As a parent, I’m sure that at some point you have been (or are) tired, stressed, overwhelmed, anxious, or feeling older than you would like. You may have even noticed some changes to your body over the past several years such as difficulty losing weight, hair loss, bouts of depression, brain fog, and/or weak and brittle nails. It seems that after you have children, your body starts doing things it shouldn’t, and doesn’t do certain things when you need it to. If you have ever questioned the reason for this, I’m sure you’ve heard this response: “You have kids! Of course you’re going to be tired, overweight, anxious,*fill in the blank*!” With this being such a common complaint especially among mothers, there has to be a reason that so many women suffer from these issues.
If we look at pregnancy and the numerous stressors placed on the body before, during, and after, then we can start to understand why you may feel the way you do. By no means are we trying to say that handling the daily to-do list of a mom isn’t reason enough to be stressed or even exhausted, but it doesn’t have to be as much of a struggle. Being the best parent possible will be less challenging when your body is working properly.
During pregnancy the body has to temporarily adapt in many different ways to compensate for the development and safety of the baby. On a basic level, your body’s immune system is divided into two groups: one that “attacks” dead tissue and foreign invaders (TH-1), and one that “tags” or identifies the dead tissue and invaders (TH-2). You will attack what you tag. It makes perfect sense that this would happen on a daily basis, and especially during pregnancy, because you don’t want your immune system destroying parts of your body for no reason. These two systems need to work in unison for you to be healthy.
During the last trimester of pregnancy your body becomes TH-2 dominant, meaning that the tagging/identifying part of your immune system becomes more active or dominant than the attacking (TH-1) part. Upon giving birth, your immune system will flip-flop and become TH-1 dominant, primarily as a way of protecting your body and to help clean up extra tissues after the birth. As you can imagine, this drastic switch in your immune system over the course of approximately 10-14 weeks, on top of the sheer stress of giving birth, can be quite a daunting task for your body.
It is quite common for new moms to develop autoimmune conditions after going through these natural, drastic changes in their immune system. Autoimmune conditions fundamentally occur when the immune system is out of balance (TH-1 or TH-2 dominance) and results in the destruction of your own tissues and organs. The most common autoimmune disorder is Hashimoto’s Hypothyroidism, which occurs when your immune system attacks and destroys your thyroid gland. Roughly 27 million Americans suffer from thyroid disorders (diabetes effects rough 25 million) and Hashimoto’s Hypothyroidism is the most common form of thyroid dysfunction. If you are diagnosed with Hashimoto’s it does not mean you have something wrong with your thyroid, it simply means that you have an immune system imbalance affecting your thyroid. You will frequently see Hashimoto’s listed as Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis which is an acute inflammatory response to the thyroid gland.
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located in the front of your neck just below where your Adam’s Apple would be. It is responsible for the basal metabolic rate of your body, or simply put, your metabolism. Every single cell in your body is affected by the hormone produced by your thyroid, just as your thyroid is also effected by every single cell in your body. Since the thyroid has such a global affect on your body, immune system balance and thyroid health are vital for healthy metabolism and wellness.
When someone is suffering from Hashimoto’s their health becomes a roller coaster. Their thyroid begins to function less than normal (hypothyroidism) causing their metabolism to slow down. This leads to weight gain, sluggishness, brain fog, and even depression. People can also experience bouts of increased thyroid function (hyperthyroidism) resulting in heart palpitations, anxiety, restlessness, trembling, and trouble sleeping. This can be a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention. Hashimoto’s sufferers often experience symptoms of hyper- AND hypo-thyroidism as their immune system fluctuates. It is common for people with this disorder to feel like hypochondriacs or like they are always sick with “mysterious” symptoms due to these fluctuations.
If you are concerned that you have Hashimoto’s Hypothyroidism, it is important to get checked by a healthcare professional. This is typically done through simple blood testing to screen for the presence of specific antibodies. While there is no “cure” for Hashimoto’s or any other autoimmune disease, the condition can be managed. The best management is one that specifically targets balancing the immune system and its many aggravating influences. This usually can not be done through medication or iodine supplementation alone (in fact, iodine may aggravate the condition!)
The best tool you have for improving your health is information- be responsible and educate yourself!
In Health and Happiness,
Dr. Brian & Dr. Sarah
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For more information, please join our Greenville Thyroid Support Group!
http://www.meetup.com/Greenville-Thyroid-Support-Group/
Health, like life, is a journey. No one wants to be sick, and because of this everyone at some point decides to work on becoming healthy. This journey towards health, like any other journey, involves detours, wrong turns, and possibly road blocks. The one constant in any successful journey is a known starting point. Think about it, how can you know where you are going when you have no idea where you are coming from?
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