Assisted reproductive technology (ART) and an underactive thyroid In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is the most common form of assisted reproductive technology (ART), used when people have difficulties conceiving naturally. About 2 in 100 babies born each year globally are born with the help of IVF techniques (1).   IVF hormonal treatment In the first stages of the IVF or ICSI (intra cytoplasmic sperm injection) process, the ovaries need to be hyperstimulated with hormones including FSH (follicle stimulating hormone, stimulating the growth of follicles), GnRH (a hormone preventing premature o ..read more

How does the diabetes and PCOS drug work for Hashimoto’s and the underactive thyroid? Metformin is the most commonly prescribed medication for type 2 diabetes, and has been in use for the past 70 years (1, 2). However, especially in recent years, there are indications that it might help with more than diabetes type 2.   What does metformin do? Metformin lowers blood sugar levels by improving how the body uses the insulin hormone (3, 4). In addition to being prescribed for type 2 diabetes, it is sometimes used for people with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), as it can lower insulin and ..read more

And how your sleep quality affects your social life Sleep is critical for our health. To be restorative, sleep needs to last for a certain period of hours, it needs to have several different phases/depths, and it should be uninterrupted. Current recommendations are at 7-9 hours of sleep a night, however 7 in 10 people sleep less than the recommended hours, and 1 in 3 people sleep less than 6 hours a night (1 - 3). Good sleep health will ensure your wellbeing and will help you maintain good overall health (4 - 6). Researchers have defined sleep health as a “...multidimensional pattern of sle ..read more

Hearing enables us to enjoy arts and music, communicate with each other and sense the world around us. As with many other functions, thyroid hormones are necessary for the development and maintenance of hearing too (1-4). As we age our hearing abilities change, and we might experience hearing loss, with 1 in 10 adults being affected by some type of hearing loss (5). The lack of thyroid hormones can be the cause of hearing problems in people with an underactive thyroid (6-8). The most common types of hearing problems reported by thyroid patients (1, 9, 10): Tinnitus – ringing, humming, bu ..read more

Electrolytes, underactive thyroid and Hashimoto’s Electrolytes are salts and minerals that are normally found in our bodies and help our bodies maintain the function of all the bodily processes. We get electrolytes from our food and drinks and get rid of electrolytes through urine and sweat. The five most important electrolytes are (1 - 6):  Sodium – involved in the regulation of blood pressure, muscle and nerve function, as well as transport of nutrients into the cell. Magnesium – involved in the regulation of muscle and nerve function, blood sugar, hormone activity, blood pressure ..read more

Does having an underactive thyroid or Hashimoto predispose you for a slower wound healing? Sustaining a wound is something everyone has experienced at some point, as it is likely you have either undergone a surgical procedure and/or unintentionally injured yourself at least once in your lifetime. In most cases, the severity of the injury will determine the recovery time. Similarly, with the post operative recovery, depending on the location and the size of the wound the healing time might be very different. As with every other process in your body, your personal biology plays an important ro ..read more

People with an underactive thyroid experience many symptoms of varying intensities and duration, all of which might have an impact on the social aspects of life (1-11). If you have been diagnosed recently, your needs for managing your social interactions might be somewhat different than if you have already been living with the diagnosis for some years.  If you are newly diagnosed (1- 7): Getting diagnosed might have been hard and took a long time, and it might have taken a lot of effort and energy. It is a first step towards better conversations with your family and friends. The ma ..read more

Outdoors physical activity during winter times January is the international Walk Your Dog Month, and we want to remind you of all the benefits of walking your pet friend during the cold and dark winter days. Walk in nature, if you can – interaction with nature is a relaxing event, nature has been the home of us humans for a majority of our evolutionary history. Being in nature has proven to reduce our stress levels and improve our emotional wellbeing, as well as increase our longevity (1- 4). Spend quality time with your pet friend  – spending time with your own dog can be a great wa ..read more

Why being hypothyroid can reduce your sense of taste and smell The ability to smell and taste developed through the history of humankind to help and warn us of any imminent danger, as well as to strengthen our interpersonal communication, and lastly to enable us to enjoy eating and drinking (1).  There are a few different types of taste and smell loss, with estimated 5 in 100 people have some degree of smell and taste loss (2-4): A total loss of smell (anosmia) A partial loss of smell (hyposmia) When familiar odors start smelling strange or when sensing a smell when there is no smel ..read more

Hashimotos, hypothyroidism and NCWS Non-Celiac Wheat Sensitivity (NCWS), also known as Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS), is a condition in which eating foods containing gluten will lead to symptoms similar to celiac disease symptoms, without having a celiac disease (1). Seven of the most common symptom clusters triggered by non-celiac gluten sensitivity include (2-4): Nausea, bloating, pain in the belly, gas (flatulence) Changes in digestion: diarrhea or constipation “Brain fog” (problems with memory and concentration) and headaches Muscle, bone and joint pain, as well as muscle nu ..read more