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Discovering answers to why you still have Thyroid Symptoms when lab tests are normal
Thyroid dysfunction affects an estimated 20 million Americans and about 1 in 8 women will develop a thyroid disorder during her lifetime. Yet, up to 60% of those with thyroid disease are unaware of their condition. Symptoms of thyroid dysfunction can include low thyroid symptoms of fatigue, weight gain, constipation, depression, lack of motivation, mental sluggishness, cold hands & feet, hair loss or dry brittle hair, outer third of eyebrow thinning, dry skin.
Symptoms of hyperthyroidism include heart palpitations, inward trembling, insomnia, nervous, emotional, night sweats, and difficulty gaining weight. Some people that experience both hypo and hyper thyroid symptoms. This is usually an indication of Hashimoto's Disease, which is an autoimmune disease where your immune system is attacking the thyroid gland. This leads to progressive thyroid gland destruction and hypo function, interspersed with hyper thyroid symptoms. According to the Endocrine Society, up to 90% of thyroid cases are due to Hashimoto's. So if your are reading this and you have a thyroid problem, the most likely diagnosis is Hashimoto's autoimmune! If you have not been diagnosed with Hashimoto's, yu may be wondering why your doctor may have not mentioned or even tested for it. The test is a simple blood test for thyroid peroxidase antibody and thyroglobulin antibody. You must test for both because you can be positive to one and not the other. The reason most doctors don't test for Hashimoto's is because the current model for thyroid treatment is focused solely on managing the lab values, rather then treat the root cause.
Most physicians, either medical or natural, treat everyone with thyroid problems with hormone replacement, such as Synthroid or levothyroxine, which are synthetic hormones, or patients are given bio-identical hormones such as Armour or Naturethroid and told that they are better then synthetic. The truth is, non of these hormone replacement therapies address the root cause of the thyroid dysfunction, which can be 1 of 24 different underlying causes, with autoimmune mechanism being the most common. This explains why so many people continue to suffer with thyroid symptoms even though they are taking thyroid medications and lab test may be normal. In order to get the right treatment, look for a doctor that understands and takes the time to investigate the root cause, not just giving you a hormone pill. Finally, if you suffer with thyroid symptoms, you must take charge of your health by learning how your thyroid works and learn how to reset your hormones.
Dr. Kan is a board certified in Integrative Medicine and Chiropractic Neurology. His practice in Gilbert, Arizona is nationally known for treating complex neurological and metabolic conditions. For more information visit: www.askdrkan.com
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