Understanding Hashimoto's Hypothyroidism: Causes and Solutions
- Dr. Hugh Wegwerth
- Jan 29, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 23, 2024
What is Hashimoto's Disease?
Hashimoto's Disease is an autoimmune condition that causes the immune system to attack the thyroid gland. The thyroid is a small gland in the neck that produces hormones that regulate metabolism, heart rate, and other vital functions. When the immune system attacks the thyroid, it damages the gland, which leads to a condition called hypothyroidism.
How Hashimoto's Hypothyroidism Affects the Body.
When the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, it causes inflammation, and the gland cannot produce enough hormones to meet the body's needs. The symptoms of Hashimoto's hypothyroidism can vary from person to person, but common symptoms include fatigue, weight gain, constipation, hair loss, depression, and dry skin.
Causes of Hashimoto's Hypothyroidism.
The exact cause of Hashimoto's hypothyroidism is not known, but researchers believe that a combination of genetic and environmental factors may play a role. Some of the factors that may increase the risk of developing Hashimoto's hypothyroidism include:
Family history of thyroid disease or autoimmune disease.
Exposure to radiation.
Excessive iodine intake.
Stress.
Functional Medicine Approach to Hashimoto's Hypothyroidism.
The conventional medical approach to Hashimoto's hypothyroidism is to prescribe synthetic thyroid hormones to replace the hormones that the thyroid gland is not producing. However, this approach does not address the underlying autoimmune condition that is causing the hypothyroidism.
Functional medicine takes a different approach by looking at the whole person and addressing the root causes of the autoimmune condition. Functional medicine practitioners use a combination of diet, lifestyle changes, and supplements to support the immune system and reduce inflammation in the body.
Reducing Inflammation to Sober Up the Immune System.
One of the key goals of functional medicine treatment for Hashimoto's hypothyroidism is to reduce inflammation in the body and "sober up" the immune system. When the immune system is overactive, it can attack healthy tissue, including the thyroid gland.
To reduce inflammation and support the immune system, functional medicine practitioners may recommend:
A nutrient-dense diet that is low in inflammatory foods like sugar, processed foods, and refined carbohydrates.
Stress reduction techniques like meditation, yoga, or acupuncture.
Supplements like vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, and probiotics to support the immune system and reduce inflammation.
Rechecking Labs to Monitor Progress.
Functional medicine practitioners also take a proactive approach to monitoring progress in patients with Hashimoto's hypothyroidism. Rather than relying solely on symptoms to gauge improvement, they recheck labs to see how the immune system is responding to treatment.
For example, one patient's lab test showed a high level of antibodies attacking the thyroid gland. After a few months of functional medicine treatment, the lab test showed a significant reduction in the number of antibodies attacking the thyroid gland.
Conclusion.
Hashimoto's hypothyroidism is a complex autoimmune condition that requires a personalized approach to treatment. By addressing the root causes of the autoimmune condition and reducing inflammation in the body, functional medicine can
TIME STAMPS
[00:00] Hashimoto's hypothyroidism causes and solutions
[00:05] hypothyroidism
[00:10] Hashimoto's disease
[00:35] so you can weight gain fatigue, hair loss, anxiety, forgetfulness, infertility, dry skin, brain fog, GI problems, irritable skin
[01:15] most the most common cause of hypothyroidism
[01:30] comes from Mayo Clinic
[02:05] Hashimoto's disease.
[02:35] autoimmune disease called Hashimoto's disease
[02:55] had like rheumatoid arthritis
[03:45] your immune system
[04:20] when you have an autoimmune disease
[05:05] foe, friend or foe
[05:35] your immune system is always going to be more aggressive
[05:50] your immune system literally starts to attack your thyroid
[06:05] lupus is a connective tissue disease
[06:15] Irritable bowel and Crohn's disease, that's an autoimmune disease
[06:35] starts to attack in rheumatoid rheumatoid arthritis.
[07:30] sober up your immune system
[07:45] go over exactly what is Hashimoto's disease.
[07:55] thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO)
[08:25] autoimmune disease
.[08:30] I'm talking your thyroid,
[09:15] thyroid peroxides antibodies
[10:15] could go on and on and on about her problems, GI problems, constipation, diarrhea,
[10:20] brittle nails, no sex drive, thinning hair, poor skin, not feeling [00:10:25:00] well, chronic fatigue.
[10:55] sobering up the immune system
[11:50] immune disease, there's a high probability that you have multiple autoimmune diseases
[12:45] gluten free.
[13:05] hormone thyroid.
[13:25] hyperthyroid
[14:00] from hyper to hypothyroid problems when you have Hashimoto's disease
[14:20] There's no drug that they can give you to make your immune system smarter
[14:45] Levo or Synthroid
[14:55] functional medicine approach
[15:20] It's a whole new set of tools, functional medicine
[15:50] autoimmune disease
[16:05] bathroom two or three times per day with no constipation, no diarrhea, no bloating
[16:20] have a GI problem
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