How Thyroid Hormones Impact Your Body: Key Insights

Let’s first talk about what the thyroid actually is!

The thyroid is a small gland (shaped like a butterfly) towards the front of your neck. This tiny guy has a multitude of very important tasks it is needed for. The thyroid uses specific hormones (T3 and T4) to send signals throughout the body to help get these tasks done. Read through this list of just SOME of the roles the thyroid is a part of to keep our bodies working on the daily.

• digestion
• heart rate
• energy levels
• body temperature
• thoughts and feelings

When working correctly, the thyroid keeps processes in our body working like they should. Yet, many times an under-performing or over-performing thyroid can wreak havoc on our bodies. It can make things much harder than they need to be.

We will discuss the why’s and how’s of the thyroid and its hormones in later posts. For now, let’s dive deeper into why the thyroid is so important. I’m sure I’ve convinced you by now. Understanding the thyroid’s involvement in various processes can help us notice when it needs to be checked by a doctor.

The thyroid hormones influence how fast or slow the cells in our body metabolize.

If too many thyroid hormones are released, the cells in our body work too fast. This is called hyperthyroidism (think of your thyroid being ‘HYPER’ or fast). We want the correct amount of thyroid hormone to be released. However, with HYPERthyroidism, too much is being released for the body to handle. This can result in a faster heart rate. It can also cause quicker movement in your intestines. You may experience more bowel movements or diarrhea…we don’t want that.

On the other side, we can also have not enough thyroid hormones being released, aka Hypothyroidism. I like to think of ‘HYPO’ as a hippo (yes the animal), slow and relaxed in the water. With HYPOthyroidism, you can experience slower heart rates than normal. The intestines can also work slower, leading to constipation (also not fun).

Almost EVERY organ in our body are affected by our thyroid gland and the hormones it produces.

Nervous System (aka your brain & nerves):

A lack of thyroid hormone can disrupt the signals between your brain and all areas of your body through our nerves. Prolonged hypothyroidism can lead to Peripheral Neuropathy. This causes the feeling of numbness, tingling, and/or burning in different areas of the body. Since the brain is part of the nervous system, having too much or not enough thyroid hormone can also cause psychiatric symptoms, including depression, anxiety, or memory issues. The thyroid is no joke.

Cardiovascular System (aka your heart & blood):

I mentioned your thyroid playing a role in your heart rate earlier, so let’s look at this some more. Less thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism) being circulated throughout the body can slow your heart rate. It also makes the arteries to and from our heart not as ‘flexible’ which can lead to higher blood pressure. It is not uncommon for people with elevated cholesterol to have low thyroid hormone levels.

When there are more thyroid hormones (hyperthyroidism) circulating throughout the body, this can cause an increased heart rate. It can also cause irregular heart rhythms, like atrial fibrillation (a-fib) or palpitations. Much like having too little thyroid hormone, having too much can also cause high blood pressure. If your arteries are already somewhat clogged, having a fast or forceful heartbeat will increase that pressure of blood.

Digestive System (aka your gut):

Thyroid hormones influence how fast food moves through your intestines. Some people with who are experiencing undiagnosed GI upsets could have an underlying thyroid condition. Some symptoms of HYPERthyroidism outside of diarrhea or frequent bowel movements, may include lactose intolerance, bacterial infections known as H. pylori, unexplained weight loss, vomiting, and possibly even difficulty swallowing. –many of these symptoms are also common in other conditions, so talking with your provider about your concerns is always important–

With HYPOthyroidism, other than constipation, you could also experience bacterial overgrowth (aka SIBO–small intestine bacterial overgrowth), anemia, gallstones, low stomach acid, or poor absorption of food (aka you’re eating but your body is not taking all of the nutrients from that food like it should be). While none of these sound fun, they can be easily preventable and/or treated.

Musculoskeletal System (aka muscles):

For the muscle to grow, develop, and function, they need signaling from our thyroid hormones. When you have a dysfunction of these hormones, this can lead to muscle breakdown, or weakness. Muscle cramping, especially in the shoulders and thighs, can be found in people with hypothyroidism, but less common in those with hyperthyroidism.

Reproductive System:

Statistically, women are much more likely than men to develop a thyroid condition in their life. Latest research has shown that for every 8 women, at least 1 will develop a thyroid problem. And this is not great, since the thyroid plays a large role in both the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. The amount of thyroid hormone being released can affect how light, heavy, or irregular the menstrual cycle is. When thyroid hormones are out of whack (hyper- or hypo- thyroidism) this can also make it more difficult to get pregnant.

So yes, the thyroid is VERY important!

While the thyroid is a tiny little organ, it packs a powerful punch and can cause a lot of not so fun symptoms. Be sure to always talk with your own provider and/or dietitian about your specific questions and concerns. 🙂