Thyroid & Hormonal Health.
Our bodies are made up of complex interconnected systems and our Endocrine system governs the hormones - or chemical messengers - that the body uses to function.
Specifically the endocrine system is a group of glands that secrete hormones that regulate and affect a variety of processes, like hunger, mood, sleep, blood pressure, reproduction, sexual desire… the list goes on. An imbalance of our hormones therefore can cause a multitude of problems from fatigue to reproductive issues.
Your Thyroid.
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Your Thyroid - a butterfly shaped gland found at the front of your neck - has been described as the conductor of the symphony of hormones that is your endocrine system. This little organ, although small, has a SIGNIFICANT impact on your overall health regulating the activity of almost every cell you have. It is responsible for secreting hormones T4 (thyroxine) and T3 (triiodothyronine) that regulate your metabolism and impact all systems of your body; including temperature, digestion, growth and energy.
There are many common, as well as lesser known symptoms of an unbalanced thyroid, and if you’re suffering from any or some of these it may indicate your thyroid is not functioning optimally:
Hypothyriodism
(low thyroid)
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Low energy and tiredness especially on waking
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Fatigue/ feeling sluggish/
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Weight gain and difficulty losing weight
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Dry skin
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Thinning hair
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Brain fog/ lacking concentration
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Low mood/ depression
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Cold hands/feet or lower body temperature
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Muscle pains and cramping
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Fluid retention - puffy face/eyes
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High cholesterol
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Hair loss at end of your eyebrows
HyPERthyroidism
(overactive thyroid)
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Unexplained weight loss
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Accelerated heart rate
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Sensitivity to heat
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Sleeping difficulties
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Irritability
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Anxiety/ nervousness
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Diarrhoea
Did you know...
“It is estimated that one in 20 people in the UK have a thyroid problem, but that statistic could be much higher with many individuals unaware they have an issue”
- forthwithlife.co.uk March 2020
Endocrine Disrupters.
Our lifestyles are primarily responsible for disrupting our hormones, with the biggest triggers or root causes for thyroid conditions being;
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Prolonged chronic Stress
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Toxicity and heavy metal build up
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Mineral deficiencies; in particular selenium and iodine
Other causes may be an inbalanced gut and immune system as well as birth control pills that can all contribute to an inbalance in the thyroid. One of the best ways to identify the root cause of your symptoms and hormone/thyroid imbalance is to complete at home functional lab tests. Full Circle Health & Wellness recommends labs based on your personalised symptoms in our 6month programme, however we also offer stand alone lab tests with a result interpretation.
Your GP can also organise a blood test called a thyroid function test if you repeatedly have symptoms of an underactive thyroid that will look at levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroxine (T4) in the blood. However the hormone triiodothyronine (T3) is not routinely offered. Another reason that an unbalanced thyroid can go undetected is that conventional medical testing ranges can underestimate the degree of thyroid imbalance.
Common Hormone
Imbalances.
Estrogen Dominance or Excess
Estrogen dominance is a hormone imbalance of estrogen to progesterone that can affect both men and women Stress, diet and xenoestrogens can all play a role in imbalancing the ratio of estrogen to progesterone (or testosterone in men) Estrogen dominance can often be dismissed as a bad case of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), with symptoms such as bloating, headaches, brain fog, spotting or mood swings as well as heavy, clotty menstrual bleeding. If you’ve been experiencing weight gain despite living a healthy lifestyle or struggling to loose that weight around your middle you may have estrogen dominance. In men, pot belly, gynecomastia and excess adipose tissue around the hips (love handles) as well as reduced libido or erectile dysfunction and mood changes can all be signs that there is an estrogen imbalance.
PCOS (Polycycstic Ovarian Syndrome)
PCOS is thought to affect about 10% of menstruating women and is related to high levels of androgens (such as testosterone and androstenedione) as well as lack of ovulation (anovulation) that leads to long or irregular cycles or long bleeding times. Common signs of PCOS include acne, thinning hair/hair loss on head, hair growth on face or body and insulin resistance.
Fibroids
Uterine Fibroids are benign growths of the uterus muscle that are usually identified via ultrasound and can affect up to 1 in 3 women in the UK and are common in women over 40 years of age For many women there are no symptoms butthe common ones are; heavy and/or painful menstural bleeding, frequent need to urinate, abdominal and or lower back pain and discomfort during sex Many women are unaware they have fibroids because they do not have any symptoms.
Endometriosis
Endometriosis is the second most common gynaecological condition (after fibroids) in the UK affecting 1 in 10 menstruating women. It occurs when endometrial tissue that should be in the uterus grows in other parts of the body (called endometrial lesions) commonly around the ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder and bowel although they can be found anywhere in the body. Endometrial lesions react and respond to hormonal stimulus; growing and shedding like your period but with nowhere to go, causing inflammation, scar tissue and pain. Infertility is also linked to endometriosis. On average in the UK it takes 7.5 years from onset of symptoms to get a diagnosis - but this does not of course look at the underlying root cause of the condition. Running functional lab tests can give you an understanding of your hormone levels so we can work on rebalancing the body naturally through a holistic approach.
