The Effects of Hashimoto’s Disease

The thyroid is a gland in the body that many of us forget about, but did you know that it actually controls several of the body’s essential functions and processes?

Your thyroid helps you feel energized throughout the day, keeps your heart rate in check, regulates your mood, maintains your body’s temperature, keeps your digestive system humming along, regulates your metabolism, and so much more!

Who knew a little gland could do all that, right?

With that being said, thyroid diseases like Hashimoto’s can negatively impact your health in numerous ways. And, unfortunately, Hashimoto’s is more common than you might think. It affects every 5 in 100 people in the United States alone, and is one of the most common autoimmune diseases.

Because of this, it’s important to know what causes Hashimoto’s, what symptoms to look out for, and how to treat it.

What is Hashimoto’s?

Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (most commonly referred to as Hashimoto’s) is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the thyroid, breaking down its tissue. This prevents the thyroid from producing essential hormones that the body needs to function properly, which as you can imagine, leads to a number of other problems.

If you experience any of the following symptoms, you could be suffering from Hashimoto’s:

• Fatigue

• Excessive sleep

• Depression

• Poor concentration and memory

• Weight gain

• Dry and brittle hair and nails

• Thinning eyebrows

• Muscle and joint pain

• Morning headaches

• Tendonitis

• Puffy eyes and face

• Cold hands and feet

• Full sensation in neck

• Raspy, hoarse voice

• Heart palpitations

• Insomnia

• Shortness of breath

• Low sex drive

• Infertility, heavy periods and PMS

• High cholesterol

• High blood pressure

• Insulin resistance

• Worsening allergies

• Chronic infections, including yeast and sinus infections

• Slow wound healing

• Heartburn and difficulty swallowing

• Indigestion, nausea, gas and bloating

• Constipation and other digestive issues

What causes Hashimoto’s?

Ultimately, Hashimoto’s occurs when your immune system is under immense stress. There are many different factors that can contribute to this, including…

• Exposure to radiation, through work or medical treatments

• Excess exposure to environmental toxins, fluoride and perchlorate in water, mercury and other heavy metals, lithium, and estrogens from pesticides and hormone creams or pills

• Overconsumption, or deficiency, of dietary iodine

• Overconsumption of soy products and uncooked “goitrogenic” foods such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cassava, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, millet, radishes, rutabaga and turnips

• Leaky gut syndrome, food allergies, gut dysbiosis and poor digestive health

• Chronic blood sugar imbalance, insulin resistance and diabetes

• Chronic inflammation

• Hormonal imbalances

• Infections (both chronic and acute)

• Adrenal dysfunction and adrenal fatigue

• Liver, pituitary and/or hypothalamus dysfunction

• Inappropriate use of thyroid medications

• Presence of other autoimmune conditions

• Chronic stress

However, the conditions that put you the most at risk are chronic stress, gluten intolerance/celiac disease, insulin resistance, vitamin D deficiency, or a leaky gut/compromised detoxification. All of these conditions put your body in a chronic state of stress. They cause damage to the adrenal glands, the gut, the liver and the pituitary gland while also compromising the body’s blood sugar, nutrient absorption and immunity. All of this creates extra work for your immune system, causing it to go into overdrive. If left untreated, this cycle can lead to Hashimoto’s.

Additionally, an undiagnosed gluten intolerance may be the highest risk factor of all. This is because gluten molecules bear an uncanny resemblance to thyroid tissue. So, if your immune system sets out to attack the gluten in your body, it will also attack your thyroid tissue by mistake. Hashimoto’s and gluten sensitivity typically go hand-in-hand, so if you suspect you might have Hashimoto’s (or any autoimmune condition for that matter) I recommend avoiding gluten completely to protect your thyroid.

Lifestyle Changes That Can Help

If you’ve been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s there are a few lifestyle changes that are essential to supporting your healing. In order to reduce your symptoms and protect your thyroid you should:

• Test for other food allergies

• Consume a diet high in healthy fats, fiber, clean protein and organic produce, and low in carbohydrates to help balance blood sugar, increase immunity and support the thyroid

• Cut gluten out of your diet completely

• Avoid soy products

• If you consume “goitrogenic” foods, cook them to deactivate the goitrogens

• Consider a safe liver detox protocol

• Practice stress management techniques daily

• Incorporate a mix of short cardio sessions and strength training for exercise

• Avoid high iodine supplementation as it can further damage the thyroid

• Ask your doctor about supplements you can take that will nourish your thyroid

Conventional Treatment vs. Holistic Treatment: Which is better?

Many doctors who practice Western Medicine will treat Hashimoto’s by monitoring the hormone levels of a patient’s thyroid, and then prescribe them with hormone medication to balance those levels. In some cases, treatment can even lead to the partial or complete removal of the Thyroid. At times additional medications are prescribed for other symptoms the patient may have (depression, weight gain, high blood pressure, etc.).

Unfortunately, these methods fail to address the deeper underlying issue, which is an overactive immune system. At best, this results in a patient’s symptoms being managed, but not addressing the root cause.

Fortunately, there is a better way to treat Hashimoto’s.

Naturopathic Physicians, like myself, are fully equipped to heal the thyroid and reverse the symptoms of Hashimoto’s naturally. When I meet with a patient who suspects they have Hashimoto’s, I will…

• Assess the health of their gastrointestinal tract, liver and adrenal glands

• Monitor their level of exposure to toxins and excess estrogen

• Determine the quality of their current diet and how it may be contributing to nutrient deficiencies, toxin exposure, blood sugar imbalance and stress on their body

• Run comprehensive blood tests that will determine their current thyroid function and the root cause of their symptoms

From there, I am able to provide a proper diagnosis and develop a treatment plan based on their specific needs.

All in all…

If you have Hashimoto’s, or you suspect you might have it, I would love to support you. Schedule a free consultation call with me today, and we can come up with a plan to get your health back on track.

If your symptoms have become too much to bear, know that you are not doomed to feel this way for the rest of your life. There are ways to restore your body’s health, and I am confident we can start that process together.