Hypothyroidism occurs when your thyroid function is low. Symptoms can include cold hands or feet (or cold all over), depression, feeling sluggish, thinning hair or hair loss all over the body, inability to lose weight even with exercise, dry skin, mental tiredness and difficult and infrequent bowel movements.
A headache in the morning that wears off as the day goes on can also be a symptom of hypothyroidism. Findings show that two Canadians out of every hundred suffer from low thyroid function and 1 in 3 Canadians have some type of thyroid condition, most of which go undiagnosed.
Thyroid Treatment
The standard approach to thyroid treatment is to measure the level of TSH, or thyroid stimulating hormone. If it falls below the standard level of .35, the patient is placed on hormone replacement therapy to raise the levels to where they belong. But this ignores what caused the low TSH levels to begin with.
Hashimoto’s Autoimmune Disease
Hashimoto’s, an autoimmune disease, can be the cause of low thyroid function. The presence of Hashimoto’s can cause an individual to experience heart palpitations, insomnia, night sweats, raised resting pulse rate and insomnia. Other factors that cause the thyroid to not function properly include infections in the gut, hormone imbalances and blood sugar metabolism. Since treatment with hormone therapy only raises the TSH level into the desired range, it does not address the cause and only provides temporary relief of symptoms or no relief at all.
Testing for Hypothyroidism
Many individuals who seek help have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. After examining their history and performing extensive testing, it can be found that they have low thyroid function. By addressing the cause of low thyroid function, hypothyroidism can be better managed. Testing will be done to determine external factors that may be affecting the thyroid function. A gluten test will be performed, along with an adrenal stress test and a test for leaky gut.
Blood Chemistry
A comprehensive blood chemistry analysis will be performed to show the pattern of thyroid dysfunction. Diet and exercise will be used to manage any blood sugar imbalances that may be found. Assessments will be performed to determine if symptoms are influenced by gastrointestinal infections, if hormone imbalance is present, and if neurotransmitter imbalance occurs.
The analysis performed will determine the best way to manage the influencing factors and, along with supplements, changes to lifestyle and diet will be made. This approach to thyroid treatment relies on the individuals’ participation and requires individuals to be deeply committed to improving their health and managing their condition.
