include:
Our goal is to move beyond simply identifying an abnormal thyroid test and understand how your thyroid function fits into your overall health.
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system mistakenly targets the thyroid gland. Over time, this can damage thyroid tissue and reduce thyroid hormone production. People with Hashimoto’s may have elevated thyroid antibodies, although antibody levels do not always directly correspond with symptom severity. When Hashimoto’s is suspected, we may evaluate thyroid antibodies in addition to standard thyroid function testing.
Symptoms such as fatigue, cold intolerance, constipation, dry skin, hair changes, and unexplained weight gain can occur with hypothyroidism, but they are not specific to thyroid disease. Blood testing—typically beginning with TSH—is needed to determine whether the thyroid is functioning abnormally.
Hypothyroidism describes an underactive thyroid. Hashimoto’s disease is one potential cause of hypothyroidism. Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune condition that can gradually impair thyroid function.
Yes. Hypothyroidism can contribute to weight gain, but the amount varies. Other factors can also affect body weight, so significant weight changes should not automatically be attributed to the thyroid.
Yes. Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms associated with hypothyroidism. However, fatigue can also result from anemia, sleep disorders, nutritional deficiencies, medications, depression, chronic illness, and many other conditions.
Not necessarily in every situation. Treatment depends on the degree of thyroid dysfunction, free T4 levels, symptoms, age, pregnancy status, underlying cause, and other factors. Your clinician can help determine whether treatment or monitoring is appropriate.
It depends on the cause. Some forms of hypothyroidism are temporary, while conditions such as thyroid removal or established Hashimoto’s disease commonly require long-term thyroid hormone replacement.
There is no specific diet proven to cure hypothyroidism. A balanced diet can support overall health, but established thyroid hormone deficiency generally requires appropriate medical management.
Not automatically. Iodine is necessary for thyroid hormone production, but excessive iodine can also interfere with thyroid function. Iodine supplementation should be based on an actual clinical need rather than assumed to be beneficial for everyone with hypothyroidism.
Some supplements and medications can interfere with thyroid hormone absorption. Calcium and iron supplements, for example, can reduce absorption of levothyroxine when taken too close together. Your healthcare provider or pharmacist can help you determine appropriate timing.
Monitoring frequency depends on your diagnosis and treatment. Thyroid levels are generally checked more frequently after starting or changing thyroid hormone replacement and less frequently once treatment is stable.
Wild Horse Health is a cash-pay clinic. We do not bill insurance directly, but:
If you’re constantly tired, cold, struggling with your weight, or simply don’t feel like yourself, your thyroid may be part of the picture.
Our General Medicine Department can evaluate your symptoms, review your thyroid function, identify potential causes, and develop an appropriate plan based on your individual needs.
Serving patients across Tempe, Phoenix, and the East Valley
