How to naturally address issues with shallow breathing or “air hunger”, a common but overlooked problem in those suffering from thyroid problems or adrenal dysfunction.
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.
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 one two-week period alone, I treated three unusual cases of thyroid dysfunction.
- One was an 8-year-old girl with Hashimoto’s auto-immune disease.
- Another is a 22-year-old male who looks like a bodybuilder.
- The third was a 14-year-old very slender female.
None of them fit the picture of a typical thyroid patient…but if you don’t test you never know!
Common Misdiagnosis in Conventional Tests
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
- Thyroid antibodies
Laboratory ranges are very wide on the thyroid and, sadly, do not reflect optimal functioning in the real world.
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 conventional approach only works for one kind of thyroid dysfunction!
There are six different types of low thyroid function with at least 22 other bodily dysfunctions resulting in a suboptimal 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 own immune system is destroying thyroid tissue.
Shockingly, it is estimated that at least 75% of hypothyroid cases are auto-immune in nature.
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:
- Resolve food allergies
- Measure and optimize Vitamin D levels.
- Heal leaky gut
- Balance the two arms of the immune system Th1 and Th2 is very important.
Pitfalls with “Immune Tonics”
Common health food store “immune tonics” such as echinacea and maitake are Th1 stimulators while caffeine is a TH2 stimulator.
If one is Th1 dominant they will frequently complain that echinacea or other Th1 stimulants make them feel bad.
It is important to realize that your individual body may not fit the common marketing scheme currently advocated in medicine or natural health care.
Buyer beware!
Iodine Can Sometimes Make Things 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 workhorse 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, prebiotics, and probiotics?
Thyroid 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.
In our culture, most people are just worn out…usually all the time!
This leads to the under-conversion of T4 to T3.
It frequently leads to blood sugar issues which dampen communication between the hypothalamus, pituitary, and thyroid glands.
Shallow Breathing aka “Air Hunger”
Again, these problems are made worse by people skipping meals, eating low-protein or vegetarian diets, and using stimulants such as caffeine to increase the 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 to remedy air hunger.
It is common to find people that suffer from shallow breathing when endocrine conditions present.
Shallow breathing is characterized by breathing from the chest up without using the diaphragm.
Put another way, shallow breathing involves breathing without 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!
More Information
Thyroid Disease as a Psychiatric Pretender
6 Little Known Signs of Adrenal Fatigue
This is Your Body (and Brain) on Gluten
Sheri Hennings, it really helps to know what to ask for and this article makes some good suggestions. Many would disagree about his iodine comment with regards to Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
When I was finally diagnosed as being hypoT, it was not news to me. I think I’d been hypo for years. I also tested as having high cortisol (diurnal saliva test)
The breathing issue is interesting. I have been a singer for years, so I know how to breath. but sometimes, particularly if I was under stress, my body simply wouldn’t work the way it was supposed to. I could try all I wanted to breath as I knew I should, but it was like there was steel bands around my ribcage, and it wouldn’t move.
Now that my thyroid is being treated with iodine, T3 and Eltroxin, the breathing has improved a great deal. That I still have issues from time to time tells me I’m not all better yet!
I have not been diagnosed with anything but that is how I feel. Like an invisible band around my rib cage not allowing me to breathe deeply.
I had a pulmonary function test done, and when the results were being read to me (lung capacity is good and exhalation is strong) I exclaimed that it wasn’t breathing OUT I had the problem with, it was breathing IN.
I now know that this is pretty common among the hypoT set, but it is not what they test for when the lung test is done.
I am fortunate that I have a doctor willing to allow me to take a fair bit of control of my diagnosis and treatment. He has been a lot of help, because he listens and is willing to admit that he doesn’t know everything.
I’ve been on Nature-throid for a few years now, but my adrenals have been fried, so I’m still not back to “normal.” Just in the last 6 months or so, I’ve been having the same sort of trouble breathing. My inhale is very weak and fairly slow, and I don’t inhale deeply, but my exhale is forceful. It feels as if the exhale is trying to compensate for the weak inhale. It’s strange, because I’ve had a lot of training in Yoga breathing and other forms of conscious breathing. I know how I want to breathe, but it’s nearly impossible to do it for any length of time. This may mean I need more adrenal support, or certain nutrients, or more thyroid. Or I may need to see if I have the reverse T3 problem now.
It’s really interesting to read this article. Thank you.
Dr. Frank, is it possible to heal/reverse hypothyroidism naturally?
How do I properly test for thyroid?!
Thank you!
Excellent article. Thank you!
FYI,
I have thyroid antibiodies and my LPN diagnosed me with Hashimotos. She prescribed Iodoral (Iodine pills) and my thyroid antibiodies went waaaaay down! Took about 3 months. Could it be that perhaps some peope with hashimotos do respond well to iodine, while others dont?
Would love to hear your opinion on this!
Bev
You are not the only person with Hashimoto’s to benefit from iodine. There is a yahoo group for iodine users. There are many there like you!
My doctor and I were just discussing iodine. (I have Hashimoto’s) She is pro-iodine, but I was really questioning it based on what I have read. I would appreciate any direction you can offer in regards to iodine, so that I can make a more informed choice. I am head-shy, as I have cooperated to easily in the past and had regrets later (not with current doc). Now I question EVERYTHING. I’m lucky to have a doctor who lets me have input!! Thank you in advance for your time and knowledge!
HI Joy
It is important to remember that your whole body uses iodine or iodide…it goes way beyond your thyroid.
If you want to do more research or get a second opinion of sorts, check out the yahoo group for iodine. The owner is an ND who has done a lot of work with iodine and who has conquered thyroid cancer. She has worked with Dr. Brownstein, author of several health books including one on iodine and one on thyroid health. Dr brownstein has found with testing that the vast majority of his patients are iodine deficient and likewise very few cannot tolerate Lugol’s Iodine (a mix of iodine and iodide).
Good for you to question. Like you I’ve decided that my health is too precious to leave lolely in the hands of professionals! You know your body better than anyone.
Thank you! I will definitely study the site you recommended. I appreciate people like you immensely, who take the time to share their knowledge! I am determined to get a handle on this condition, hopefully obliterate it!
I forgot to tell you that I was first treated for Hashimotos with Lugol’s Iodine, and felt terrible on it, therefore I could not continure using it and got no restuls. When prescribed Iodoral, which are iodine tablets … I worked my way up to 12.5 mg per day and that is when my thryoid antibiodies went waaay down! I am getting better!
Go figure! All iodine is not created equally!
The person that writes this blog: http://paleozonenutrition.com/
has Hashimotos, and she often answers questions.
Hi, my baby was diagnosed with congenital hypothyroidism following her newborn screening, her TSH was 247 and the other numbers were off as well. Since her numbers were so far afield I never questioned her endocrinologist, who has had her on Levothyroxine this past year. We retest every month, and every month it seems we’ve pulled back on her medication until now her dose is just 25mcg/day. I asked about a more natural approach but was shut down immediately, the doctor stating that since her brain is still developing we don’t want to do any experimenting with her meds. I just want to explore some things I can do via nutrition to keep up this momentum of reducing her medication. She was EBF until about 7 months, and at 11.5 months is now about 50/50 food/breast milk. She is also grain free, though I do eat grains and I suppose she gets them through my breast milk. Should I keep up this diet? Are there any resources that I should be looking into specifically for congenital hypothyroidism?
Great article! I have been fighting to have a proper thyroid eval for over a year without success.
Thank you for this! My question is if there is any way to deal with the physical issues associated with poor thyroid function (adrenal fatigue, constipation, mood problems etc.) if your thyroid has been irradiated? I’m on Armour but still struggle with these issues.