Dr. Frank discusses the thyroid and shallow breathing:
Every single tissue in the entire body has thyroid receptors. This means that the thyroid, if not functioning properly, can cause a wide variety of symptoms beyond what we would normally consider.
Dr. Mark Frank, for The Healthy Home Economist
Thyroid Nation
It is most common to question the health of the thyroid in cases of fatigue, constipation, weight gain, chilliness, and dryness. However, it is also very common in cases of depression, fibromyalgia like muscle aches, gastrointestinal dysfunction, and even foggy brain.
The thyroid is one endocrine organ in a delicately and intricately related chain of hormone producing glands. Although it may be one of the easier glands to measure, others in the chain, i.e. the hypothalamus, the adrenal glands, and the gastrointestinal system have a major effect on the thyroid’s function.
In the last two weeks alone, I have treated three unusual cases of thyroid dysfunction. One an 8 year old girl with Hashimoto’s an auto-immune disease, another a 22-year-old male who looks like a bodybuilder and the third a 14-year-old very slender female. None of them fit the picture…but if you don’t test you never know!
Just Because Your Doctor Says Your Thyroid is Fine Doesn’t Make it So
When testing the thyroid you must test several markers to understand if the thyroid is working properly; TSH, T4 total, free T3, Free T4, T3 uptake, free thyroxine index, and thyroid antibodies.
Laboratory ranges are very wide on thyroid and do not reflect optimal functioning. It is very common for conventional doctors to just order a TSH and say your thyroid is fine when it really isn’t. The reason is most doctors treat all thyroid conditions the same – give enough Levo-thyroxin until the TSH blood level is within normal limits. This works for one kind of thyroid dysfunction. There are six different types of low thyroid functions with at least 22 other bodily dysfunctions resulting in low functioning thyroid.
How Other Organs Affect the Thyroid
I will give you a few examples of how other organ systems affect the thyroid. If you have positive antibodies TPO or TGB you really have an auto-immune disease where your thyroid tissue is being destroyed by your immune system. It is estimated that at least 75% of hypothyroid cases are auto-immune. This problem can really be helped by clinicians who understand the relationship between thyroid, gut, immune system and brain. Attention should be directed to these areas.
Food allergies must be eliminated. Vitamin D should be measured and optimized for that patient. Leaky gut must be corrected. Balancing the two arms of the immune system Th1 and Th2 is very important.
Common health food store “immune tonics” such as echinacea and maitake are Th1 stimulators while caffeine is a TH 2 stimulator. If one is Th1 dominant they will frequently complain that echinacea or other Th1 stimulants makes them feel bad. It is important to realize that your individual body may not fit the common marketing scheme that is currently being advocated in medicine or natural health care.
Iodine Can Sometimes Make Thyroid Function Worse
There are other tests such as cytokine testing or TH1 and 2 challenges to get this system balanced. It is paramount to understand that those diagnosed with Hashimoto’s or showing positive antibodies will be made WORSE with iodine supplementation.
Free T3 is the real work horse of thyroid hormones. It is what your cells use, yet only 6% of T3 is made in the thyroid. The vast majority is converted from T4 in the liver and from the bacteria in the GI tract. Can you start to see how important the GI tract is and the importance of fermented foods, pre and probiotics?
Thyroid Problems and Adrenal Dysfunction Usually Go Hand in Hand
It is rare to see thyroid dysfunction without seeing adrenal dysfunction. The adrenals are the glands that deal with stress and in our culture, most peoples are just worn out. This leads to under-conversion of T4-to T3. It frequently leads to blood sugar issues which dampen communication between the hypothalamus, pituitary and thyroid glands.
Paradoxical Breathing Common in Thyroid/Adrenal Dysfunction
Again, these problems are made worse by people skipping meals, eating low protein diets or vegetarian diets, using stimulants such as caffeine to increase adrenal output of hormones. I always use nutrients and whole-food diets emphasizing higher protein and healthy fats for this condition. One of the most important treatments is breathing exercises.
It is common to find people that are paradoxical breathers with this condition. They are shallow breathers from the chest up without using their diaphragms and when they breathe in, their bellies go in rather than expanding out to allow the diaphragm to create a vacuum in the lungs.
It is impossible in a short article to completely explain the thyroid gland. My goal is rather to show you the many facets of thyroid dysfunction and testing. As in all my writings, my goal is to help you connect the dots between one particular system and its relationship to the whole body. I hope to convey the message that if you are chronically ill and your doctor has only tested your TSH please ask for more. Do not take over the counter formulas for your thyroid unless someone is specifically monitoring your case as what makes one type of thyroid condition better can aggravate another type. Again Iodine is a very individual nutrient for certain thyroid types and not for others! (and start breathing!)
About the Author
Dr. Mark Frank has been in private practice in Zephyrhills, Florida since 1981. He has traveled the world studying acupuncture, homeopathy, functional medicine, chiropractic, and functional neurology in an effort to understand how the human body heals. He is currently practicing with his daughter Celeste Holstein D.C. Their practice, The Frank Clinic of Chiropractic, is located at 38040 Daughtery Rd, Zephyrhills, FL 33450. www.frankclinic.com.
Sarah Pope, The Healthy Home Economist is a 40-something, Wife, and Mother of three. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics (summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) from Furman University and a Master of Government Administration from the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League institution. Sarah’s work has been featured via numerous major media outlets most recently in a cover story in the print edition of USA Today. Sarah has taken the message of Traditional Diet abroad and has been interviewed on the national TV evening news and nationwide radio from as far away as the Philippines. – See her video library of over 90 free videos on various Traditional Cooking techniques, here. (Thyroid and adrenal connection to shallow breathing article)
Please ‘Like’ Thyroid Nation on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter.
Questions or anything to ask Dr. Frank about shallow breathing? We’d love your thoughts in the comments section!
I had my thyroid removed in 1995. Recently, I changed doctors and I am on Armour now and B12. My red blood cell count is high and I will see a hemotologist this week. While my breathing has gotten better with Armour and B12 is the high RBC related to the thyroid? My adrenals are on very low end of normal but no one seems to want to do anything.
Hi Susan, I will post this comment to the Thyroid Nation Facebook page, tonight! ~Danna 🙂
Hi Danna,
Thanks again to you and your team for a great and insightful article on breathing problems! I thought it was just me, (as we all seem to do with thyroid problems!) So I am on T3 only for about 3 years now (was on Levo for 10 years, which just made me more ill, never converted in my gut, etc) and I quit smoking two years ago…in this last year not only have I gained a lot of weight but my breathing has been really shallow and strained. When I walk up a hill…that is when it is worse and I have to stop, pause, wait and recover and go on. Have to say I am 60 now and been in this mad world of hypo/hashis for 20 years now…kicked off with the birth of my daughter. Undiagnosed for 6 years, on levo for 10, usual suspects..adrenal flatscreened but better now, almost restored…should I up my t3, on 25mcgs a day…DR.’s orders! Thanks for all you do for us out here, we love you!! 🙂 xxx
Hi there,
I’m so thankful for this article; I had a thyroidectomy 6 weeks ago due to papillary carcinoma. I am on synthroid and am waiting to get into a dr. who will help me look at all of my levels (not just TSH.) At any rate, since my surgery I have been breathing shallow and struggling to feel good, I think a lot of it is a result of the shallow breathing. My endocrinologist hardly acknowledged my complaint.
I usually run about 2 miles each day, this has caused a lot of chest/lung pain and makes me cough a lot, as does talking much. I’d love some direction as to how I can work on the breathing until I get some help with my meds & breathing. Thanks for any direction or ideas you can offer.