The Hypothyroidism Solution

Hypothyroidism, More Common Than You Think by Duncan Capicchiano N.D.

Mon, 04 May 2009 01:33:06 +0000

More than 1 in 10 ‘older’ Australians have Thyroid Disease, in a recent population study, 3504 adults aged 49 and over were surveyed and tested for thyroid disease.

• 10% had diagnosed thyroid disease

• 3.6% had an undiagnosed thyroid condition

• 25% of those treated with conventional thyroid medication still had test results indicating insufficient thyroid activity.

Are you suffering from?

• Weakness

• Tiredness / Sleepiness

• Dry and coarse skin

• Slow wound healing and easy bruising

• Hair loss / dry brittle hair

• Poor memory and Concentration

• Constipation

• Reduced appetite

• Depression

• Sensitivity to the cold

• Weight Gain

• Difficulty swallowing

• Hoarse voice, slow speech

• Increased susceptibility to infections

• Puffy face and hands

• Stiff and aching muscles

Then a sluggish Thyroid otherwise known as Hypothyroidism may be the cause.

What does the Thyroid and Thyroid hormones do?

Thyroid hormones are the master regulator hormones. Think of them as the accelerator in your car, the more hormones you have the faster your car goes, the less you have (like in Hypothyroidism) the slower you go! Thyroid hormones raise basal metabolic rate by stimulating and increasing the bodies basic homeostatic functions, like blood flow, glucose production, cholesterol synthesis and oxygen consumption.

What causes Hypothyroidism?

• Iodine deficiency

• Some Medications

• Estrogen Dominance

• Thyroid Resistance

• Radioactive iodine

• Infection

• Autoimmune disease like Hashimoto’s

• Pregnancy

• Stress

• Other nutritional deficiencies like Selenium and Tyrosine may contribute to hypothyroidism.

So How Do I know If I Am Suffering from Hypothyroidism?

The first thing that you need to do is to confirm this with a blood test. Blood tests should include TSH, fT3, fT4, Reverse T3, Thyroid antibodies and TSH receptor antibodies. Unfortunately most doctors only test TSH levels, which doesn’t give you the whole picture. Even worse is that the reference range for ‘normal’ thyroid levels is huge and even if your levels appear in the normal reference range and you are suffering symptoms of hypothyroidism then there is a very good chance that your thyroid is the culprit.

So what is a ‘normal’ TSH level?

Naturopathically speaking we look for a TSH level of 1.5mU/liter as greater than 95% of healthy functioning thyroids will have a TSH of between 0.4 and 1.5mU/litre. The National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry stated in 2003 that “patients with a serum TSH of 2.5 mU/liter, when confirmed by repeat TSH measurement made after 3-4 weeks, may be in the early stages of thyroid failure.”

So I have Hypothyroidism, now what?

The good news is that Natural Medicine offers so many safe and proven options in treating Hypothyroidism that may mean you can avoid drugs and worse still surgery.

Natural remedies like Iodine, Selenium, Tyrosine, Withania, Bladderwrack, Coleus and many more have all been scientifically validated to have a positive effect on lowering TSH levels and reversing Hypothyroidism. If you suspect that you may be suffering from Hypothyroidism then it is really important that you see you health care provider for comprehensive blood tests to confirm this. Naturopaths can tailor an individual program to help you start feeling well again and get your TSH levels and your thyroid back to normal.

For more information & a solution visit:

www.TheHypothyroidismSolution.com

Causes of Thyroid Disorders by Vinay Gupta

Mon, 04 May 2009 01:23:16 +0000

Thyroid disorders are broadly categorized into two types - hyperthyroid (increased thyroid production) or hypothyroid (decreased thyroid production). There can be various causes of thyroid disorders. Hypothyroidism can be caused by Thyroiditis - inflammation of the thyroid gland, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis - This is a painless disease of the immune system that is hereditary, Postpartum thyroiditis is a temporary condition and occurs in 5 percent to 9 percent of women after giving birth, Iodine deficiency - Earlier iodine deficiency was a major cause of concern leading to hypothyroidism. Now, because of ingestion of iodized salt, this is a negligible cause for hypothyroid.A non-functioning thyroid gland affects one in 4,000 newborns. If the problem isn’t corrected, the child will be physically and mentally retarded. Family history of hypothyroid - Thyroid problems have a genetic factor, so an aunt, mother, and great-uncle were all hypothyroid, next it increases chances of the same in the generation. Radiation and x-rays are known to cause damage to the thyroid, so throat should be covered when administering x-rays. Certain vegetables from the Brassica family: kale, broccoli, spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, and mustard (the greens and the seeds or condiment), Soy, wintergreen, turnips and walnuts have been shown to play a role in low thyroid levels.

There is some evidence that injury to the neck, back and throat can have an impact on thyroid health. These injuries can be car accident and/or whiplash, sports-related accidents (riding, skiing, etc.), dental braces, bad chiropractic adjustment, surgery Stress is a factor in almost every type of disease, and it can affect the thyroid - especially if one or more of the above risk factors is already present. The causes for hyperthyroidism are Graves’ disease in which the entire thyroid gland might be overactive and produce too much hormone. Individual Nodules might be overactive within the thyroid. A single nodule is called toxic autonomously functioning thyroid nodule, while several nodules are called a toxic multi-nodular goiter.

Thyroiditis, a disorder that can be painful or painless, can also release hormones that was stored in the thyroid gland causing hyperthyroidism for a few weeks or months. The painless variety occurs most frequently in women after childbirth. Excessive iodine found in a number of drugs such as Amiodarone, Lugol’s solution (iodine), and some cough syrups, might cause the thyroid to produce either too much or too little hormone in some individuals.

Ask from medical experts at http://www.simplanswer.com for treatment and symptoms of thyroid disorders..

About the Author

Vinay Gupta is an experienced writer who is writing for Online Doctor Advice,causes of throat disorders and throat infection for the site simplaynswer.com

How an Under Active Thyroid can Affect Your Overall Wellbeing by Steve S Scott

Mon, 04 May 2009 01:21:49 +0000

The condition in which your thyroid is under active is known as hypothyroidism and this is where the gland is not producing enough hormones. It has been reported that an incredible 10 percent of women could have some degree of this condition.As you can see, millions of women all over the world could be suffering from this problem and not even realise it. It is a much more common condition than many people realise. There are some general symptoms that you can watch out for. Of course, these signs can be related to other ailments but they can be taken as a reasonably good guide. They include, but are not limited to…

1 - A degree of intolerance to cold 2 - A general feeling of weakness, fatigue and lethargy 3 - Constipation 4 - Difficulty in losing weight and even weight gain 5 - Dry and rough skin 6 - Dry or coarse hair and even hair loss 7 - Feeling on edge or irritable 8 - Loss of memory

You can understand how this small butterfly shaped gland can affect your health both physically and mentally. You may find that you could have one, some or any combination of these symptoms. It may sound obvious but if you are in any doubt about the general health of your thyroid then a visit to your doctor or physician could, and probably should, be in order. Hypothyroidism can sometimes be diagnosed via a straightforward blood test although other times the condition may prove a little more difficult to detect.

About the Author

If you are interested in looking at a natural treatment for your thyroid then please visit Thyromine

Is Your Thyroid Affecting Your Mood? by Steve S Scott

Mon, 04 May 2009 01:18:10 +0000

The thyroid is a small butterfly shaped gland and is situated just above your collarbone. It’s part of your endocrine system and takes an incredibly active role within the body to regulate overall well being. It is vitally important that the thyroid remains in a healthy condition so that it can produce the correct amount of hormones to enable optimal body function.Hypothyroidism is a disorder that develops when the gland becomes under active and produces too little hormone for the body to function in the correct manner. The most common form of this condition is as an autoimmune disorder Known as Hashimoto’s disease and it is named after the Japanese doctor who discovered it.

An under active thyroid gland affects the whole body by causing a general slowing down of body function and this includes the mind. Depression is just one of the symptoms that are caused by hypothyroidism and it can also impair your memory and concentration levels.

It has been reported that up to twenty percent of serious depression cases may be linked to the under production of thyroid hormones. It was also found that the number of women with a mild degree of hypothyroidism, who had suffered from depression at least once during their lifetime, was nearly three times greater compared with those with normal thyroid function.

It is believed that many patients who are suffering from depression are being treated for this condition alone while the root cause, an under active thyroid gland, remains undiagnosed. This is quite a thought considering that an estimated ten percent of women around the world may be suffering from hypothyroidism to some degree.

About the Author

For help with thyroid problems visit herbal health home and in particular thyromine