The thyroid gland is one of the most important parts of the entire endocrine system and our entire body.
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland that releases certain hormones which balance the overall functioning of the body.
When this thyroid gland starts to produce too much or too little of its hormones, it is termed thyroid disease.
When this is too much it is hyperthyroidism and when it is too less it is hypothyroidism.
What thyroid and thyroid hormones actually do?
The most crucial job of our thyroid gland is to control and release the right amount of thyroid hormone, which ultimately maintains the body's metabolism.
Metabolism is a process in which the food you consume is transformed in the form of energy which is then used by the body to execute a range of functions.
T4 (Thyroxine) and T3 (Triiodothyronine) are the key hormones secreted by the thyroid gland that regulates the body's metabolism by directing how much energy each cell should consume.
The thyroid is analogous to the central gear in a complicated engine: if that gear fails, the entire engine fails.
All this is controlled with the help of the master gland of the body, which is the “Pituitary gland”.
When the pituitary gland detects a decrease or increase in thyroid hormone levels, it secretes Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH), which stimulates the thyroid gland's receptor cells.
This hormone regulates thyroid hormone production by either increasing or decreasing T3 and T4 production based on the body's needs.
What happens in thyroid disease?
Thyroid disease is a condition in which the body stops producing the right amount of thyroid hormone.
In Hyperthyroidism, the body produces more thyroid hormone than required.
As a result, your metabolism accelerates and your body consumes more and more energy, leaving you exhausted and your heart rate skyrocketing.
Another condition is when the body produces lesser thyroid hormone than required. This condition is called hypothyroidism.
Weight gain, Fatigue, dry skinning, thin hair, and intolerance to cold temperatures are accompanied by hypothyroidism.
Most of the hypothyroidism symptoms resemble other diseases and vary from person to person. As a result, almost 60% of the people are unaware of the fact that they are suffering from hypothyroidism.
What are the causes of thyroid disease?
There are a variety of reasons why thyroid disease can be caused and is different for both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.
The conditions which can cause hypothyroidism are:
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Nutritional Deficiency:
Iodine deficiency is a major cause of hypothyroidism. The thyroid gland requires iodine for producing thyroid hormones. An iodine deficiency can result in the reduction of these thyroid hormones.
Other nutritional deficiency includes deficiency of selenium and that of zinc. -
A non-functional thyroid gland:
Almost in every 1 out of 4000 newborns, the thyroid gland is non-functional. This results in hypothyroidism.
A blood test of all the newborns is done in order to check the amount of thyroid hormone in their blood. -
Hashimoto’s Disease:
It is an autoimmune disease in which the body cells attack the thyroid gland and reduces its capacity to produce thyroid hormones to a large extent. -
Postpartum Thyroiditis:
It is an uncommon condition in which women get their thyroid gland dysfunctional within 1 year of their child’s birth.
Conditions that can lead to hyperthyroidism are:
-
Graves’s Disease:
It is an autoimmune disease that enlarges our thyroid gland and makes it overactive, resulting in the production of a large number of thyroid hormones. -
Nodules:
Sometimes the nodules present within the thyroid gland becomes superactive resulting in a condition of hyperthyroidism. -
Excess of iodine:
A person who over consumes iodine on a regular basis has a high chance can get affected by hyperthyroidism.
Symptoms of Thyroid Disease
Symptoms for thyroid disease are mostly misunderstood by the patients as they are quite similar to those of other diseases and general to so many people.
Symptoms of thyroid disease can be classified into two categories.
Symptoms for hypothyroidism are:
- Feeling tired
- Increase in weight
- Forgetfulness
- Intolerance to cold temperature
- Hoarseness of voice
- Rough hair
Symptoms for hyperthyroidism are:
- Sensitive to heat
- Irritation in the eye
- Insomnia
- Anxiety and nervousness
- Disturbance in the menstrual cycle
- Loss of weight
How can thyroid disease be treated?
The goal for the thyroid disease treatment is quite obvious, that is bringing your hormone level to normal.
If the condition is serious, this can be done with some of the extreme treatment options like:
When it comes to hyperthyroidism the treatments include:
-
Anti-thyroid drugs: These are medications that help in decreasing the thyroid hormone count.
-
Radioactive iodine: This damages the thyroid cells which prevents the increasing hormonal count.
-
Surgery: Surgery is another extreme treatment option. Your thyroid is surgically removed and you have to take thyroid replacement hormones for the rest of your life.
When it comes to hypothyroidism, the treatment includes:
- Thyroid replacement medication: Drugs like levothyroxine, can help you live a normal life by acting as a man-made thyroid hormone.
How can Jeevam Health ease your pain?
Misdiagnosis has been seen as one of the major concerns when it comes to Hypothyroidism.
The majority of times, the patient is simply treated with hormonal replacement if his/her reports are not normal.
In case the reports are normal, the patient is usually told that they are fine or given an anti-depressant.
Thyroid physiology is a complex matter. Many stages are involved in the production, conversion, and uptake of thyroid hormone.
It is actually inappropriate to treat all the cases in the same or neglect the other causes.
A blunder in any of the procedures can result in hypothyroidism, which may or may not be detected in test results.
But not all doctors treat the same way...
And as far as your problem is concerned, we have got your back.
At Jeevam Health, we follow the Functional Medicine Approach for Thyroid disease treatment. To assist people to regain their health, our treatment focuses on lifestyle changes, nutritional diet, and supplements.
Here's everything you need to know:
- If autoimmunity is causing thyroid problems, balancing and regulating the immune system —and thus slowing or stopping its attack against the thyroid gland—should be a primary goal of treatment.
In conditions like Hashimoto’s disease when not caught up in the early stages, hormone replacement will come into play to normalize the thyroid function.
But addressing the immune imbalance is important to stop further destruction of thyroid tissue. In cases, Hashimoto’s is detected early enough, it may prevent hypothyroidism from developing in the first place. - Similarly, restoring healthy iodine and/or selenium levels is the most reasonable first action to take if iodine and/or selenium shortage is causing the patient's thyroid condition.
Again, this does not eliminate the need for thyroid hormone replacement, but it can often significantly reduce the dose required to regulate thyroid function.
Here is the catch for you: We have developed a program with some top-notch doctors and medical experts to help you with your thyroid problem.
Features of Our Program
- History and Medical record analysis from Functional Medicine perspective
- Elimination of Goitrogens from Diet
- Identification of Nutrition deficiency and Target supplementation
- Complete Lab testing
- Lifestyle Management
- GUT ( Digestive System) Healing
- Detoxification
- Bioidentical Hormone Replacement
- Thyroxine (T4) and Liothyronine (T3) Hormone Replacement
Our approach helps to address the underlying causes of thyroid disorders rather than simply medicating with thyroid hormone supplementation. We will understand the symptoms of thyroid disease and explain how to cure it. We would design a nutritional, lifestyle, and supplement regimen for the treatment of thyroid disease.
We’re here to help. Please get in touch with us and we can help address your concerns and assist you in your journey to better health.
Book a call with Jeevam Health Team NOW!
