Hashimoto’s a disease that can go unnoticed to the naked eye. Did you know that it affects millions of people in the U.S. alone?
But there is a way to manage it!
The answer is not always just a magic pill, there are lifestyle changes that can significantly improve a person’s symptoms and healing.
Hashimotos
We all know that thyroid disease is a serious issue. Still, many myths about it can make it even more challenging to deal with. Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s are two conditions that are prevalent thyroid issues, yet misunderstood. More often than not, people don’t know they have either condition until it is too late.
In this article, we will explore the truth about these conditions, including how they are diagnosed and treated.
What is the Thyroid?
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland found in the neck. It regulates your body’s growth and development, as well as your metabolism. It’s important to understand what the thyroid does because hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s are caused by an underactive thyroid gland. This means the thyroid is not producing enough hormones for your body to function properly.
What is Hypothyroid?
Hypothyroidism is when the thyroid gland fails to produce enough hormones to meet the body’s needs. It’s also sometimes called underactive thyroid or low thyroid.
The thyroid hormone controls how fast your body uses energy, converts food into energy, and how sensitive it is to other hormones.
If you have hypothyroidism, your body doesn’t use energy as well as it should. Sometimes this can cause weight gain or difficulty losing weight. Hypothyroidism can also make it hard for you to think clearly and feel rested even after a full night’s sleep.
About 5 out of every 100 people aged 12 and over in America have hypothyroidism. Women are five to eight times more likely than men to be affected by this condition, but it can affect both sexes.
The most common cause of hypothyroidism is Hashimoto’s disease or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Hashimoto’s disease causes inflammation in the thyroid gland, which makes it less able to produce T3 and T4 hormones. These are the two most important types of thyroid hormone that are made in the body.
What is Hashimoto’s Disease?
Hashimoto’s disease is an autoimmune disorder that affects your thyroid gland. So what exactly does “autoimmune” mean?
In simple terms, it means that your immune system is attacking itself. Your body’s immune system normally protects you from viruses and bacteria. But when you have Hashimoto’s disease, it starts attacking your cells—and in this case, the cells are in your thyroid. The result of this attack is that you get symptoms like fatigue and depression, which can be pretty serious side effects!
How Is It Diagnosed?
If you think you might have a thyroid problem, the first thing to do is schedule an appointment with your primary care doctor. They’ll be able to give you a physical and run some basic tests.
The most common test for hypothyroidism is called TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone), and it measures how much thyroid hormone the pituitary gland produces. In other words, it measures how much TSH is being released into the bloodstream by the pituitary gland to stimulate your thyroid into producing more hormones.
Sometimes TSH levels are normal, but other tests show that there may be something wrong with your thyroid gland. For example, if a person has symptoms of hypothyroidism, but their TSH level is normal, this could mean that they have Hashimoto’s disease (an autoimmune disorder), which inflames and attacks their thyroid gland as part of its progression.
How To Treat Hashimoto’s Disease and Hypothyroid?
According to conventional medicine, you can do nothing about Hashimoto’s disease. It’s an autoimmune condition, so the only way to treat it is by managing the symptoms of hypothyroidism with synthetic thyroid hormone replacement drugs.
But this is a short-sighted approach. The truth is Hashimoto’s disease is an autoimmune condition that can be treated with natural remedies.
Fix Your Gut
The first thing that you should do if you have Hashimoto’s disease is to fix your gut. One of the main symptoms of Hashimoto’s is a leaky gut syndrome. This can be caused by an imbalance of bacteria in your digestive system. Moreover, a leaky gut can lead to inflammation throughout the rest of your body and contribute to symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, and other autoimmune diseases (like Hashimoto’s itself!).
You can start fixing your gut by removing gluten from your diet. It’s one of the worst things you can do for your digestive tract! After that, try eliminating as many processed foods as possible and go with “real” foods instead.
You can also start taking probiotics, which are good for your digestive system and will help balance out the bacteria in your gut. Remember, it’s important to heal your digestive system if you’re suffering from a leaky gut.
Cut Off Gluten And Dairy
If you want to treat Hashimoto’s disease naturally, one of the first things you should do is cut off gluten and dairy. Gluten is a protein in wheat, rye, barley, and oats. Dairy products contain casein, a milk protein that can also trigger inflammation and the immune system response that causes Hashimoto’s disease.
Cutting off gluten can be difficult for someone who is used to eating bread and other baked goods, but it’s worth trying. In replacement of dairy, make sure you’re getting enough protein in your diet—nuts, beans, and legumes are good sources of this nutrient.
Get Your Sugar Under Control
Sugar is everywhere these days. It’s present in processed foods like donuts or cakes and natural ones like fruit juice or honey. So, it can be hard for us all not to consume too much of it daily.
If you have Hashimoto’s disease, it’s important to get your sugar under control. Sugar is a major trigger for Hashimoto’s, and in many cases, it can be responsible for causing the condition in the first place.
When too much sugar enters your bloodstream, it causes inflammation. It also causes your body to produce excess insulin, which can also lead to inflammation. Inflammation, in turn, causes many symptoms associated with Hashimoto’s disease, such as fatigue.
Get Enough Sleep
It’s no secret that sleep is a key factor in your overall health. And when you have Hashimoto’s disease, it’s even more important to make sure you’re getting enough of it.
Sleep improves your immune system, so if you’re not getting enough shut-eye, your body may not be able to fight off the inflammation caused by Hashimoto’s disease as effectively. Sleep also helps reduce stress levels and improves mood, which can help manage symptoms like depression or anxiety that are common with thyroid issues.
Take Supplements
Supplements are an integral part of Hashimoto’s treatment plan. In fact, they are often the most important part. The right supplement can help you feel better and have more energy, and it can prevent many of the symptoms of the disease from getting worse. Here are some supplements that you should definitely try if you have Hashimoto’s:
Vitamin D3
Vitamin D3 is very important for your immune system because it can help protect you from infections that cause thyroid inflammation or other problems associated with Hashimoto’s disease. It also helps regulate your metabolism, reducing your risk of gaining weight due to low thyroid function.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids have been proven to reduce inflammation throughout the body—and we know how much inflammation contributes to Hashimoto’s disease! They also help protect against oxidative stress, another symptom of Hashimoto’s disease that can cause permanent damage if left untreated.
Selenium
Selenium helps increase antioxidant activity in cells throughout your body, including those in your thyroid glands, which can become damaged by free radicals caused by autoimmune reactions like those seen in Hashimoto’s disease.
Bottom Line
Hashimoto’s disease is a serious autoimmune condition, but it is not the end of the world. It can be managed naturally through a combination of diet and lifestyle changes. With the right treatment plan, you can lead a full, healthy life with Hashimoto’s. Book an appointment with us to learn more about how you can manage your Hashimoto’s with natural methods.
