Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough TSH, or thyroid stimulating hormone. The thyroid regulates metabolism and growth. The symptoms of hypothyroidism are fatigue, weight gain, muscle aches, dry hair and skin, cold intolerance, constipation, cognitive problems, depression, abnormal menstrual cycles and low sex drive. These symptoms are bothersome and can wear a person down. There are ways to help reduce the severity of some hypothyroidism symptoms, though.
Instructions
1. Take medication as prescribed. This usually entails one pill in the morning when you first wake up. You should wait an hour after taking the medication before eating. Check with your doctor before taking any over-the-counter cold or pain relievers because some medications can interfere with the absorption of thyroid medication.
2. Go back to the doctor if you keep having symptoms after a significant period of time. It can take six weeks before you’ll notice a lessening of hypothyroidism symptoms. After this time, if you are still having symptoms ask your doctor to run more blood tests. A different thyroid medication may be called for.
3. Eat a low-carb diet. Many thyroid patients find that losing weight is very hard. This is because their metabolism is not functioning correctly. A low-carb diet has been found to benefit thyroid patients. One reason for this is because insulin resistance is often associated with hypothyroidism. Anyone with insulin resistance needs to lower carbs to keep blood sugar regulated. This will lead to weight loss.
4. Exercise at least five days a week. Exercise will help with weight loss and depression in hypothyroid patients. It will also decrease muscle aches if you stick with it.
5. Get adequate sleep. Insomnia can be associated with hypothyroidism and is one cause of fatigue. Finding ways to get enough sleep will help with this problem. Your doctor may prescribe sleeping pills at first to help.
6. Wear warm clothing when going outside. Cold intolerance is a big problem for hypothyroid patients. Make sure you have a good jacket at all times. You may even need a blanket inside the house. Do whatever it takes to stay warm, because getting cold will make muscle aches worse.
7. Use lotion and moisturizer to help with dry skin, and conditioner for dry hair. It’s also a good idea to only wash your hair every other day. This helps with dry scalp.
8. Ask the doctor about medication or natural remedies for constipation. One thing you might want to try is psyllium husks.
9. Use your brain often. The best way to help cognitive problems is by doing tasks that require thought and brain power.
10. Do these things and your hypothyroid symptoms will improve. Once this happens you should feel better and your sex drive will increase. Getting thyroid levels normalized is the best way to improve hypothyroid symptoms.
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