Have you been diagnosed with Hashimoto disease and told by your doctor not to worry but you find yourself scared anyway?
If so, you are experiencing similar feelings to others we have treated with this most common type of hypothyroid disease.
Hashimoto’s disease happens when the immune system attacks the thyroid which leads to less production of thyroid hormones – a form of hypothyroidism.
While most doctors are not concerned with the disease as it can be easily treated with medication, many people still continue to suffer from unwanted symptoms long after the prescription takes affect.
The good news is that there are naturopathic options to help with these uncomfortable symptoms. Before we discuss those, let’s take an overall look at this condition.
Symptoms
Common symptoms of this disease are:
– fatigue
– weight gain
– mood issues
– menstrual irregularities
– constipation
– muscle pain
– thinning hair
– coldness
in addition to unbalanced thyroid hormone test results.
In determining whether Hashimoto’s disease is present, a blood test analyzing Free T4, Free T3, and TSH antibodies is run. Results showing Hashimoto’s disease can also tell how active the disease is – the higher the number of antibodies, the more severe the disease presently is.
Causes
Although it may be difficult to determine exactly why Hashimoto’s disease is present, there are a variety of causes that may have contributed such as:
– chronic stress
– food sensitivities (particularly to gluten and/or dairy)
– underlying latent or chronic low grade viruses
– environmental toxins
– Leaky Gut Syndrome, imbalance of the gut microflora
– inflammation
in which some of these may continue to play a role in the disease if not treated.
Naturopathic Treatment Options
In addition to medication that balances thyroid hormones, there are specific natural options that treat both the underlying root causes and symptoms of the disease.
Specifically, we recommend:
- Getting Tested. Ensure all of your results are current and if not, get retested for the most up-to-date analysis.
- Clean Up Your Diet. Sensitivity to gluten and/or dairy can be a major contributing factor to Hashimoto’s disease so eliminating them from your diet may make a big impact.
Start by excluding all dairy and gluten from your diet for a minimum of three weeks. After this time, slowly add them back in one at a time. Because food sensitivities may take up to a few days to show up, allow at least 48-72 hours before adding another food group in to determine if a sensitivity is present.
We especially find that many receive long-term relief by eliminating gluten indefinitely.
- Manage and Treat the Adrenals. The thyroid and adrenal glands have a close relationship
– much like that of a brother and sister. When the thyroid is struggling, the adrenals kick in to help, eventually burning out in which both the thyroid and adrenal glands suffer.
Due to the effect on the adrenal glands, it’s important to make sure they have support with proper supplements such as AdrenoMend™ by Douglas Laboratories® or Adrenal Response® by Innate Formulas.
- Calm Inflammation. Inflammation in the body can be a culprit of Hashimoto’s disease, so supplements such as Omega 3s as well as high doses of curcumin can help squelch it.
- Take Care of Your Gut. Because there are excess thyroid antibodies with Hashimoto’s disease, supporting gut health to eliminate these antibodies is crucial.
A strong probiotic (50-100 billion) as well as Liver C™ by Mountain Peak Nutritionals® encourage healthy gut flora as well as antibody detoxification.
Prognosis
There are typically no serious reasons to worry about Hashimoto’s disease as long as thyroid hormones are balanced (mostly with medication), however symptoms can still arise even if levels are normal.
These naturopathic options can help control these symptoms in which we recommend monitoring antibodies every 2-3 months to ensure they are stable or decreasing.
If caught early and naturopathic treatments heal the underlying root cause, it may be possible to reverse the disease.
However, no matter if you were diagnosed recently or years ago, it’s important to treat both your lab values and symptoms – not just one or the other. And at CNMA, we do just that.
If you live in Castle Rock, Castle Pines, Lone Tree, Highlands Ranch, Centennial, Parker, Larkspur, Monument, Colorado Springs, or the Greater Denver Metro area and are suffering from Hashimoto’s disease or believe you may be, please call our office at (303) 688-6698 or click here to schedule a complimentary 15 minute phone consultation with Dr. Graves to discuss next steps in your holistic health care of the disease or to get tested.
We hope to have the opportunity to help you feel your best and relieve your worries.
REFERENCES:
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/endocrine-diseases/hashimotos-disease
Leave a Reply