Hashimoto’s Disease
Hashimoto’s Disease is an autoimmune disorder that causes the immune system to attack the healthy tissues of the thyroid gland.
According to the American Thyroid Association, 20 million people suffer from some form of thyroid disease and 50 million people suffer from an autoimmune disorder.
Does This Sound Like You?
Are you dealing with chronic fatigue or brain fog?
Have you gained weight – even though you haven’t made any diet changes?
Do you have more aches and pains than usual, including muscle weakness and stiffness?
Perhaps you’ve also been feeling down lately, dealing with blue moods that you’ve never had in the past?
Whether you suffer from all these symptoms or just 2 to 3, you could be suffering from Hashimoto’s thyroiditis… an autoimmune condition affecting the thyroid.
The sad truth is that millions of people are suffering from chronic autoimmune disorders like Hashimoto’s (without even knowing it!) and many aren’t receiving the right care or worse, have been misdiagnosed.
What Is Hashimoto’s Disease?
Also called Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, Hashimoto’s disease is a common autoimmune illness – a disorder in which the immune system turns on the body’s own tissues, specifically the tissues of the thyroid gland.
Autoimmunity occurs when an overburdened immune system becomes hypersensitized, attacking healthy tissues along with foreign invaders.
So how do you become so sensitized? Normally, your immune system is already very busy fighting off a wide variety of invaders – including allergens, toxins, bacteria, and viruses.
Unfortunately, many people overload their immune systems every day, which is very harmful to your delicate thyroid gland.
Over time, when your thyroid gland becomes compromised, this can lead to reduced thyroid function, also referred to as hypothyroidism. With this condition, the thyroid does not produce enough hormones for the body’s needs, which is why people have feelings of extreme fatigue and other symptoms mentioned above.
This is critical because your thyroid gland has a huge impact on your energy levels and many other metabolic functions. Located at the base of your neck below your Adam’s apple, the thyroid gland makes hormones that control your metabolism, your heart rate, digestive function, muscle control, brain development, mood, and bone maintenance. The thyroid also regulates how quickly your body uses calories from the foods you eat.
Hashimoto’s Disease is actually the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the United States – in fact, cases of thyroid disease have skyrocketed in recent years. While it primarily affects adult women, it can also occur in children. The onset usually occurs between the age of 30 – 50, and based on your genetics, lifestyle, and diet you may be more susceptible.
Hashimoto’s requires various testing – including a blood test to check your levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) as well as T3 and T4 levels. The presence of thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies also serves as a marker for thyroid disease.
At Vitality Family Health, we may also recommend additional testing such as gut health tests, food sensitivities, and additional hormone testing beyond basic blood tests to see the current state of your metabolism. This can also reveal issues with other hormones – including your stress and sleep hormones as well as foods that you may be reacting to.
So if you experience the signs of Hashimoto’s yet have been told that your thyroid levels are normal, contact us for a second opinion. While low thyroid function is very common, it is not normal – and that’s why our team at Vitality Family Health specializes in helping people with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and other autoimmune disorders by using a wide range of therapies including bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT).
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned or are concerned that you may be at risk for Hashimoto’s, schedule a free discovery consult so we can go over your questions and explore the next steps regarding hormone testing.
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