Thyroid Disease and Autoimmune Hashimotos and Graves disease.

• Confused about your thyroid?
• Tired of not getting the answers you need?
• We see many clients with thyroid issues. We may have the answers you have been seeking!
• Maybe you are wondering if your thyroid is playing up?

Let us start with a little introduction of this important gland

The thyroid is a sensitive butterfly-shaped endocrine gland that is involved in a wide range of functions within our body including the regulation of the metabolic rate of cells, energy production and cell growth. When it is not functioning effectively it can lead to a wide range of symptoms including infertility, anxiety, depression, trouble losing or gaining weight, menstrual irregularities, low energy, mood changes (just to name a few! Let me tell you the list goes on!).

So, what are the likely causes of a diseased thyroid? 

Thyroid abnormalities are increasing within the population and the reasons as to why this is happening is multi-factorial. It can be disrupted by excessive stress, environmental toxins such as solvents, fluoride, chloride; poor dietary choices; systemic inflammation or it may have developed as an auto-immune condition, known as Hashimotos or Graves Disease.

There are a number of things to consider when treating thyroid abnormalities health Issues :

• Optimum Digestion – Does the person have digestive problems? Do they have leaky gut which has exacerbated their autoimmune condition?
• Mineral Balance- the key players being Zinc, Selenium, Iron and Iodine. Are they deficient in any of these? Does their diet contain rich sources of a range of minerals?
• Vitamin and Amino Acids – Vitamin A, D, B3 and Tyrosine
• Blood Test Pathology – Often people can experience a wide range of hypothyroid symptoms and still be within the normal TSH range. It’s also important to check free T3, free T4, reverse t3 and Thyroid Antibodies to have a clearer understanding of what is happening within the body.
• Dietary Habits- Are grains and gluten a contributing factor to exacerbating symptoms? Does the thyroid gland need support with herbal medicine? Would it be beneficial for the person to avoid goitrogens, grains and soy that disrupt the thyroid?
• Is it an autoimmune condition? If so, what techniques are being used to support the immune system? Could it be that gastrointestinal pathogens are exhibiting molecular mimicry and binding to TSH receptor sites?
• Environment – Do they wear perfume constantly on their neck? Are they drinking chlorinated and fluoridated water? Are they constantly being exposed to environmental toxins? Are they exercising and practicing stress-reducing techniques?

As you can see, there are a lot of considerations when treating a thyroid condition and no blanket approach or ‘one size fits all’. Everyone experiences thyroid abnormalities in different ways, therefore individualised treatments suit best!

Have you been diagnosed with Hashimotos?

Hashimotos is a common complaint we see in clinic. See this video here with one of our Naturopaths explaining possible causes of Hashimotos.