The thyroid is a gland located in the neck that produces hormones, regulates your metabolism, and affects the function of each organ in the body.  The hormones that the thyroid produces, thyroxine and tri-iodothyronine, determine the speed at which organs function and when the body's systems should use energy.  Hyperthyroidism refers to the thyroid gland being overactive, while Hypothyroidism refers to the thyroid gland being underactive.  

Thyroid function varies from person to person, so each person may experience different symptoms.  The most common symptoms of Thyroid Problems are Hyperthyroidism or Hypothyroidism.  The body tends to use energy more quickly when someone has Hyperthyroidism, while someone with Hypothyroidism tends to have a slower metabolism and can have trouble losing weight.  Symptoms for Thyroid problems are listed below. 

Symptoms of Hyperthyroidism:

• Enlarged Thyroid (Goiter or Thyroid Nodules)
• Random weight loss (that’s not contributed by any diet changes)
• Fatigue
• Muscle weakness
• Irregular heartbeat
• Nervousness or Anxiety
• Sleep issues
• Irritability or mood swings
• Hair Loss or change in texture
• Skin issues (dryness, thinning, itchiness)
• Excessive sweating
• Body Temperature fluctuations
• Irregular bowel movements (diarrhea)
• Increased appetite
• Irregular menstrual cycle (for women)
• Exophthalmos (protruding of the eyes)

Symptoms of Hypothyroidism:

• Weight Gain (that’s not contributed by any diet changes)
• Difficulty loosing weight
• Eye issue (bulging, inflammation, excessive tearing, swelling)
• Exophthalmos (protruding of the eyes)
• Fatigue
• Hoarseness in voice
• Increased Cholesterol levels
• Muscle weakness or cramps
• Joint pain or stiffness
• Nervousness or Anxiety
• Issues sleeping
• Irritability or mood swings
• Hair Loss, thinning or change in texture
• Skin issues (dryness, thinning, itchiness)
• Body Temperature fluctuations
• Sensitivity to cold
• Constipation
• Issues with concentration

The pituitary gland is the master gland, which controls other glands like the thyroid.  The pituitary gland produces the thyroid stimulating hormone and sends the message to the thyroid gland to produce the thyroxine and triiodothyronine hormones.  Hypothyroidism occurs when there is an inadequate amount of these hormones being produced.  The most common cause of Hypothyroidism is the autoimmune disease Hashimoto; in which your immune system that attacks the thyroid gland.  Hyperthyroidism is caused by the excessive amounts of thyroxine and triiodothyronine.  The overproduction of the hormones is commonly caused by the autoimmune disease Graves’ Disease, in which your immune system that attacks the thyroid gland. 

Causes of Hyperthyroidism:

• Graves’ Diseases (autoimmune disease)
• Eating foods that are high in iodine (fish, dairy products, Iodized salt, etc.)
• Unbalanced diets (nutrient deficiencies can provoke irregular activities of the Thyroid Gland)
• Supplements that contain Iodine
• Medication (Amiodarone is an example of one)
• Hormonal issues
• Postpartum (after childbirth hormonal issues like Hyperthyroidism can occur)
• Thyroid Goiter or Nodule (the adenoma part of the gland that walls itself from the rest of the Thyroid, forming a benign lump or cyst)
• Thyroditis (inflammation of the gland, caused by antibodies that damage the thyroid, viral or bacteria infection, childbirth and other unknown reasons)

Causes of Hypothyroidism:

• Hashimoto's (autoimmune disease also known as chronic autoimmune thyroiditis)
• Pregnancy (after childbirth hormonal issues like Hypothyroidism can occur or inflammation within the thyroid)
• Thyroditis (inflammation of the gland, caused by antibodies that damage the thyroid, viral or bacteria infection, childbirth and other unknown reasons)
• Thyroid Goiter or Nodule (the adenoma part of the gland that walls itself from the rest of the Thyroid, forming a benign lump or cyst)
• Removal of Thyroid Gland (when a nodule, goiter or large portion of the thyroid is removed it can alter the production of the hormones)
• Iodine Deficiency (not consuming enough foods with iodine can throw off your hormonal production)
• Hormonal issues
• High amounts of radiation
• Unbalanced diets (nutrient deficiencies can provoke irregular activities of the Thyroid Gland)
• Medication (lithium, amiodarone, interferon alpha, sunitinib are some examples of medication that is known to cause Hypothyroidism)

• For Thyroid Problems, decreasing the amount of stress in your life can help improve your overall wellbeing.  When you’re stressed, it causes your immune system to change almost instantly.  The thyroid gland is very sensitive to stress.  Keeping your stress levels down helps the thyroid carry out its normal function. 
• Decreasing the amount of radiation around you is a relief to the thyroid.  Radiation is everywhere and in a lot of the things we use daily.  Things that give off the most radiation are x-ray machines, airport scanners, cell phones, tobacco, microwaves, laptops and more.  It’s a random colorless and odorless toxic gas present in numerous areas of the world.
• Mercury is a chemical element found in rocks that contaminates the air and water.  This particular element is also present in numerous foods such as fish, high-fructose corn syrup and rice.  Mercury interferes with a variety of the minerals that are essential to the thyroid gland and the production of hormones.  It’s also commonly used for dental fillings, in which a high amount is used to correct cavities.  Removing the silver fillings (amalgam) helps to decrease the amount of mercury present in the body, in addition to rationing out the amount of foods that contain high amounts of the element.
• Eating foods that are high in iodine and selenium helps assist with the conditions of Hypothyroidism, but it has to be consumed moderately.  It helps the thyroid carry out it’s normal function (fish, Iodized salt, etc.).
• Increasing the amount of protein in the diet can help nourish the gland into functioning properly.  Protein is vital to any diet and also helps to carry the thyroid hormone to the tissues of the body.  Foods that are high in protein include almonds, broccoli, spinach, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, Swiss chard, snow peas and much more.

• Berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries etc.)
• Cruciferous Vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage)
• Sea Vegetables (kelp, dulse, agar, seaweed, nori, spirulina, Irish moss)
• Foods high in chlorophyll (spinach, snow peas, kiwi, cucumbers, parsley)
• Shitake or Portabella Mushrooms
• Olive Oil
• Almonds
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Flaxseeds
• Walnuts
• Brazil Nuts
• Chia Seeds
• Sunflower Seeds
• Sesame Seeds