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.
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