What is the Thyroid?

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland that is located low on the front of the neck. The thyroid produces many important hormones that govern how your body functions, from your heart to your digestive system to your mood.

What Is Hashimoto's Thyroiditis?

Hashimoto's thyroiditis, also known as Hashimoto's disease, is an autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks the thyroid and prevents the gland from making thyroid hormones. As a result, the body other organ systems are thrown out of whack.

Even if you haven't heard of Hashimoto's disease before, you might know that hypothyroidism is a condition that involves an underactive thyroid gland. It turns out that Hashimoto's is actually the #1 cause of hypothyroid symptoms. Hashimoto's disease is fairly common. It affects as many as one or two out of every one hundred people in the United States. Anyone can get Hashimoto's disease, but women are more likely to get it than men are. In fact, just one man has Hashimoto's for every seven women who have it.

Signs and Symptoms

Hashimoto's disease often starts slowly. Symptoms can be very mild for years — so mild that people with the condition don't always realize that anything is wrong. Over time, as the immune system damages the thyroid more severely, symptoms often increase in severity and increase the likelihood of other autoimmune problems, such as rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, and vitiligo. Common physical symptoms associated with Hashimoto's include:

• Frequent fatigue

• Weight gain or trouble losing weight

• Swelling at the base of the throat (goiter)

• Puffiness in the face

• Especially pale skin

• Dry skin

• Feeling cold all the time

• Brittle, breakable nails and hair

• Muscle pain

• Joint pain

• Hair loss

• Swelling of the tongue

• Heavy menstrual periods

• Slow heart rate

• Constipation

Hashimoto's disease can cause mental symptoms as well as physical ones. They include:

• Depression

• Memory problems

• Trouble concentrating or brain fog

If you have a few of these symptoms (or even a lot of them), it doesn't necessarily mean you have Hashimoto's disease. There are many different health problems that can cause the symptoms listed above. Regardless of the cause, though, it's always a good idea to see your doctor if you notice that something seems amiss.

Root Causes of Hashimoto's Disease

Hashimoto's disease — like other autoimmune diseases — remains something of a mystery to medical researchers. The reason is there is no exact reason but more like a few culprits responsible for a person developing this condition.

This disease is believed to be partly genetic in 10 to 15% of cases. If you have a family member with an autoimmune disorder, whether Hashimoto's or something else, you may be at increased risk for experiencing autoimmune thyroid problems. Environmental factors play the biggest role tied to diet, the absorption and activation of many essential nutrients, minerals, and vitamins within the gut and the vitality of the thyroid.

When the digestive system is unable to properly digest certain food, the gut eventually breaks down and has problems, such as leaky gut syndrome, an unhealthy microbiome, and poor clearance of environmental toxins. This cause the immune system to go haywire and cause autoimmune disorders like Hashimoto’s to occur.   

Treatment for Hashimoto's Disease

Traditional Western medicine is not designed to treat the root cause of diseases and is poorly versed in how nutrition and other environmental factors have everything to do with the onset of autoimmune disorders. Lacking the knowledge and experience to educate patients on lifestyle factors, such as diet, which go a long ways towards enhancing healing, most conventional medicine physicians recommend a one-size-fits-all solution. Thyroid disorders are often treated with a daily dose of the synthetic thyroid hormone medication Levothyroxine based on the assumption that the thyroid gland is permanently unable to make thyroid hormones. Although Levothyroxine is effective at lessening symptoms short-term, it aggravates the gut and accelerates the immune system attacking the thyroid as well as many other organs and skyrocketing inflammation. Patient are permanently forced to take Levothyroxine even though their cells reject the medication and cause their symptoms to return with a vengeance.

GUARANTEED RESULTS

If you suspect that your thyroid may not be working well or have been diagnosed with a thyroid disorder and want additional support, contact Dr. Payal Bhandari M.D. As the nation’s leading expert in integrative and functional medicine, Dr. Bhandari has helped thousands of patients suffering with autoimmune and endocrine disorders, such as Hashimoto’s, uncover the root cause of their diseases and provide personalized treatment plans which drive quick and effective results. Some patients have even been able to stop taking thyroid medication and experience remarkable improvements in their overall vitality.