Unfortunately this is a common problem in women of all ages. Being diagnosed with an underactive thyroid by your Doctor usually implies that you are medicated with Thyroxine or a similar medication to boost the conversion of thyroid hormones in the body. If you are medicated I would suggest having a blood test done to check your thyroid levels.
If they are within normal ranges there is still room to achieve increased metabolic action with the support of a qualified Naturopath who can interpret your results and monitor your symptoms as you utilise approaches that increase thyroid function and complement your medication.
As a naturopath I have seen many women utilise natural therapies in conjunction with their thyroid medication protocols to achieve optimised thyroid and thus metabolic function.
Hypothyroidism or underactive thyroid is viewed as having several causes and contributing factors in complementary medicine.
- Mineral deficiency as a result of poor farming and soil mineral deficiency.
- Mineral deficiency caused by poor absorption within the gastrointestinal system. Poor digestion function is also increasingly common and is seen as the basis of many of the modern epidemics.
- Auto immune disorders, believed to be the result of poor digestion function, disordered immune function, environmental challenges (eg; pollution, preservatives, pesticides, poisons).
- Hereditary.
Most of the above can be corrected to a certain degree with the adaption of clean, dietary intervention, lifestyle change and nutritional supplementation.
Unfortunately due to the medication and the individualised treatment employed within these cases I cannot give you specific advice.
Underactive thyroid is a disorder that is increasingly common within the modern society. If you have copies of your most recent blood tests and Thyroid hormone levels I would suggest you take these and consult your local Naturopath.