Facts About Hypothyroid Weight Loss Condition

People suffering from hypothyroidism often find losing weight a common battle. If you have been trying to lose weight but failed, your thyroid is to be blamed.

Around 27 million Americans are thought to have a hypothyroid weight loss condition, and many of them don't even know they have this disorder. The most common thyroid dysfunction is hypothyroidism. This is when your thyroid is underactive. The condition does not just affect Americans, but also those living in developing countries.

Weight loss is a losing battle for anyone with this thyroid condition. This is because your metabolism slows down and not even a low-calorie diet can help. In fact, you may even depress your metabolic rate further by causing long-term damage to it.

Here's the real problem...

Hypothyroidism is often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. So, you can have all the symptoms of hypothyroidism and your doctor may still fail to detect the problem.

One of the reasons why the diagnosis of hypothyroidism is often missed is due to it's many symptoms. Hypothyroidism affects every system of the human body.

Another reason why doctors miss the correct diagnosis of this condition is that the blood test is often inconclusive. The test is called TSH, and it has up to 80 percent chance of not recognizing the disorder.

If you suspect that you are suffering from a thyroid issue, you must do something about it right now!

The best way to start is by monitoring your symptoms. Get a journal and mark your symptoms on a scale of 0= not applicable 1= mild 2= not severe 3= severe, and make sure you keep this going for at least one week. It is recommended that you date all the entries and keep the journal for up to one month.

Next, perform an at-home basal body temperature test. One of the telltale signs of a low metabolism is a depressed body temperature.

Place a thermometer by your bedside the night before the test. First thing in the morning, even before you get out of bed, place a thermometer under your armpit for ten minutes without moving. Any movement will throw off the accuracy of the test.

Measure your body temperature for three consecutive days. If you're a female and menstruating, do the test on the second and third day of your period. Also, be aware if you have any current infections because this can make the test inaccurate.

Normal readings should be between 97.8 to 98.2. If the reading is below this point, you have a thyroid disorder. Your weight loss battle will continue until your body temperature and metabolism rate become normal again.

You should take your daily journal list and your body temperature test to your ear, nose and throat specialist. These doctors are more experienced in the field of endocrinology than general physicians.

Hypothyroid weight loss struggles can be a thing of the past with the correct diagnosis. Even if your own doctor has been unable to treat your disorder, don't give up trying. You should refer to a specialist physician who will investigate your condition and advise what to do.