This Is How An Underactive Thyroid Can Ruin Your Mental Health
Is Thyroid ruining your brain’s efficiency? The brain plays a significant role in our daily lives, giving us the ability to store new memories, recall them at a later time, concentrate on tasks and to stay mentally alert while we are going about our daily activities. Unfortunately, for some people, mental health is somewhat of an issue – memory loss, irritability, poor concentration and inappropriate decision-making skills are all symptoms that are often associated with a condition that is often called “brain fog”. To eliminate depression patients take Antidepressants. Signs of depression is also extremely common, with over 5% of the worldwide population affected by depression and over 20% of depressed individuals experiencing psychotic symptoms, as reported by Healthline.
While certain connections, such as brain injuries and memory loss, are very obvious and easy to determine, there are some causes of poor mental performance that is not as easy to recognize without additional tests being performed. Today, we want to take a look at how the functionality of the thyroid, especially when this gland is unable to produce an adequate amount of thyroid hormones, can affect the overall functionality of a person’s brain – and how mental health can be improved by targeting hypothyroidism as an underlying cause of the mental symptoms a person experiences.
The Importance Of The Thyroid Gland And Thyroid Hormones
We should start by first looking at the function of the thyroid gland, as well as what thyroid hormones do in the human body. Without a basic understanding of the thyroid gland, it would be difficult to understand how illness affecting this part of the body can lead to mental symptoms. The thyroid gland is part of the endocrine system in the human body and is classified as a hormonal gland. According to PubMed Health, this gland secretes hormones into a person’s blood circulatory system. These hormones, in turn, aids in a large number of functions that occur within the human body. The thyroid starts to produce more hormones when growth occurs, when additional energy is required or when the body is exposed to colder temperatures.
The specific types of hormones produced and secreted by the thyroid gland include Calcitonin, Triiodothyronine (also known as T3) and Tetraiodothyronine (also known as T4 and Thyroxine). It should be noted, however, that Calcitonin is not “officially” considered a true thyroid hormone.
Hypothyroidism – Knowing The Signs
Hypothyroidism is a condition that refers to an underactive thyroid gland. When a person suffers from this condition, it means their thyroid gland is not producing an adequate supply of thyroid hormones to support functions throughout their entire body. The primary concern regarding hypothyroidism is the fact that functions in the human body start to slow down as the thyroid gland produces too little hormones. This, in turn, can lead to the development of numerous symptoms that affect all areas of the body.
Realizing the symptoms of hypothyroidism is the first step to knowing whether or not impairments in brain functionality a person experiences may be caused by their thyroid gland. According to EndocrineWeb, some common symptoms that people tend to experience when they have an underactive thyroid is dry hair and skin, hair loss, constipation, intolerance to cold temperatures, weight gain, problems with their efforts to lose weight and a general feeling of weakness.
In addition to these symptoms, a variety of mental symptoms have also been associated with hypothyroidism. Some common mental symptoms that people tend to experience when they suffer from this condition include irritability, memory loss, mental fatigue and, in many cases, symptoms related to depression. For this reason, it is vital to consider the possibility of hypothyroidism being the cause of a particular individual’s mental issues, especially when other symptoms associated with the condition are experienced simultaneously.
How Hypothyroidism Can Be Treated To Improve Brain Function
When brain fog, mental fatigue, and depression are experienced together with other symptoms associated with hypothyroidism, it is vital for a person to see a doctor and discuss their concerns. Diagnosis of the condition is relatively simple – a test can be performed to determine the concentration of thyroid hormones in the patient’s blood. When the doctor determines that the level of thyroid hormones is too low, then the patient may be diagnosed with hypothyroidism. This will lead to the recommendation of a treatment method to assist with increasing thyroid hormones in the patient’s body and to assist in alleviating the symptoms they are experiencing.
Mayo Clinic explains that the most common type of treatment offered to a patient diagnosed with hypothyroidism is the use of an oral medication known as levothyroxine. Some brand names include Synthroid and Levothroid. This medication is a synthetically-produced type of thyroid hormone that helps to restore an adequate level of the hormones in the patient’s body. Most patients can experience improvements in their symptoms within the first two weeks of treatment.
It is important to note that, even though using the medication may yield beneficial effects for many patients, such as improving memory and depression-related symptoms, enhancing digestive function and relieving fatigue, it may take some time for a patient and doctor to determine the best dosage for the particular patient.
One important factor to take into account when it comes to treating hypothyroidism is that the dosage of the medication used to treat the condition may need some adjustment during pregnancy. It has been found that thyroid function becomes elevated, especially during the early stages of pregnancy. It has also been found that there is a connection between thyroid function and morning sickness.
In addition to the use of synthetic thyroid hormones to assist with alleviating the symptoms of hypothyroidism, there are also some important lifestyle changes that can be implemented in order to provide a relief of certain symptoms experienced when a patient suffers from this condition. Sleep plays a crucial role in allowing the body to function properly, and implementing more effective stress management techniques can also be beneficial for reducing oxidative stress and further assisting the thyroid in functioning more appropriately. Furthermore, many people find that taking one of the top nootropics help them improve their overall mental performance, should they be suffering from memory loss and poor mental alertness during the day.
Final Verdict
Depression, poor mental function, and related symptoms are very common in today’s population. While treatment approaches often involve utilizing a depression treatment, such as antidepressants, and similar approaches, it is important not to overlook the fact that poor thyroid function, also known as hypothyroidism, can cause a variety of symptoms in the body, including the brain.
For this reason, instead of learning how to improve memory or how to treat depression, people should start by determining the potential underlying causes of their symptoms, which may include a possibility of hypothyroidism, to achieve more successful results through their treatment approach. Testing for hypothyroidism is quick and easy, and the current treatment methods available to assist with the treatment of this condition are also considered to be both effective and relatively safe. Additionally, healthy lifestyle adoptions can further help to ensure the thyroid can release adequate amounts of thyroid hormones to support brain function, as well as other particular functions these hormones have in the body.
Author Bio:
Vaileria Dennis is a Health Advisor. She focuses on helping patients self-manage long-term conditions due to Health Issues. She possesses the necessary expertise and capacity to provide this advice. She has given a number of important positive outcomes She also finds her interest in some indoor games. She possesses fabulous communication and interpersonal skills. You can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and Pinterest.