Dr. Tarrin P. Lupo, DC, PSc.D., Contributor
Thyroid Nation
Dr. Lupo discusses the many faces of hypothyroidism in men.
Hypothyroidism symptoms in men are rare but can be very impactful on the quality of affected men’s lives. Men get thyroid issues much less often than women but they are common enough that I am still seeing increasing amounts of patients with them.
Historically hypothyroidism symptoms are widely undiagnosed in men. Most physicians associate thyroid issues with women, so hypothyroidism is rarely suspected when men complain about their symptoms.
Thyroid issues are usually only discovered in men when they get their yearly physical. Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH) is run on almost all routine blood work panels. (But, we need to advocate for FULL thyroid panels)
List Of Warning Signs For Hypothyroidism Symptoms In Men
Is exercise and dieting no longer working to trim weight?
- Have you gained love handles or a spare tire that you can’t seem to lose?
- Is exercise and dieting no longer working to trim weight?
- Are your toes and fingers freezing most of the time?
- Are you growing male breasts or developing woman-like hips?
- Are you more exhausted than you have ever been in your life?
- Are you chronically fatigued even after a long sleep?
- Do you have brain fog or a bad memory lately?
- Do you feel more emotional lately?
- Did your symptoms appear after a head injury?
- Do you work near chemicals or radiation?
- Do you have brittle fingernails that break easy?
What I have seen in practice is that symptoms of hypothyroidism in women generally stem from high stress, food sensitivities, drug reactions, and pregnancy, while men generally develop theirs from environmental poisons, radiation, and head injuries.
Hypothyroidism Symptoms In Senior Men
Are you growing male breasts or developing woman like hips? (not uncommon and not an easy topic to discuss)Hypothyroidism symptoms in men are more prominent than ever in the aging populace. Thyroid glands are very sensitive to environmental toxins and get damaged from a cumulative effect. (Endocrine Disruptors)
Generally speaking, many men still have jobs that put them around chemical exposure. Men who have worked in shipyards, factories, and the military are showing up more often at the clinic. Men who worked a lifetime in unsafe work environments are now paying the price in their senior years.
Hypothyroidism Symptoms In Middle-Aged Men
When middle-aged men appear in my clinic for thyroid issues it is usually from exposure to radiation. Radiation affects how your thyroid uses iodine and ultimately destroys the function of the gland.
A functional medicine doctor who works mainly with war vets told me he is starting to see a rise in soldiers with thyroid problems.
Doctors theorize this is because of soldiers working around depleted uranium shells. The locals who live in environments where the rounds were fired also suffer from terrible side effects, so it is not a big leap to assume handling the shells is also dangerous.
Hypothyroidism Symptoms In Young Men
Hypothyroidism in young people comes mainly from head injuries, or they inherit it from a parent with Hashimoto’s disease.
Concussions can disrupt how neurotransmitters flow and work in the brain. Since the neurotransmitters are no longer functioning correctly, this sets up a cascade of problems because the brain can no longer talk to the body properly.
The thyroid is one of the most sensitive glands to brain neurotransmitters. Generally, the thyroid is really a secondary victim to a damaged brain.
About the Author
Dr. Tarrin P. Lupo, D.C., PSc. D., studied biology and chemistry in college and then earned a doctorate in chiropractic. During that training, he gravitated toward the clinical nutrition and endocrine classes. He set up my own practice in 2001 where he was mainly a pain management doctor and an accident injury doctor. He worked very hard and studied for years so he could get great at helping folks with joint pain symptoms. Although he had helped lots of patients over the years, he came to realize traditional chiropractic wasn’t his true calling; he truly enjoyed managing patients with metabolic issues. He felt constrained dealing with the government and insurance and felt he could not provide the best care to his patients. He took a few years off and wrote some books and started studying nutrition with a deeper focus. He started taking classes to become a functional medicine doctor. He intensely studied the field and still works daily to stay abreast of the latest cutting edge techniques. Currently, he’s pursuing his diplomate in clinical nutrition from the American Clinical Board of Nutrition. Although Dr. Lupo, PSc.D. is trained and licensed as a chiropractor he does not use chiropractic when doing online or in-office functional wellness consultations. Dr. Lupo chooses to only practice pastoral medicine, in which he holds a doctorate in pastoral science and medicine when dealing with issues of nutrition, blood work, and counseling. If you have any questions about hypothyroidism symptoms in men, feel free to drop him an email. Check out his website at www.Holistic-Healing-Information.com.
Questions or anything to ask Dr. Lupo about Hypothyroidism? We want your thoughts in the comments section–Please!
