Are You Doing What You Can To Manage Hyperthyroidism?

For women and people who are assigned female at birth, managing one’s hormones is an important part of a healthy life. When there’s nothing out of the ordinary with them, they might well seem beneath your notice but when things get out of balance, you can start to notice it in a hurry. Hyperthyroidism often referred to as an overactive thyroid gland, is when the thyroid makes too much thyroxine. As a result, you can experience a host of unpleasant symptoms, such as weight loss, sleeping disorders, fatigue, changes in heart rate, and more. There are a host of ways to manage an overactive thyroid, and we’re going to look at them below.

The signs you might have hyperthyroidism

Before you start thinking of any treatments, it’s a good idea to inspect whether your suspected issues are due to an overactive thyroid gland or something else. Some of the signs of hyperthyroidism include the health impacts mentioned above, such as difficulty sleeping, fatigue, unexplained or unwanted weight loss, and more. There are other symptoms, such as a generally raised level of anxiety, nervousness or mood swings, sensitivity to heat, and swelling at the base of your neck. If you know that you have risk factors that lead to a great chance of hyperthyroidism, such as you have been pregnant lately or are using thyroid medication, this could also be a sign that it’s worth getting a diagnosis from the doctor.

You need to see a doctor

If you’re looking for home treatments for hyperthyroidism, then you should stop and make sure that you have the help of a doctor, first and foremost. There are plenty of hyperthyroidism treatments, which can include medical solutions such as antithyroid drugs and beta-blockers, which can help by counteracting thyroxine production and by managing related mood symptoms, respectively. Radioactive iodine can help you shrink your thyroid to normal levels, too. Surgery is also an option if the medication doesn’t do the trick alone, but this is not as commonly recommended as the treatments mentioned above.

Can your diet make a difference?

As the saying goes, you are what you eat. Your diet almost always has an impact on the processes of the body, including all kinds of conditions. The same goes for hyperthyroidism. There are plenty of foods that can help balance your hormones. Freshwater salmon is a good option for doing not just that but for giving the healthy fats that can help you balance your weight if you’re losing it due to an overactive thyroid. Calcium-rich foods are often recommended as well as hyperthyroidism can lead to weakened bones. It’s important to know that foods can’t address the fact that your body is producing too much thyroxine, but they can help you mitigate the symptoms associated with an overactive thyroid.

Mind your stress levels

One of the lingering effects of hyperthyroidism is the impact that it can have on your mental health. It can leave you feeling anxious and irritable, which can increase your general levels of stress in day-to-day life. Stress can affect your health in a wide manner of ways, interrupting your sleep, leading to an increased chance of back and joint pain, and even aggravating the symptoms associated with hyperthyroidism. That’s why, aside from discussing the best route of treatment with your doctor, you should also take care to manage your stress. There are plenty of stress management techniques available, from meditation to going for walks more often to try out yoga. Find which exercises help you best manage your own mental health.

Exercise is important too

Exercise can improve your quality of life regardless of what conditions you’re fighting. When it comes to hyperthyroidism, it can help you fight stress and release positive neurotransmitters like dopamine and endorphins that can boost your mood. What’s more, exercise can help you build muscle, which can fight the weight loss often associated with an overactive thyroid and can help you increase your bone density, which can fight the bone weakening that’s a symptom of the condition, as well. You should talk to your doctor about what is a healthy weight for you and to exercise to maintain it. The weight loss caused by hyperthyroidism should not be treated as an “unexpected bonus” but is a symptom that needs to be managed.

If you think you have hyperthyroidism, there is no alternative to going to the doctor. You cannot treat it thoroughly with “natural cures.” You can manage it with the tips above, but medical intervention is always recommended.