Got the brain fog? Hypothyroidism might be the culprit.

Your head and neck are literally as connected as you can get, but this goes even deeper when you look at the organs inhabiting these body segments.

You are probably familiar with the brain, but if this butterfly shaped thyroid gland is a mystery to you, here are some of the pertinent details.

What is the thyroid’s function?

• Two major hormones secretes by the thyroid are: Thyroxine (T4) and Triiodothryonine (T3).
• These two hormones, once released by the thyroid gland, travel through the body via the bloodstream, converting oxygen and calories into energy. This energy is crucial for cognitive function, mood regulation, digestive processes, a healthy sex drive and much more.

Emphasis here will be placed on cognitive function impact. A properly functioning thyroid is not only required for a healthy metabolism, it’s also required for properly firing neurons — this means thinking power!

Hypothyroidism is when there isn’t enough circulating thyroid hormones (T3 and T4) so thyroid hormone receptors in the brain are not stimulated as much as needed which leads to deficits in thinking. Here is what this can look like.

Common brain fog symptoms:

• Forgetfulness
• Difficulty dissecting complex ideas
• Difficulty communicating, focusing and thinking

Okay! I just want to put you at ease and say there are other triggers for brain fog. So if you have these, it isn’t necessarily your thyroid 🙂.

Common simple triggers for brain fog are:

• Lack of sleep (the bane of my existence)
• Prolonged standing
• Dehydration
• Low blood sugar

If none of those check out with your situation, let’s delve deeper into what hypothyroidism looks like and if this could be what’s effecting you.

Here is a brief list of hypothyroid symptoms (in addition to brain fog):

• Dry skin
• Difficulty losing weight
• Fatigue
• Puffy face
• Constipation
• Dry thinning hair
• Cold intolerance

So there you have it. If you find yourself checking off multiple symptoms from this list, it might be worth getting your thyroid levels checked with your healthcare practitioner.

HOT TIP: Get your doctor to run a FULL THYROID panel. Running a TSH blood test alone will not catch all hypothyroid cases. It should also include the T3 and T4 levels. If that’s all greek to you, then speak with a functional medical practitioner to get the down-low on the thyroid!

That’s all folks! Take it easy and love your thyroid.