At AskDrKing, we know that a thyroid condition involves more than just your thyroid gland. Many doctors only look at the thyroid when diagnosing the condition, but we know that the thyroid does not work in a vacuum; as with other conditions, our body needs several parts working together well to function optimally.
Your adrenal glands sit right on top of your kidneys, and are shown in our diagram as “A”. They are also known as your “stress glands”, as they respond to physical, chemical and emotional stress. They release hormones to your hypothalamus (located in the center of your brain) and pituitary gland (located below the hypothalamus).
Your pituitary releases thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) to act onto your thyroid to work so your thyroid will release T3 (triiodothyronine) and T4 (thyroxine), therefore increasing their levels in the blood. If your adrenals are not working properly—which could be due to triggers such as stress from a bad relationship, a high-pressure job, blood sugar imbalances (diabetes) or even having taken prescription drugs over a prolonged period of time—they aren’t feeding back into your pituitary gland properly. Without the stimulation from the adrenals, the pituitary can’t release TSH like it should, and the cycle continues without balancing.
Your pituitary gland can also suffer from dysfunction as well. For instance, high cortisol, which is released from your adrenal glands, will make your pituitary gland sluggish, as can oral contraceptives.
There’s also an autoimmune component…
If you are suffering from an autoimmune disorder, that will wreak havoc onto your adrenals, your pituitary AND your thyroid glands. All of these diagnoses need to be taken into consideration when looking at a person’s thyroid condition.
If your doctors aren’t analyzing how your adrenal glands and pituitary gland are working, then they are missing a huge part of the puzzle in managing your health care needs.
How do we find the missing pieces in your puzzle?
One of our tools is an Adrenal Salivary Test, which measures the levels of stress hormones DHEA and cortisol, and provides an evaluation of how cortisol levels differ throughout the day. In fact, this test can uncover biochemical imbalances that are the underlying causes of conditions like anxiety, chronic fatigue, obesity, diabetes, depression and insomnia, among others. Our patients are very happy that this test is non-invasive, and only involves collecting saliva into a test tube.
Are you ready for a health-care professional that understands your condition and looks at it from a holistic perspective? Are you ready to have the cause of your symptoms managed properly, not just the symptoms as they happen? Are you ready to feel better and get your life back? If so, please contact us immediately to schedule a consultation: (714) 731-7680.
