Understanding Thyroid Disorders
Unraveling the Root Cause to Enhance Your Well-Being
Are you aware that EVERY cell in your body has receptor sites for thyroid hormone? Are you aware that the most common cause of hypothyroidism is NOT a problem in your thyroid gland but in your immune system? If your immune system is attacking your thyroid what ELSE is it attacking?
This very important component of the body has a direct impact on the metabolism that is experienced in the body. Individuals that suffer from issues with this gland may suffer from several different health complications. These include, but are not at all limited to, issues with the weight, the mood, and the energy that is experienced by the person.
Request your free 15-minute phone consultation now and get started on a natural plan to better health!
Common warning signs of thyroid disorders:
- Fatigue
- Increase in weight gain even with low calorie diet
- Morning headaches that wear off as the day progresses
- Depression
- Constipation
- Overly sensitive to cold weather
- Poor circulation and numbness in hands and feet
- Muscle cramps while at rest
- Catches colds and other viral/bacterial problems easily and has difficulty recovering
- Wounds heal slowly
- Require excessive amount of sleep to function properly
- Chronic digestive problems (hypochlorhydria)
- Itchy dry skin
- Dry or brittle hair
- Hair falls out easily
- Edema, especially facial (myxedema)
- Loss of outside portion of eyebrows
- Fatigue
- Increase in weight gain even with low calorie diet
- Morning headaches that wear off as the day progresses
- Depression
- Constipation
- Overly sensitive to cold weather
- Poor circulation and numbness in hands and feet
- Muscle cramps while at rest
- Catches colds and other viral/bacterial problems easily and has difficulty recovering
- Wounds heal slowly
- Require excessive amount of sleep to function properly
- Chronic digestive problems (hypochlorhydria)
- Itchy dry skin
- Dry or brittle hair
- Hair falls out easily
- Edema, especially facial (myxedema)
- Loss of outside portion of eyebrows
The thyroid directly supports the following systems:
- Bone metabolism
- Immune System
- Brain/Nervous System
- Endocrine System (adrenal glands, ovaries, testes)
- Gastrointestinal function
- Liver and gallbladder
- Growth/Sex hormones
- Fat Burning
- Insulin and Glucose Metabolism
- Healthy cholesterol levels
- Proper stomach acid
Thyroid “Cross Talk”
The thyroid relies upon other organs and systems just as these systems rely upon it. We call this “cross talk” between the systems. “Cross Talk” happens between the following systems:
- Thyroid & Immune System
- Thyroid & Gut
- Thyroid & Brain
- Thyroid & Endocrine System
One affects the other!
Thyroid Basics
The Hypothalamus sends signal to pituitary gland via TRH. The Pituitary gland send signal to Thyroid via TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone). TSH causes enzyme TPO to stimulate release of T4 (93%) and T3 (7%). These hormones ride the “taxi cab”- thyroid binding globulin (TBG)
Thyroid Hormone Conversion
In the liver 60% of T4 is converted to T3. Poor liver function will cause poor T4 to T3 conversion. 20% of T4 is sent to gut to be converted to T3. If you have poor gut flora it will cause poor conversion of T4 to T3. Also, 20% of T4 is sent to peripheral cells for conversion to T3 using 5’diodianaze enzyme. A small percentage T4 goes to Reverse T3.
Full Thyroid Panel Testing
A true thyroid functional test
Are you aware that there are 9 lab markers to properly evaluate your thyroid yet almost all doctors only order two?
- TSH (this is what conventionally is ordered)
- Total T4 (Thyroxine)
But what about these tests?
- Total T4 (thyroxine)
- FTI (free thyroxine index) (amount of T4 available)
- FT4 (free throxine) (affected by prescription drugs)
- T3 Uptake (How much of T3 is taken up by TBG)
- FT3 (free triodothyroxine) (Active Thyroid Hormone)
- Reverse T3 (Body can not use)
- TPO and TBG Antibodies (Hashimotos)
- TSH Antibodies (Graves Disease)
- TBG levels
How can you manage health without all the information? Burning out the thyroid gland with hormone replacement is a 50 year old model.
In order to manage your health you need to look at the causes of the problem…not just the symptoms.
There are 6 Major Thyroid Patterns
Primary Hypothyroidism
The thyroid gland gets lazy and the pituitary gland tries to “kick it in its pants” by pumping extra TSH. (high TSH) This is the only pattern of the six that may need HRT. (Hashimoto’s may need it too)
Hypothyroidism is Secondary to Pituitary Hypofunction
The pituitary gets “lazy” (low TSH below 1.8) for many reasons:
Chronic stress fatigues the gland
Hormone pills
Creams with Estrogen
Postpartum depression; pregnancy can fatigue the Pituitary Gland
Fluctuating insulin/glucose levels (Adrenal Gland fatigue)
Thyroid Under-Conversion
The gland is making enough T4 but there is a decrease in conversion from T4 to the active form T3 (low T3). Why? Chronic Adrenal Stress gives rise to increased cortisol which suppresses T4 to T3 conversion. This is due to chronic infection/ inflammation. This condition is often missed because low T3 doesn’t affect TSH only T4 does and T3 is rarely checked for with the blood test.
Thyroid Binding Globulin (TBG) Elevation
Too much TBG in the blood and thus too little free T3. Why? Oral contraceptives or estrogen replacement therapy causes an increase in estrogen which leads to increases in TBG.
Thyroid Resistance
Pituitary and Thyroid glands are fine and so are the hormone levels. However the hormones aren’t getting into the cells. Why? Chronic stress response stimulates the adrenal glands to produce too much cortisol which causes cells to be resistant to thyroid hormones.
Nutritional support if caught early can reverse these problems- we use proper testing and specialized nutritional compounds to do this!
Thyroid Over-Conversion and Decreased TBG
Too much active T3 is made and is overwhelming the cells or too little TBG which means too much free T3. Why? The No. 1 cause is insulin resistance especially in women. The cells are not “listening” to insulin so more insulin is secreted. This increases testosterone levels in females resulting in too much free T3 and too little TBG.
Thyroid Dysfunction is a Sign of Metabolic Dysfunction… Proper Testing is Crucial!
Complete Metabolic Profile
- Includes complete thyroid profile, including thyroid antibodies
- Vitamin D levels
- Iron and Ferritin
- Kidney Function
- Liver Function
- Digestive Markers
- Lipid Panel
- CBC Test
- Urinanalysis
- Inflammatory Markers
Immune Panels
- Checking for immune imbalance
Additional Hormone Testing
- Estrogen
- Progesterone
- Testosterone
- Cortisol
Food Sensitivity Test
- 96 common foods
Stool Microbial Profile
- Bacterial Infections
- Yeast Infections
- Parasite Infections
- Viral Infections
- Digestive Profile
Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and Graves’ Disease
These are primary immune problems. Your immune system is mistakenly attacking your thyroid. There is an imbalance in your immune system that needs to be addressed.
Why would your immune system do this?
Dysregulation
Immune system is imbalanced because of stressors to it.
Chronic inflammation
Bad blood sugar
Bad adrenal glands
Hormone imbalances
Neurological imbalances
Active Antigen
Immune system is imbalanced due to an “invader” aka an antigen
Chronic infection (bacterial, viral, mold)
Parasite in gut
Gluten sensitivity
Environmental toxins
Undigested food
Triad of Hashimotos
Antibodies to TPO/TBG
Gluten Sensitivity
Antibodies to intrinsic factor which leads to lowered B12 which lead to pernicious anemia
What Makes Our Office Different From Every Other Doctor That You Have Seen?
Functional Medicine
Based on lab findings our nutritional products are dispensed to support the biochemical pathways for healing in:
- Gut
- Thyroid and Adrenals
- Liver and biliary
- Anemias
- Sugar regulation
- Autoimmune Regulation
- Comprehensive Neurological (Brain-based Therapy) and Metabolic Workup.
Your INITIAL exam at Lemont Natural Healthcare will include:
- A thorough case history
- A complete functional neurological examination
- A comprehensive look at any recent blood work you have had done to determine what testing still needs to be done
- A comprehensive analysis of findings
- A written recommendation for a treatment plan- if we feel we can help you- specifically designed for your unique case
We manage the brain misfiring and metabolic dysfunctions.
With periodic re-testing it lets us know we are on the right track.
We look at all of your test results to find the causes of your problems. We do not just care for your symptoms.
We bring together all the pieces and treat the Whole Person!
Thyroid Articles
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6 Surprising Ways Thyroid Problems Sneak Up on You: Is Your Body Sending Silent Alarms?
Key Takeaways: As we take a deep dive into the world of thyroid health, let's distill the essence of what actionable steps you can take today: Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to subtle changes in energy levels, weight, mood, and temperature sensitivity. Your body...
Demystifying Thyroid Problems: Symptoms & Tests
Key Takeaway: Thyroid imbalances are surprisingly common, affecting an estimated 20 million Americans, with up to 60% unaware of their condition*. These imbalances can manifest through a wide range of symptoms, from unexplained weight changes and fatigue to mood...