A lot of people assume that general fatigue and tiredness tends to slightly increase as we get older. While this is true to an extent, if you’re feeling fatigued after a good night’s sleep, or you never really seem to get your batteries fully recharged, there may be more to the story than just normal aging. Oftentimes, this tiredness can be traced back to an issue with your thyroid gland.
Your thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped gland that sits in the front of your neck below your voice box, and it is responsible for producing hormones required for normal bodily function. Two important hormones it produces are thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), which help regulate certain bodily responses, like your digestion, body temperature, weight and heart rate. If something goes wrong with the gland, hormone production can get out of whack, and this can lead to energy issues.
Getting Your Energy Back
Over- and under-production of hormones by the thyroid can lead to energy issues in two main ways. If your thyroid is under-producing hormones, you might gain weight more easily, be left feeling lethargic and feel tired more often. These are direct symptoms of the condition hypothyroidism, which is categorized by hormone underproduction.
On the flip side, you can actually be left feeling fatigued when your thyroid overproduces hormones. This can lead to weight loss, anxiety, rapid heartbeat and swelling among other symptoms, but these symptoms can also make it difficult for someone to fall asleep and stay asleep. If you’re not getting restful sleep, it can leave you feeling tired, even though your body seems active due to the hormone overproduction. This problem is called hyperthyroidism.
The good news is that both of these conditions are highly treatable, and getting your hormone levels back to the correct levels can help your energy return in no time. If you’re dealing with hypothyroidism, your endocrine specialist will figure out why you’re not producing the right amount and move forward with a treatment plan. Oftentimes this involves hormone supplementation or medications to try and naturally increase hormone production. If you suffer from hyperthyroidism, medications can help to slow hormone production, or other treatments can address nodules or growths that might be leading to abnormal overproduction.
So if you’re dealing with energy issues and symptoms that suggest it could be a problem with your thyroid, do yourself a favor and set up a consultation with Dr. Koeplin’s office. We’ll help you find answers and get your energy back. Give our office a call today at (651) 224-1347 or click here to be taken to our contact page.
