Thyroid disease is a common problem that can cause symptoms because of over- or under-function of the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is located in the front of the neck below the Adam’s apple. The thyroid gland is an essential organ for producing thyroid hormones, which maintain are body metabolism.
Do I have a thyroid disease?
This is the common question many individuals ask, seeking for an answer from a healthcare professional. Grave’s disease, a sort of thyroid autoimmunity disease, has been illustrated to be caused by the following factors. Please note not all of these factors are treatable. From those, the factors that are treatable and most important are:
Selenium deficiencies
Infections
Stress
Gluten
Vitamin Deficiencies
Vitamin D, omega-3, folate
Gut Microflora
Leaky gut
Infections
Many different viruses and bacteria have been associated with autoimmunity. Some of the very researched are:
Bacteria:
Yersinia enterocolitis
Helicobacter pylori
Viruses:
Epstein Barr
Cytomegalovirus
Herpes Simplex Virus
This has caused researchers to recognize those infections as one of the contributors to developing autoimmunity. A number of studies have even shown as disease activity increases, so does the severity of the autoimmune process.
A meta analysis examining the association of H. Pylori infections and thyroid autoimmunity concluded, “Overall, H. pylori infection was associated with autoimmune thyroid disease; the association was significant for Graves’ disease. These findings indicate that H. pylori infection potentially plays a part in the progression of ATDs.” ATD signifies autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto’s thyroid disease and Graves’ disease being the most common forms).
Three case studies were published showing that all three women with Graves’ had concurrent Epstein Barr virus reactivation. Note severe Epstein Barr is also known as mononucleosis.
“Though the etiology of Graves’ disease is still not clear, it is generally implied that environmental factors such as infections contribute to the growth of Graves’ disease. We report here three cases of Graves’ disease which presented simultaneously with infectious mononucleosis due to primary EBV infection.”
Some researchers’re theorizing the reason why Epstein Barr virus might lead to autoimmunity is essentially because the virus really gets inside the thyroid gland thus stimulating your immune cells to attack the gland.
While there are great studies demonstrating the correlation between infections and autoimmunity; and there is a suggested causal connection, researchers are still lacking further information. Released studies demonstrating a decrease of activity are impressive although sparse.
A study was conducted in Italy that exemplified how effective treatment of infections can be in halting the autoimmune procedure. Ten patients that had Hashimoto’s thyroid disease and also had an H. Pylori infection were chosen. Five failed treatment procedures and five responded well to the treatment procedures.
Again, the patients all had thyroid disorder and a H. Pylori bacterial disease. All of the patients’ levels were elevated to begin with, however. Treating a disease helped to stop the autoimmune process that damages the thyroid gland.
How important are the anti-body amounts?
A large study, known as meta-analyses, revealed that high antibodies levels are predictive of Graves’ relapse; so whatever we can do to lower these antibodies will be a good idea.
While there may not yet be some substantial scale randomized control trials looking at this, there are various clinicians in the area, that report that screening for and treating such infections seems to contribute greatly to halting the autoimmune procedure. It is a very simple inference to draw that removing a pathogenic bacteria overgrowth like Helicobacter Pylori, can be beneficial. Remember Graves and Hashimoto’s’ are immune disorders, infections trigger activation of the immune system allows the immune system to relax.
The H. Pylori Infection was shown to cause stomach burning, inflammation and nausea. Luckily, H. Pylori and many of these other infections can be safely eradicated with a class of antibiotic herbs. So there is great reason to screen for and treat those infections especially when we know for certain they have a strong connection. Most every infection will cause fatigue and treating an infection will help with sufferers energy levels.
Leaky Gut
The topic of infections ties in with that of gut health. Why is this? Well, a number of these infections can dwell therefore that they act not only as an infection which stimulated the immune systems but also damages your gut. H. Pylori and Yersinia are just two examples of these.
Why is gut health connected to my thyroid gland? Some researchers have stated that it is not even possible to develop autoimmunity unless the gut is first damaged. But why exactly is that?
This is because the gut is the barrier between you and the outside world. Remember ‘stuff’ from the external world increases entry therefore we need to have plenty of border patrol bronchial cells. When you have ‘leaky gut’ that the intestine or boarder barrier is compromised and also much ‘stuff’ is permitted in. This stuff may be viruses, bacteria, fungus, food particles, chemicals, etc.. Therefore, if you’ve got an underlying predisposition to autoimmunity and you then create leaky gut, the point may be set for you to develop autoimmunity, or specifically Graves’.
Gut Microflora
Here is a very simplified overview of a very exciting and complex subject. Good bacteria and fungus live in your intestines, more so on your colon. They are essential to help crowd out the bad bacteria, fungus and other infections. They are needed to prevent gut issues. Additionally they help increase nutrient absorption and breakdown nutrients. As though this isn’t sufficient, the microflora has been shown to have a direct effect on particular types of autoimmunity.
At a 2012 review published in the International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology the authors remarked, “Alterations in both the structure and function of intestinal microbiota could be one of the typical causative triggers of esophageal or autoinflammatory disorders.”
Dr. David Brady, ND, DC recorded a very well referenced lecture going into great detail about the gut microflora-autoimmune connection. Brady does a great job covering the way the medical literature shows a strong association between autoimmunity and gut flora. This is mentioned in practice.
Stress
Stress in known to provocate almost any health complication. The consequences of stress are far reaching, but stress can impact Graves’ via two mechanisms. Stress can weaken your immune system, which can cause an illness you already have to become much more debatable or may make you more susceptible to acquiring an infection. Second, we also understand that stress modulates what’s called the balance in the immune system. Among the theories of autoimmunity indicates that a change in this balance is a predisposing factor to growing.
Gluten
Gluten intolerance might be connected to pancreatic gland, and especially Graves’ disease by way of a gene or genes. There is known as the CLTA-4 gene, a gene known to be related to Graves’.
A study printed in 2012 revealed that 60 percent of those with AIT (autoimmune thyroid) disorder had this gene, while just 25 percent of healthy controls had this gene. How can this link to gluten intolerance? In 2013 that a meta-analysis was published showing a link between the CTLA-4 receptor as well as celiac disease, celiac disease being the maximum level of gluten intolerance one can have. These finding are confirmed in other reviews too.
Other studies, in Hashimoto’s patients, have shown that a gluten free diet can decrease the need for drugs and interrupts the gastrointestinal attack. Irrespective of the specific gene or genes involvement, observational data is fairly clear that people who have celiac disease have a higher prevalence of autoimmune thyroid disease (Graves’ and Hashimoto’s). Now it is important to mention that there’s an increasing subset of our population that doesn’t have full blown celiac disease but does have what is known as ‘gluten intolerance’. Current clinical studies support the idea that those with ‘gluten intolerance’ may also derive health benefit from a gluten free diet.
Vitamin Deficiencies
Vitamin D
It’s becoming increasingly more agreed upon that vitamin D helps fight autoimmunity to a lesser or greater degree. Lets look at a few information. A 2012 study published in the journal Endocrine revealed that individuals who relapse after Graves’ therapy have lower vitamin D levels, while those who do not snore have high levels of vitamin D.
Interestingly other studies are suggesting that autoimmunity may be because of defects in the vitamin D receptor consequently producing the vitamin D in your body less powerful. A 2013 study performed in Turkey showed that a specific flaw in the vitamin D receptor left patients at greater risk for Hashimoto’s thyroid autoimmunity. Along these very same lines, certain viral diseases might actually block the vitamin D receptor, which might be another mechanism whereby chronic infections lead to autoimmunity.
Omega 3’s
Omega 3 fatty acids have become a significant dietary and supplemental factors since they’ve become deficient in the diet in industrialized nations. Omega 3’s serve numerous functions, regarding the function they confer is their impact on inflammation.
Every cell of your body has a coating around it know as a cell membrane. The cell membrane is comprised of fatty acids. If the cell membrane is composed of a lot of omega 6 and not enough omega 3 fats, then the cell is prone in inflammation. Increasing consumption of omega 3s can help make you susceptible to autoimmunity and inflammation and also restore balance to your cell membranes. But how can inflammation tie in with autoimmunity? Remember among the hallmarks of autoimmunity is to overzealous immune reaction. Your entire body mounts an immune response by sending out white blood cells which shoot inflammation at ‘guys’ to destroy them. This is great when it is controlled, but out of control the procedure rages also in people with autoimmunity. Restoring levels of omega 3s is like taking bullets from your systems guns preventing your system. Please remember its all about balance and over consumption of omega 3s may cause difficulties like a intake.
There’s a wealth of data available on the health benefits of omega 3s. Merely to quote 1 study regarding omega 3s effect on autoimmunity, the available evidence reveal that increased daily consumption of dietary n-3 FA reduces the severity of autoimmune disorders.”
Folate/MTHFR
Some individuals have a gene mutation referred to as the MTHFR mutation. Basically this mutation reduces one’s ability to break down acid. Folic acid is a synthetic form of the vitamin. Because food processing hurts folate, the synthetic form (folic acid), is added back to our meals. Patients with this gene mutation cannot absorb folic acid plus they become deficient in this vitamin.
Data on this subject is sparse and I wonder if treating this particular gene mutation will have any significant impact on thyroid autoimmunity. Some studies show an association for this mutation and autoimmune thyroid; one study showed that 30 percent of autoimmune thyroid patients had the MTHFR gene mutation.
Yet other studies show no correlation for this particular gene mutation and thyroid autoimmunity. Curing this gene polymorphism is safe and inexpensive as the treatment is through vitamin and diet treatment. If your functional medicine practitioner is up to date on this subject, even though this might not be the first item it may be worthwhile to explore this with your health care provider to achieve overall health and wellness.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .�
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Wellness
Overall health and wellness are essential towards maintaining the proper mental and physical balance in the body. From eating a balanced nutrition as well as exercising and participating in physical activities, to sleeping a healthy amount of time on a regular basis, following the best health and wellness tips can ultimately help maintain overall well-being. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can go a long way towards helping people become healthy.
Often times, when patients are diagnosed with a thyroid disease, they are scared are become pressured to make a quick decision regarding the treatment they should follow. These choices are often not well informed, leaving the patient regretting the surgical or radioactive procedure once they have had time to think and get a different view.
What are the my treatment options for Graves’ disease?
In case you have Graves’ disease and are reading this, take a deep breath. Allow yourself the time to read this guide and receive another opinion. In this article, we will describe what Graves’ disease is, what causes it, the dangers related to Graves’ and conventional and functional medicine treatment options.
What is Graves’ Disease?
Graves� disease is a form of thyroid autoimmunity that causes hyperthyroidism. It is a process in which immune cells are made by the body and attack they thyroid, causing the overproduction of thyroid hormones, or hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroid means too much thyroid hormone. What are the symptoms of hyperthyroidism or Graves’ disease?
Thick, reddish skin usually on the shins or tops of their feet (Graves’ dermopathy)
What are the Risks of Graves’ Disease?
In case the hyperthyroidism brought on by Graves’ disease isn’t managed, it can cause significant damage. It can cause problems with changes in the structure and function of the heart, such as changes in heart rhythm and even heart failure because the signs of Grave’s includes increased heart speed. If a pregnant woman has Graves’ disease, it may cause complications like poor growth, problems with the child’s thyroid, premature birth or preeclampsia.
Thyroid storm is a life threatening complication of Graves’ in which one becomes hyperthyroid. It can cause profuse perspiration, fever, delirium, confusion, fatigue, tremors, highly irregular heartbeat, very low blood pressure and coma. This is considered a medical emergency. Brittle bones are also connected with untreated Grave’s disease.
People who have celiac disease are at increased risk to develop another autoimmune disease. Some common autoimmune disorders are; eczema/psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, type I diabetes, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease and multiple sclerosis. Actually, autoimmune disease are now more common than cancer.
Conventional Treatment for Graves’ Disease
In conventional medicine, thyroid controlling drugs and beta blockers are normally the initial treatment. Drugs interfere with your thyroid’s ability to use iodine; so thyroid hormone levels will be lowered by blocking iodine, iodine is required to make thyroid hormones. An example is Tapazone (Methimazole). Additionally, thyroid hormone levels do not affect thyroid hormone levels, instead, they obstruct the effects of thyroid hormone on the heart. Examples include Propranolol (Inderal), Atenolol (Tenormin), Metoprolol, Nadolol (Corgard). What are the side effects of anti-thyroid drugs?
The Mayo clinic lists the “most common” side effects of Methimazole as:
Black, tarry stools
Chest pain
Chills
Cough
Fever
Painful or difficult urination
Shortness of breath
Sore throat
Sores, ulcers, or white spots on the lips or in the mouth
Swollen glands
Unusual bleeding or bruising
Unusual tiredness or weakness
What are the Side Effects of Beta Blockers?
The Mayo clinic lists the “most common” side effects of Beta Blockers as:
Infection
Cold hands
Headache
Upset stomach
Constipation
Diarrhea
Dizziness
Targeting the Thyroid Gland
For more than 50 percent of individuals, these therapies will not work, prompting either surgical removal of the thyroid gland or even destruction of the gland using iodine. Radioactive iodine gets consumed by the thyroid gland and causes harm and destruction of the gland. Unfortunately, since the thyroid gland is either eliminated or destroyed, patients usually become hypothyroid, this is truly the goal of either surgery or radioactive iodine. These patients will then require thyroid hormone replacement for the rest of their lives. What are the dangers of surgery or radioactive iodine?
One of the drawbacks to radioactive iodine treatment is the simple fact that eye complications associated with Grave’s disease can be worsened by it. There are also dangers associated with the surgery such as damage to your glands and your vocal cords. Unfortunately, most who undergo surgery or radioactive iodine will require thyroid hormone replacement medication. Fortunately there are a few alternative treatment options for Graves’ disease.
Functional Medicine Treatment for Graves’ Disease
There are two main goals of functional medicine management of Graves’ disease. Functional medicine practitioners have to curb the hyperthyroidism. The goal here would be to provide immediate relief where: no damage occurs; and you as a patient may unwind, think clearly and not feel like today, you need to make a treatment choice.
Secondly, functional medicine practitioners must research the cause of the Graves’ disease. After they diagnose and determine the proper way to treat your thyroid issue, the thyroid gland has been described to return to normal and no unnecessary ongoing treatment may be required.
What if I have had my thyroid gland removed or irradiated?
It is still a good idea to read this guide and pursue what resulted in the Graves’ disease to begin with. Irradiating or eliminating the thyroid gland doesn’t take care of some of the symptoms. Healing and investigating the cause will assist in preventing any other forms of autoimmune disease from developing in the future and may significantly increase your overall health and wellness. A functional medicine practitioner can help determine the next steps to take.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .�
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Wellness
Overall health and wellness are essential towards maintaining the proper mental and physical balance in the body. From eating a balanced nutrition as well as exercising and participating in physical activities, to sleeping a healthy amount of time on a regular basis, following the best health and wellness tips can ultimately help maintain overall well-being. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can go a long way towards helping people become healthy.
About 20 million Americans are affected by thyroid diseases, where one in eight women will undergo thyroid dysfunction sometime during their lifetime. Among the most common thyroid disorders is hypothyroidism. Approximately 90 percent of low thyroid function or all hypothyroidism is an autoimmune condition. With Hashimoto’s thyroid disease, however, your body’s immune system is attacking and destroying your own thyroid gland.
What triggers Hashimoto’s thyroid disease?
The exact cause(s) of Hashimoto’s thyroid disease and all other autoimmune diseases like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, MS, type 1 diabetes and Sjogrens syndrome, among others are unknown, nevertheless what we do know is that a range of factors can contribute to the development of immune system dysfunction and finally autoimmune disorder.
These include a mix of several factors like stress (adrenal gland malfunction), viral, parasitic and bacterial infections, estrogen changes (birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy, pregnancy, peri-menopause), insulin resistance, polycystic ovary disease, ecological toxicity, vitamin D deficiency, leaky gut, chronic inflammation, and gluten intolerance and celiac disease in addition to a genetic predisposition or susceptibility.
How to Know if you Have Hashimoto’s Disease
Before we discuss this, we need to record some of the symptoms of the two hypothyroid and hyperthyroid so we are better able to comprehend thyroid issues. A number of the better known symptoms include tiredness, weight gain, cold hands and feet, thinning hair and hair loss, depression, absence of motivation and constipation. Symptoms of hyperthyroidism (Graves Disease) are heart palpitations, increased heartbeat, insomnia, anxiety, night sweats, nervousness and difficulty gaining weight.
Most people with Hashimoto’s thyroid disease will have a blend of hypo and hyper thyroid ailments. For instance, an individual might suffer from baldness, cold hands and feet and fatigue, but when their immune system attacks the thyroid gland, thyroid cells have been discharged and released into the blood flow together with thyroid hormones. Some of the hormones such as T3 might cause heart palpitations, night sweats and nervousness when they are released and are stimulatory of other symptoms.
If you’ve already been diagnosed with hypothyroidism and are on thyroid medication, and you continue to have hypothyroid symptoms or your medical doctor is always changing your thyroid medication dose as your thyroid “just can not be modulated” or your thyroid drug dose is always being increased, then you should be analyzed for Hashimoto’s.
How Can I Be Tested For Hashimoto’s?
Most doctors do not go far enough when analyzing the thyroid for potential dysfunction. A thyroid gland including TPO antibodies and TGA antibodies should be carried out through laboratory blood testing. Even a TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) blood test can never determine whether a patient has Hashimoto’s. Bear in mind, Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disease. Thus, the most precious test measures autoimmune antibodies TPO (thyroid peroxidase antibodies) and TGA (thyroglobulin antibodies) which show the autoimmune attack on the thyroid gland itself.
Remedies for Hashimoto’s Thyroid Disease
Considering that Hashimoto’s thyroid disease is not a disease of the thyroid gland, but rather an autoimmune disorder, therapy must center on the immune system rather than the thyroid gland itself. This is why prescribing thyroid drugs does nothing to help your gastrointestinal condition. Your thyroid will continue to get attacked without controlling your immune system and you will continue to undergo thyroid symptoms in addition to a worsening autoimmune disorder.
Consequently, Hashimoto’s must be treated as an autoimmune disorder and not a thyroid disorder. This means your immune system function has to be monitored via blood tests. Essential lab panels quantify inflammatory cytokines for TH1/TH2 dominance and the ratio of T-Helper cells into T-Suppressor cells (CD4/CD8 ratio). Vitamin D levels are quantified. Testing for leaky gut is also critical in autoimmune disease. When the results are in, an application is implemented to regulate the immune response and stop the destruction of the thyroid gland along with restoring adrenal gland health as well as the resistant barrier of the intestine lining. Since gluten is believed to be a frequent cause behind Hashimoto’s thyroid disease, a gluten free diet is a must for patients with the condition.
Why Hashimoto’s is Commonly Misdiagnosed
Hashimoto’s often goes misdiagnosed and usually mismanaged by traditional medicine. Autoimmune attack are also not addressed by conventional medicine. With time, increasingly more of the thyroid gland is ruined since a patient’s autoimmune reaction is ignored and their illness progresses. Also, when a patient presents with one autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto’s, if the immune system remains untreated, this individual is more prone to creating additional autoimmune diseases such as pernicious anemia (inability to absorb vitamin B12) and Type 1 diabetes.
Last, but certainly not least, since the human brain is loaded with thyroid hormone receptors, as soon as a person hypothyroid, brain function and chemistry are compromised. Because brain neurotransmitters such as GABA, serotonin, dopamine and acetylcholine are jeopardized, patients suffering from hypothyroid conditions experience poor memory, diminished ability to learn, increased states of depression, anger, feelings of hopelessness, inability to handle stress and lack of enthusiasm for life, not to mention brain degeneration and Alzheimer’s! Hypothyroidism can increase your chances of Parkinson’s Disease deficiency.
Thus, if you are currently suffering from Hashimoto’s disease it is best to have a proper diagnosis and follow up with the proper treatment. Rather than losing their health into autoimmune disease when a patient is examined, diagnosed and treated in such a way to restore proper function, they could lead a healthier life. Functional medicine has become increasingly popular for treating thyroid issues. A functional medicine practitioner uses natural treatments to alter an individual’s lifestyle and promote a sense of overall health and wellness.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .�
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Wellness
Overall health and wellness are essential towards maintaining the proper mental and physical balance in the body. From eating a balanced nutrition as well as exercising and participating in physical activities, to sleeping a healthy amount of time on a regular basis, following the best health and wellness tips can ultimately help maintain overall well-being. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can go a long way towards helping people become healthy.
Hypothyroidism, or low thyroid function, is among the most frequent chronic hormonal problem on the planet. With approximately 20 million instances in America alone and 200 million people affected globally, hypothyroidism is a silent epidemic. What’s worse is that about half of those struggling with this health issue are undiagnosed.
How can people know they have a thyroid disease?
Living with weight gain, fatigue, hair loss, brain fog, depression, nervousness or gastrointestinal problems can cause pain and discomfort, often making the individual feel hopeless. If your thyroid is not functioning well, nothing within your body works properly. Many people will visit their healthcare specialists to have lab tests. In case your thyroid-stimulating hormone, or TSH, is out of this lab range, you are given Synthroid, or even levothyroxine. If the labs are “normal,” you’re typically shipped home, without any choices left for a traditional medicine approach.
“Normal” Lab Ranges for Thyroid Issues
Should you still have low thyroid symptoms and your TSH is “normal”, something is not being addressed. How can we get the “normal” lab range anyhow? The reference array is based on a statistical average of the lab’s populace. That is, other than vitamin D and cholesterol levels, laboratory reference ranges will change depending upon the lab.
The people who normally have work done on labs are mathematically not the weakest segment of the population. So if the laboratory results are “normal” despite them having symptoms, what your healthcare professional is essentially saying is that you’re the same as a lot of other ill people. In functional medicine, practitioners look at a more narrow range wherever your body functions optimally and you feel great.
Functional Medicine Guide To Recognizing Thyroid Labs
A functional medicine approach at your thyroid is more in depth than a T4 plus and TSH. Here are a few of the labs functional medicine practitioners perform on their patients and what they mean:
TSH
Thyroid-stimulating hormone is released from your pituitary gland to communicate with your thyroid gland. It’s sort of like your brain shouting in your thyroid, if your TSH is elevated. Research has linked a lab “normal” TSH of 2.5-3.5 mIU/mL with a 69 percent risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke. Now you can see why the optimal “functional” range is so important for your health, not just on the lookout for labs from the larger reference array.
Laboratory Range: .45-5.5 mIU/L
Optimal Range: 1.8-2.5 mIU/L
Total T4
T4 is mostly inactive from the human body and has to be converted to be usable. This lab gives you a total of bound and unbound forms of T4. Hormones have to be unbound to be utilized by your entire body. Due to this, this lab doesn’t provide the action of T4 to us when quantified alone. T4 is measured together with a T3 uptake.
Laboratory Range: 4.5-12 mg/DL
Maximum Range: 6.0-12.0 mg/DL
T3 Uptake
This lab does not look at T3, but is very helpful at indirectly looking at hormones like testosterone or estrogen and their relation with the binding of thyroid hormones.
Reference Range: 22-35%
Optimal Range: 28%-38%
Total T3
This laboratory shows us the amount of the active thyroid hormone. It permits a healthcare professional to verify your body’s ability also to rule out an overactive thyroid gland and to convert T4 to T3.
Lab Range: 80-200 ng/DL
Maximum Range: 100-180 ng/DL
Free T4
This will let you know the degrees of free or active form of T4. This will be reduced in cases of hypothyroidism but may be normal in early stages of thyroid disorder.
Laboratory Range: 0.8-1.8 ng/DL
Optimal Range: 1.0-1.5 ng/DL
Free T3
This is your thyroid hormone’s more energetic form. Low T3 syndromes are a common dysfunction seen in practice, and also a low level of the hormone is strongly linked to a greater risk of coronary attack. The issue with this if you’re taking a T4 medicine is that the hormone isn’t being converted by your body into T3, though there are other reasons why thyroid medications may not be working properly.
Laboratory Range: 2.3-4.2 pg/mL
Maximum Range: 3.0-4.0 pg/mL
Reverse T3
Stress and cortisol may increase levels of reverse T3, which is an form of the thyroid gland.
Reference Range: 8-25 ng/DL
Maximum Range: 9.2-24.1 ng/DL
Thyroid Antibodies
Elevated levels of thyroid antibodies reveals an attack against the thyroid gland. The majority of low thyroid cases are around the spectrum, the most typical Hashimoto’s disease.
Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO) Ab Optimal Range: 0-15 IU/mL
Thyroglobulin Ab Optimal Range: 0-0.9 IU/mL
Labs to address the health of your immune system, your microbiome, along with hormones should be considered. Every one of these labs are going to be a first step into finding out which thyroid pattern which you have, and keep in mind there are thyroid dysfunctions that don’t appear on labs.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .�
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Wellness
Overall health and wellness are essential towards maintaining the proper mental and physical balance in the body. From eating a balanced nutrition as well as exercising and participating in physical activities, to sleeping a healthy amount of time on a regular basis, following the best health and wellness tips can ultimately help maintain overall well-being. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can go a long way towards helping people become healthy.
Functional medicine is a natural, medical practice which has been becoming more popular. What is functional medicine, how is it different from traditional, medical practices, and why is it important to know about when managing Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism and high TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone)? Functional medicine addresses thyroid disease by looking at the root causes instead of masking symptoms with surgery or medication, as with conventional treatments.
What are the benefits of FM on hypothyroidism?
With functional medicine treatment approaches, healthcare practitioners can take a look at the root causes behind the patient’s Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism and TSH, improving your sleep, energy, vitality, and libido. This is the reason why seeing a functional medicine practitioner for Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, as well as for TSH and other thyroid issues, can improve hormone balance, gut problems, and brain function. Everything within the body functions together.
Thyroid Disease: Addressing the Root Causes
In the event the motor light of your vehicle is based on, do you find a way to turn off the engine light, or do you research beneath the hood? That analogy works for functional medicine when managing Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism and TSH.
Functional medicine is not about providing you a medication for a symptom, but instead investigating why you have that symptom and functioning on this instead. By way of example, assume 10 different people have the same complaint, whether it is depression, fatigue, digestive problems, or persistent skin rashes. Each of these 10 individuals can have the same symptom, but also for 10 very different reasons. An overgrowth of gut bacteria might be causing depression in one individual, while it’s a gluten intolerance in a different. With Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism and high TSH, it is helpful to look at the underlying causes that led to the development of the autoimmune thyroid disorder and address people.
Understanding the Reason for Thyroid Disease
Until you realize why you are experiencing Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism and higher TSH, following drugs or therapies may keep landing you in dead ends. Functional medicine relies on published, peer-reviewed science to help us understand how the body functions and where breakdowns happen. Lab tests, questionnaires, in-office exams, and a discussion about your case history help the functional medicine practitioner learn where the root cause of your Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism and high TSH lies.
Five Common Functional Medicine Root Causes
Although different people can have the exact same symptom for different reasons, practical medicine often finds ordinary root causes. Some of them are:
Autoimmunity (when the immune system attacks and destroys body tissue). In most people, hypothyroidism is brought on by thyroid autoimmunity, which causes TSH.
Food intolerances, particularly to gluten and dairy
Low Blood Glucose
High blood sugar (insulin resistance, or pre-diabetes)
Intestinal yeast, bacterial overgrowths, and leaky gut
Addressing one or all of these variables, based on the individual, can help you better handle your Hashimoto’s, reduce your TSH, also relieve not only your thyroid symptoms, but a number of other symptoms as well.
There are No Specialties in the Human Body
The body is an extremely complex web where all systems and parts are related. The body does not have specialties in the way medicine does. The digestive tract — or any other system in your system, doesn’t operate independently of the rest of the human body.
For example, if autoimmune disease is destroying the thyroid gland causing high TSH, it is not just the thyroid you tackle, but also the immune system. Addressing a gluten intolerance if the stomach is behaving and chronic inflammation can prevent gallbladder surgery. For instance, with Hashimoto’s and high TSH, it’s not merely the thyroid you address, but also the immune system.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .�
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Wellness
Overall health and wellness are essential towards maintaining the proper mental and physical balance in the body. From eating a balanced nutrition as well as exercising and participating in physical activities, to sleeping a healthy amount of time on a regular basis, following the best health and wellness tips can ultimately help maintain overall well-being. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can go a long way towards helping people become healthy.
It’s estimated that as many as 27 million people in the United States have a thyroid issue, such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or Graves’ disease, and half of them don’t have any concept that they do. An under-active thyroid, or hypothyroidism, accounts for approximately 90 percent of all thyroid imbalances.
What is the thyroid gland?
A butterfly-shaped gland in your neck’s center gland, the thyroid gland, is the master gland of metabolism. Your thyroid gland is inter-related with each system in the human body. If your thyroid isn’t running optimally, then neither are you.
10 Signs of an Underactive Thyroid:
Fatigue after sleeping 8 to 10 hours a night or having to take a rest daily
Weight gain or the inability to lose weight
Mood issues such as mood swings, anxiety, or depression
Hormone imbalances such as PMS, irregular periods, infertility, and reduced sex drive
Muscle pain, joint pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, or tendonitis
Cold hands and feet, feeling cold when others aren’t, or having a body temperature consistently under 98.5
Dry or cracking skin, brittle nails and excess hair loss
Constipation
Head issues like brain fog, poor concentration, or poor memory
Neck swelling, snoring, or hoarse voice
How Does the Thyroid Gland Function?
Thyroid hormone production is regulated by a feedback loop involving the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and the thyroid gland. Hypothalamic thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) stimulates pituitary thyrotropin (TSH) secretion and synthesis. In turn, TSH stimulates release and production of T4 and T3 in the thyroid gland. It signals that there’s enough thyroid hormone in flow and not to generate more, when T4 is generated.
About 85 percent of this hormone produced by our thyroid gland is T4, which is an inactive form of the hormone. Once T4 is made, a little quantity of it is converted. For complicate matters, T3 also gets converted to either Free T3 (FT3) or Reverse T3 (RT3). It is the Free T3 that actually matters in all of this, as it is the only hormone that could attach to a receptor and cause your metabolism to increase its production, keep you warm, keep your bowels moving, keep your mind working, along with keeping other hormones in check. Reverse T3’s part isn’t well known, however, healthcare professionals have seen it increase under intense stress and in people who have allergies.
And finally, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease, is the most common form of hypothyroidism and its numbers are increasing annually. An autoimmune disorder is one in which your body turns on itself and begins to attack a certain organ or tissue believing it’s foreign. Many healthcare professionals regularly screen patients for autoimmune thyroid disease by ordering Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOAb) and Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAb) tests.
Why is Hypothyroidism So Under Recognized?
Many symptoms of thyroid imbalance are vague and most doctors spend only a few minutes talking with patients to sort out the cause of the complaint. Most conventional doctors use just a couple of tests (TSH and T4) to display for problems. They aren’t assessing the thyroid gland, RT3 , or FT3.
Most traditional doctors utilize the ‘normal’ laboratory reference range as their guide only. Rather than listening to their patients symptoms, they use ‘optimal’ laboratory values and temperature as their guide.
Which laboratory tests are better to ascertain if you’ve got a thyroid problem?
Healthcare professionals may check the below panel on patients. Make sure your doctor does the same for you.
TSH
Free T4
Free T3
Reverse T3
Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOAb)
Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAb)
What are the Optimal Laboratory Values for Thyroid Tests?
In various clinics, it has been discovered that the below list are the ranges in which many patients flourish. These may have been recordeded taking how patients are feeling into account and listening to their patients.
TSH 1-2 UIU/ML or lower (Armour or compounded T3 can artificially suppress TSH)
FT4 >1.1 NG/DL
FT3 > 3.2 PG/ML
RT3 less than a 10:1 ratio RT3:FT3
TPO — TgAb — < 4 IU/ML or negative
10 Things to Improve Thyroid Function
Be certain that you are carrying a high quality multivitamin with Iodine, Zinc, Selenium, Iron, Vitamin D, and B vitamins.
Also make sure that your multivitamin contains adequate levels of iodine to aid with the FT4 to FT3 conversion.
Go gluten-free. In case you have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, try going entirely grain and legume.
Deal with your stress and support your adrenal glands. The adrenal glands and thyroid work hand and hand. It’s necessary to deal with anxiety using healing yoga and adaptogenic herbs, which support the adrenal glands.
Get 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night.
Possessing a biological dentist safely remove any amalgam fillings you may have.
Watch your intake of cruciferous vegetables. There is a bit of a disagreement.
Get fluoride, bromide, and chlorine from your diet and surroundings.
Heal your gut. A correctly functioning digestive tract (gut) is essential to good health.
Locate a functional medicine doctor and have them operate the above mentioned laboratory test and work with you to find out the root cause of the thyroid imbalance.
Reverse Chronic Illnesses So You Can Take Back Your Health
Are you ready to conquer your symptoms, regain your energy, and feel like yourself again? When you have Hashimoto’s, Graves’, or any of the hundreds of other autoimmune disorders, it’s important for you to know that you CAN reverse your affliction. Simply follow a healthcare professional’s advice and take back your health.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .�
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Wellness
Overall health and wellness are essential towards maintaining the proper mental and physical balance in the body. From eating a balanced nutrition as well as exercising and participating in physical activities, to sleeping a healthy amount of time on a regular basis, following the best health and wellness tips can ultimately help maintain overall well-being. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can go a long way towards helping people become healthy.
According to the American Accreditation Organization, one in eight women will develop a thyroid disease during their life and as much as 60 percent of those with thyroid disease are unaware of their condition. Undiagnosed thyroid disease may put women at risk for certain acute conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases, infertility and obesity.
What are the risks of thyroid disease on women?
Pregnant women with undiagnosed or inadequately treated hypothyroidism have an elevated risk of miscarriage, preterm delivery, and severe developmental problems in their children.� The percentage of women who develop thyroid disease includes hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer. Hypothyroidism, being the most common thyroid disorder.
What is Hypothyroidism?
Hypothyroidism is when your thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormones. You may suspect you are hypothyroid. Or you may have an investigation. You may find out what to do about it besides taking drugs (thyroid replacement hormone). You might need drugs, but there are quite a few aspects of thyroid health to apply and to find out about. This is true for hypothyroid autoimmune disease, called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.
To start with, what exactly are hypothyroid symptoms?
Other symptoms include:
Depression
Can’t conceive, or recurrent miscarriage
Sluggish metabolism and constipation
Other autoimmune problems: food intolerances (especially wheat), indigestion, bloating, gas
Obsessive-compulsive thoughts
Can’t lose weight with doing “all the Appropriate things”
Brain fog, can’t think straight
Skin rashes
Frequently getting sick
Muscle and joint pain
Menstruation is heavy, can be irregular, can wipe out you
Common misdiagnoses include:
Depression
Stress
Fibromyalgia
Unexplained infertility
Chronic Fatigue syndrome (CFS)
“It is all in your head!”
Thyroid Hormones Simplified
Your thyroid gland produces a hormone called thyroxine (T4). In addition, it creates some triiodothyronine (T3). T3 is the hormone that your cells utilize. Organs, all cells and cells in your body that is whole utilize T3. Most of the T3 comes into T3. TSH stands for thyroid stimulating hormone. Your pituitary gland, in mind, secretes TSH when thyroid hormones are low. TSH signals your thyroid to put together raw materials, like iodine and tyrosine.
Conventional Hypothyroid Diagnosis and Treatment
Most licensed medical professionals can dictate thyroid labs. Conventional professionals usually only test TSH and T4. Usually it’s your symptoms that warrant the lab investigation. It may be your gynecologist, or your general practitioner, who first tests your thyroid. If it is favorable these professionals can opt to manage your condition, or they may refer you to an endocrinologist. It is always good to have an endocrinologist in your team, to assess your thyroid.
In case you really do have thyroid disease symptoms, your healthcare practitioner might first take a “watch and wait” approach. She’ll prescribe thyroid replacement hormone, if needed. This is the standard care of treatment. The hormone is generally a synthetic T4 (levothyroxin). This treatment assumes that you simply convert T4 to T3 with no problem.
Your healthcare practitioner typically won’t offer you much education about the type of hypothyroidism you’ve got, or what to do about it besides just taking thyroid hormone replacement. This is where functional medicine comes in.
A Functional Medication Approach on Hypothyroid
When women visit a doctor with a hypothyroid identification, they first need to learn if they have autoimmune hypothyroidism (Hashimoto’s). More than 80% of the time, patients don’t understand. This is because they have not been tested for it, or they haven’t been told. The very first thing I do is find out, by testing thyroid antibodies.
In conventional medicine, it doesn’t matter whether or not you have unexplained hypothyroid or Hashimoto’s, because the therapy is the same for both: tracking thyroid hormones, and prescribing hormone replacement. In functional medicine, hypothyroid that is unexplained is a totally different state than Hashimoto’s.
Unexplained hypothyroidism is often straightforward. Functional medicine practitioners try to find the root cause(s), then cure them. You might not have to take thyroid hormones for the rest of your life. Many women are able to repair hypothyroidism and avoid long-term thyroid replacement hormones.
Hashimoto’s rheumatoid arthritis requires a totally different strategy. It is important that you know you can take steps go into remission, and perhaps to slow down the development. Because in case you have one, your odds of developing more of them increases, you are able to prevent further autoimmune diseases.
After finding out which type of hypothyroidism which you have, it is imperative to find out what to do. Women do not understand their thyroid condition. That’s why it’s important to seek professional help as soon as possible.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .�
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Wellness
Overall health and wellness are essential towards maintaining the proper mental and physical balance in the body. From eating a balanced nutrition as well as exercising and participating in physical activities, to sleeping a healthy amount of time on a regular basis, following the best health and wellness tips can ultimately help maintain overall well-being. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can go a long way towards helping people become healthy.
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