Monday, July 1, 2013

The Leading Cause Of Hypothyroidism & The 8 Tests Your Doctor Hasn't Run



In my last article, I showed six different patterns of hypothyroidism that don't show up on standard labs, and aren't sustainably helped by thyroid hormone replacement drugs. The scientific literature has suggested that the leading cause of low thyroid symptoms is an autoimmune condition called Hashimoto's disease. In this article I want to go over some of the underlying factors that need to be looked if you are faced with this autoimmune disease.

Hashimoto's disease, or autoimmune thyroiditis, isn't a new discovery. First mentioned in clinical literature in 1912, it was actually the first disease to be labeled as autoimmune. Your immune system is an intricate, sophisticated network that protects your body against potentially harmful viruses and bacteria. When your immune system mistakes your body as a harmful pathogen and attacks it, this is classified as an autoimmune response.

Hashimoto's can be diagnosed by running thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO Ab) and thyroglobulin antibodies (TGB Ab) tests. These tests aren't commonly administered because the treatment would be the same whether you have Hashimoto's or true primary hypothyroidism: thyroid hormone replacement drugs. Because the autoimmune response can go through active and dormant states, there is a chance for a false negative, which is why a comprehensive health history is essential.

Ninety percent of all hypothyroid cases in the United States are autoimmune in nature. Thyroid autoimmune diseases are the most common, affecting 7-8 percent of the population. Whether or not you have primary hypothyroidism, a thyroid hormone conversion dysfunction, or an autoimmune disease, a thyroid hormone replacement drug is the only option given in the mainstream model of care. The problem with Hashimoto's is that the thyroid isn't the actual source of the problem. The thyroid is the victim of the immune system.

Let's go over some of the pieces of the puzzle, the proverbial gasoline barrels on the fire that is the autoimmune thyroid response: Read Entire Article At MindBodyGreen

Helping Patients Reverse Disease, Regain Energy, Lose Stubborn Weight And Restore Health In Pittsburgh & Across The Country Through Our Virtual Functional Medicine Practice. Dr. Will Cole: Your Source For The Future Of Natural Health.

1 comment:

  1. Hi Dr. Cole

    I was dignose with Hyperthyroidism when I was 15th the treated with radioisotope therapy. After that, I was diagnose with Hypothyroidism and now I take my daily dose of hormone. Does this means I can still find the source of inflammation? Or since my thyroid was damaged by the radioisotope therapy I will always need to take a substitute to be in shape I guess...?

    ReplyDelete