Shift your thyroid into gear

Imagine your thyroid is the gear stick of a car. Switching gears allows you to back up, change speed, or park the vehicle. Your thyroid controls the rate of your metabolism, just like the gearstick. This butterfly-shaped gland sits at the front of the neck. It produces hormones that control your body’s metabolism. Watch out for these common issues!77836300 - automatic transmission gear shift in car

Low and high gears: Low and higher levels of thyroid hormones can cause energy issues in your body too. If your thyroid isn’t producing enough thyroid hormones, you may have hypothyroidism, a condition that causes weight gain. If your body starts producing too many thyroid hormones, you may experience weight loss. Unexplained weight gain or loss is a sign of thyroid issues.

Rust build-up: When your car starts to accumulate rust spots, you know that something is wrong. Your thyroid sends the same type of signals to your body. Watch for swelling in the neck, lumps or goiters. These issues are all signs of a thyroid disorder.

Bad shifting: You know the uncomfortable jerking that comes with teaching a person how to transition between gears smoothly? It’s unsettling. If your thyroid is out of wack, your body may experience that same feeling. Thyroid issues can cause changes in your heart rate, heart palpitations and increased blood pressure.

Stop and Go Driving: There’s nothing as freeing as driving fast down the highway, and nothing quite as frustrating as sitting in stop and go traffic. Your thyroid can make your moods fluctuate like your daily commute. People with hypothyroidism can feel tired, overworked and depressed. Those with hyperthyroidism can feel anxious, have trouble sleeping or feeling cranky. These feelings don’t just stop once you pull into the garage, consult a doctor if you have noticed a change in your disposition.

If there is a problem with your car, you take it to the mechanic. They pop the hood, do a little poking around, find the problem and then fix it. Going to the doctor about your health issues isn’t quite the same. Your body is not as easy to repair. That’s why we are here to help you. We dig deep to find the source of your symptoms and help come up with a treatment plan that will get your body back on track. Over the years, we have seen that the thyroid can often be the cause of many of the health issues we face. Don’t neglect your thyroid health. It’s the gear shift that keeps your body running.

What are the signs of inflammation in the body?

22158664 - young woman in pain sitting on bed, on white backgroundDid you know that chronic inflammation in the body can lead to chronic illness, general symptoms of illness and disease and other vague problems that can feel hard to diagnose and treat?

It’s true. Although inflammation is actually part of the body’s natural healing mechanism, it can get out of control and cause more problems than it solves. So, what are the signs of inflammation in the body?

Do you suffer from any of the following issues?

  • Skin rashes and redness
  • Muscle or joint soreness
  • Abdominal pain and bloating
  • Chest pain
  • Vague and ongoing symptoms of fatigue that aren’t explained by lack of sleep
  • Mouth sores, like canker or flaring cold sores
  • Foggy memory

If so, you may be experiencing the outward symptoms of chronic inflammation. It can cause symptoms that are hard to diagnose, unless your medical practitioner and health care provider is willing to take a holistic, whole body approach. That means reviewing your lifestyle, considering allergies and other issues, and reviewing environmental factors. It can also mean taking a look at your emotional health, as ongoing stress can actually cause inflammation.

Really! Here are some of the other causes of inflammation:

  • Long-term exposure to irritants, such as mold or toxins
  • An undiagnosed, low-level infection that your body is having trouble fighting off
  • Allergies and intolerances
  • A poor diet
  • Use of tobacco, excessive consumption of alcohol
  • Issues maintaining a healthy weight
  • Lack of sleep
  • Excessive, ongoing emotional issues

So, how do you treat chronic inflammation? The answer will be unique to each individual. You’ll want to consult with a qualified health care provider and have a complete review of your lifestyle, habits, and health to come up with a strategy for treatment and to promote healing.

You’ll want to make sure to find a health care provider that’s open to reviewing all holistic factors, to make sure you don’t miss underlying issues.

Does that sound like something that might make sense for you? If you’re ready to try a holistic, integrative approach to health please don’t hesitate to reach reach out to us. Visit us online to learn more and feel free to reach out with any questions.

Allergies and Intolerances: What you need to know to safeguard your health

14575018_MDo you know the difference between a true allergy and an intolerance? It’s worth learning the difference, because knowing what you’re dealing with can help you to make better decisions for your long-term health and wellbeing.

Let’s start by talking about allergies. A true allergy causes an immune system response. An allergy can be very dangerous, severe and even life threatening. The immune response caused by an allergy can will affect multiple organs and systems in the body, and you may have a progressively worse response with each exposure.

An intolerance can cause similar symptoms, which is why it can be easily confused with an allergy. But an intolerance is less likely to be life threatening. It will cause discomfort, but a person may be able to ingest smaller quantities of the food or substance without having a severe reaction. Instead, you’ll have less acute issues that might be easier to ignore, but still cause problems in the body.

What are the causes of intolerances?

  • Lack of digestive enzymes needed to break down the foods. A common intolerance you might be familiar with is lactose
  • Stress. Really! Your body may react poorly under emotionally difficult circumstances, leading to intolerances and symptoms that seem vague. This can include symptoms of abdominal bloating
  • Celiac disease. This is not a true allergy because there isn’t a risk of anaphylactic shock, but it can cause similar, serious, multiple organ issues. Symptoms may include digestive trouble, but also headaches and joint pain
  • Sensitivity to chemical food additives, such as dyes and preservatives
  • Irritable bowel syndrome can mimic the symptoms of an allergy by causing severe gastrointestinal distress

In general, if you have concerns, we recommend that you get medical counseling and tested for allergies. We also have additional recommendations to help you determine the best course of action.

Don’t forget, allergies and intolerances can also apply to problems with environmental factors such as mold, dust, and other issues. You’ll want to check for each to know for sure.

Here are Proactive Wellness, our medical practitioners take a holistic, whole health approach. For that reason, we always recommend that you start with the basics. Here are some early things you can do to tell what’s going on.

  1. Know your body. Unexplained symptoms should never be ignored. If you are feeling unwell, it’s worth a trip to visit your trusted provider .
  2. Pay attention to how you feel after you eat. Keep a food diary, if you suspect that you might be having symptoms after eating certain foods.
  3. Try tracking other environmental factors. Be ready to consider that the issue might be caused by mold, or Lyme disease. Have you been around an unfamiliar animal recently? You may have contracted a parasite.
  4. Consider that your symptoms might be caused by chronic inflammation, or other stress factors.
  5. Finally, get tested for underlying infections. The flair-up symptoms may mimic those of an allergy or intolerance.

Finally, please don’t hesitate to reach out! At Proactive Wellness, we will provide a complete screening and counseling at each step to help you determine whether you have an allergy or an intolerance. We’ll provide counseling and support to help you make good decisions to support complete health and wellness.

If you have any questions, we will run tests and give you full screenings to rule out any issues and prevent additional risk to your long-term health.

If you have any questions about your health please don’t hesitate to give us a call! Check out our website for more information, as well. We want to partner with you to find solutions that work, and help you to live your most active, healthy life – with or without allergies and intolerances.