Thyroid: Hero? Or Villain?
“Just when I think I have it all figured out, something else happens!” — Inspector Gadget
Last year, I gave a talk for the ladies in my exercise group. The subject? The thyroid. There were a couple of ladies who had had their thyroid removed and others who had thyroid issues. So many today either have a thyroid issue or know someone who has an issue. At least their health issues are quite often attributed to a problem with the thyroid.
Doctors tend to blame the thyroid itself. And removing the thyroid is frequently their solution. In fact, I’ve had two different doctors suggest I just have mine out and then I won’t need to ‘worry’ about those pesky thyroid nodules. The first doctor, it seemed, just didn’t want to be bothered. The second one, though? Thyroid removal had been her solution personally, so there’s a bit of bias there.
To me, it seems that thyroidectomy, for the most, is just one of the latest medical fads. Like the years when every kid had their tonsils out. Or when doctors were recommending hysterectomies for any female problems. I actually had one doctor suggest I have my ovaries removed so I wouldn’t have to worry about ovarian cancer. Cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal) is still a popular surgery. One I actually fell for.
Before I continue, I need to make one thing clear: There are legitimate reasons to have your thyroid removed. Cancer being the one that comes to mind. That is an entirely different subject that is likely a very good reason for thyroidectomy.
Is removing the thyroid the right answer? Is the thyroid the villain in this story? Or is it the hero?
What Does Your Thyroid Do, Anyway?
(Buckle up: This is going to get a bit technical. And long. Maybe grab a beverage, first? 😘)
Your thyroid, found in your neck, is a butterfly-shaped endocrine gland. It has one primary function: To produce thyroid hormone. It produces two forms:
T4 (Tetraiodothyronine aka Thyroxine) the more stable, though inactive form of thyroid hormone
T3 (Triiodothyronine) the active, though less stable form of thyroid hormone
T4 has 4 iodine molecules bound to it and T3 has 3 iodine molecules bound to it. Conversion of T4 to T3 involves removing 1 iodine molecule, a process that takes place primarily in the liver.
Key Points About Your Thyroid
Your thyroid is the largest of all the endocrine glands
Your thyroid has a blood flow five times the weight of the gland/minute.
Your thyroid stores approximately 100 DAYS of thyroid hormone, primarily as stable T4.
Your thyroid takes its job of making thyroid hormone seriously. When it gets messages that there isn’t enough thyroid hormone, it creates nodules so that it can make more thyroid hormone.
Thyroid hormone controls metabolism throughout the body. If your thyroid hormones are low, then your entire system will be sluggish. Resulting in symptoms such as feeling tired, feeling cold, and more serious problems if it continues long term.
The reason your thyroid produces so much thyroid hormone? The reason it stores 100 days worth? Because thyroid hormone is really important.
In fact, every single cell in your body, every last one of them, needs thyroid hormone:
Your brain cells? They need thyroid hormone.
Your heart’s cells? They need it.
Blood cells? They also need it.
The cells in your pinky toe? Yep, even they need thyroid hormone.
Although no one has ever counted them, estimates suggest there are approximately 30 trillion cells in the human body. That’s 30 with TWELVE zeros!
30,000,000,000,000!
That is a lot of Thyroid Hormone!
That is why the thyroid stores 100 days of TH.
In other words, your thyroid is NOT the problem. It is definitely not a villain!
If the thyroid isn’t the problem, then what is?
The thyroid is just one part of the system. It has 2 roles: make thyroid hormone and store thyroid hormone. It gets its signal from the pituitary via TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone). TSH tells the thyroid that more thyroid hormone is needed.
There are a number of factors that can prevent the thyroid hormone from getting to the cells. Here are a few:
Excess cortisol can inhibit TSH production, so the thyroid doesn’t get the signal to make thyroid hormone
Excess cortisol can impact the conversion of T4 to T3, resulting in an inactive reverse-T3.
Excess cortisol can also prevent T3 from binding to cells
In some cases, elevated cortisol and chronic stress can contribute to autoimmune thyroid conditions.
There’s that cortisol again. I talked about cortisol last time.
Perhaps, then, stress and the resulting excess cortisol are the real villains in this story? Though they share that role with a system that is out of balance.
Then, Why Do Doctors Suggest Thyroid Removal?
Doctors follow protocol. Getting to the root cause of any health issue takes longer than the 15 minutes doctors are allotted per appointment. Their protocol says that the thyroid is the problem so the obvious solution, to them, is to take it out.
But does it really solve the problem?
Thyroid removal means you have to get thyroid hormone from a pill. That also means that you won’t have any stored thyroid hormone. No more 100 days of thyroid hormone. Is that a problem? Just ask those who have lived a while without a thyroid and what happens if you miss a day.
The most prescribed thyroid hormone replacement is on T4. So if your problems are related to not converting T4 to T3? You’ve still got problems.
Your Thyroid Is Actually a Superhero!
Every organ and gland in your body serves a purpose. Even the appendix has been found to have a function. Your thyroid is no different.
Your thyroid is not a villain. In fact, I believe it is a Superhero. One that doesn’t get enough credit for all that it does.
It’s easy to see why it gets the blame for a tired system. If every cell in your body needs thyroid hormone, then it becomes critical to support and nourish the producer of that hormone.
Next time, I’ll be talking about how a system out of balance can show up as a thyroid issue.
When I started my deep dive into understanding the thyroid, I was pretty sure that I wanted to keep my thyroid. And now? After this deep dive? I’m convinced and determined to keep mine.
