Facts:
- About 200 million people in the world have some form of thyroid disease.
- Recent studies indicate that 1 in 10 Canadians suffer from a thyroid condition of one type or another! Of those, as many as 50% are undiagnosed!
- Graves’ disease is by far the most common cause of hyperthyroidism in Canada, affecting perhaps one in every 100 people.
- Of all the cases of hypothyroidism, an estimated 90 percent of them are caused by Hashimoto’s disease.
- Most doctors assess the function of the thyroid by ordering a thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test. Unfortunately, it can take up to 70 percent of the thyroid to lose function before TSH even goes outside the reference range.
Symptoms:
- Fatigue
- Weight gain
- Depression
- Constipation
- Hypersensitivity to cold
- Poor circulation and numbness in hands and feet
- Muscle cramps while at rest
- Increased susceptibility to colds and or other infections
- Slow wound healing
- Excessive amount of sleep required to function
- Chronic digestive problems
- Itchy, dry skin
- Brittle hair that falls out easily
- Heart palpitations
- Nervousness
- Increased pulse rate, even at rest
- Feelings of emotional distress
- Insomnia
- Night sweats
- Difficulty gaining weight
If you are suffering any of the symptoms mentioned above, you want to have your thyroid thoroughly assessed by including the following on your bloodwork: TSH, free T4, free T3, total T3, total T4, reverse T3, thyroglobulin antibodies, and thyroid peroxidase antibodies. Many things can alter your thyroid hormone levels such as irregular immune function, poor blood sugar control, gut infections, adrenal problems (stress), and other hormone imbalances. Accordingly, it is important to have the right blood work done to help get to the bottom of the issue.
It is also important to understand that all autoimmune diseases essentially have three root causes in common; a genetic component or susceptibility, leaky gut, and a trigger.
The genetic component does not mean you will 100% have this disease. It simply means that if you have enough exposure to the right triggers, you will likely express or turn on those genes that express the disease.
Leaky gut is a condition where contents of the gut enter the bloodstream. This can be caused by dietary triggers such as gluten or grains, or it could be from a bacterial or viral infection, stress, and environmental toxins.
In terms of triggers, there can be many for a thyroid condition. They can range from foods such as grains, to environmental chemicals, gut infections, and even vitamin/mineral deficiencies.
These three factors, the genetic component, leaky gut, and trigger create the perfect storm for an autoimmune condition such as Hashimoto’s disease.
It can be a complex situation but with the right testing and proper protocol, you can have relief. Once you have an autoimmune disease, you have it. It cannot be reversed per say but with work, you have the ability to turn the ‘volume’ of it down to zero.
At the Functional Health Institute, we take an integrative, science-based healthcare approach to your health concerns. We look ‘upstream’ to consider the complex web of interactions in your history, physiology, and lifestyle that are contributing to your symptoms.
We utilize cutting-edge testing and diagnostic tools to uncover the root cause of WHY you are facing these issues. We then, in partnership with YOU, come up with a plan of action to resolve your symptoms and regain your HEALTH. Call us today to schedule a personal health consultation and we will sit down with you to help determine how we can help with your health goals.