Thyroid Symptoms

Some 20 million Americans are affected by thyroid disorders…that’s 1 in 13 people! And more than half of those people are unaware they have a thyroid problem because it frequently goes undiagnosed…until it gets severe.

According to the National Women’s Health Information Center, 1 in 8 women will experience a thyroid disorder during their lifetime.  The reason why may surprise you because I’m sure you’ve never heard it explained to you…that’s because most doctors are only vaguely familiar with thyroid disorders.

After studying more about thyroid disorders, I realized how poorly diagnosed and treated thyroid conditions are.  I also noticed a very disturbing trend in the current treatment approach for these conditions, which I’ll reveal in a moment…

Before we go any further, let’s cover the three primary types of thyroid conditions:

• #1: Hypothyroidism
• #2: Hyperthyroidism or Grave’s
• #3: Hashimoto’s thyroiditis

Symptoms of Hypothyroidism (slow thyroid)

• Do you feel fatigued, tired or sluggish?
• Do you have cold feet and/or hands?
• Do you require excessive amounts of sleep to function?
• Do you gain weight easily or have difficulty losing weight?
• Do you have difficult or infrequent bowel movements (constipation)?
• Are you depressed?
• Do you lack motivation?
• Do you suffer from morning headaches that wear off as the day progresses?
• Do you suffer from thinning hair or excessive hair falling out?
• Do you suffer from dryness of the skin and/or scalp?
• Do you suffer from mental sluggishness?

Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the body lacks sufficient thyroid hormones. Since the main purpose of thyroid hormones is to “run the body’s metabolism,” it is logical that people with this condition will have symptoms associated with a slow metabolism.

Millions of Americans have this more common medical condition…and it often goes undetected in the early stages.  Were you told that your results were “normal” and yet you continue to have symptoms?

Symptoms of Hyperthyroidism or Grave’s Disease (overfunctioning thyroid)

• Do you experience heart palpitations?
• Do you suffer from inward trembling?
• Do you have an increased pulse even at rest?
• Are you nervous and/or emotional?
• Do you suffer from insomnia?
• Do you experience night sweats?
• Do you have difficulty gaining weight?

Hyperthyroidism is the medical term to describe an over production of thyroid hormones.  Although this condition is less common, it can precede a slowing down of the thyroid.  It’s usually easier to treat though.

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is a condition in which the body’s immune system attacks the thyroid gland (this is an auto-immune disorder).

It is diagnosed by checking for thyroid antibodies (TPO & TGB) and gluten antibodies.

Patients suffering from Hashimoto’s thyroiditis will experience symptoms of hypothyroidism AND hyperthyroidism…MEANING they will experience some or ALL of the above symptoms.

Since the thyroid gland controls the body’s metabolism, it can affect all of the systems of the body such as the gut, liver, gall bladder, hormones, cholesterol, brain (via neurotransmitters), adrenal glands, breasts, ovaries, and heart. This is many times why all these systems’ sub-par functioning over many years builds to serious debilitating diseases such as Diabetes Mellitus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Crohn’s Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Celiac Disease, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Restless Leg Syndrome, Migraine Headaches, plus Lupus, Scleroderma, Multiple Sclerosis, and other Autoimmune Diseases.

Now, back to that disturbing trend I observed concerning the treatment of thyroid conditions…the disturbing trend: most thyroid sufferers are treated exactly the same!

This really bothers me because I understand from my knowledge of neurology and biochemistry that no two people react the same…especially with endocrine dysfunction.

Then why are all thyroid sufferers treated the same?

Did you know that there are MANY different blood tests that can be analyzed in order to determine exactly how your thyroid is affected?  Most doctors just use the same old blood tests and never bother checking beyond those. We use very specific blood tests. We ALSO test to see if you have an autoimmune disease.  An autoimmune disease is where your immune system attacks a particular area of the body (like the thyroid, for instance), so we test for specific thyroid antibodies to determine if YOU suffer from an autoimmune thyroid disease.

We can also check for gluten antibodies, myelin (fatty sheath around the nerves) antibodies, cerebellar (back part of the brain controlling balance, coordinated movement, and spinal muscles) antibodies.

Additionally we can test your adrenal glands (small glands on top of the kidneys) via an Adrenal Stress Index (ASI), as many thyroid sufferers also suffer from adrenal problems.

Have you EVER been checked for any of the above antibodies or had an ASI? Probably not, right?!?

Ready to take the next step to uncover the true source of your symptoms? In the spaces below, fill in your name & mailing address and we will rush an expanded DVD to you explaining in more depth the thyroid disease complex. If you would prefer to make an appointment, fill in your phone number and that will let my staff know you are requesting my first available opening. Thank you for your time and attention. I am looking forward to assist you in your recovery.