Hypothyroid Problems: A New Year, A New Approach

How many people do you know that make a New Years Resolution to lose weight, get healthier and get happier? Whatever that number was, there is a good chance that a similar amount of people have failed to reach those goals.

Many people with hypothyroid problems struggle with these goals. Many more people that are either pre-hypothyroid or undiagnosed hypothyroid struggle as well.

Look good, feel good and be healthy. Why is that such a tall order? What are we doing wrong?

I propose the following solution...not the solution to your hypothyroid problems (way too many factors for one post), but the solution to how you go about addressing your hypothyroid problems: take a history lesson.

100 years ago, if someone had hypothyroid problems, it was as obvious as looking at their neck. Gross iodine deficiency was the main cause of thyroid problems (while subtle iodine deficiency is one of the leading causes of subclinical hypothyroidism today) and caused goiters. Thyroid cancers, congenital malformations and neck trauma still existed, but not nearly as prominent as iodine deficiency.

Iodine deficiency and hypothyroid problems are still a problems of today, but there are new problems that have helped propel hypothyroid problems to all new levels. Toxicity, allergens, chronic stress, nutrient depleted food, sedentary lifestyles, hormone mimicry, synthetic medications, compromised detoxification and distressed immune systems are all modern day problems at significantly high levels.

These are all things that are from our environment that are either new to our planet, or at much greater levels than ever before.

If we make the right changes, add what's needed, take out what's killing us and develop healthier habits, we can address hypothyroid problems for what they really are: symptoms of poor lifestyle. In case I didn't make that clear, most thyroid problems are symptoms, not the core problem.

Addressing symptoms can sometimes mask the problems, do nothing at all or even make matters worse.

Addressing the problems is a much better approach to addressing hypothyroid problems. In the past, that solution was to give more iodine to the iodine deficient person. Today the problem can stem from multiple causes, all of which need to be addressed.

So here is the take some point: your thyroid will only work when it is healthy enough to do so. Make health your priority instead of being free of disease.

technorati tags: iodine deficiency hypothyroid problems

Low Thyroid Conditions and Bacterial Overgrowth: The Chicken or the Egg?

Constipation, bloating, flatulence and stomach aches are all symptoms of thyroid conditions. Low thyroid conditions are thought to bring on these symptoms (which is true in some cases). I think we should look at this occurrence a little different.

If we see low thyroid conditions as stemming from low thyroid itself, the easy answer would to be give more thyroid hormone. Case closed, see you in 3 months for more blood work. Right?

But what if the stomach problems were causing the low thyroid conditions?

Well, a recent study (Lauritano et al., 2007) demonstrated that bacterial overgrowth was present in over 50% of their subjects compared to 5% of the group without thyroid conditions. Their low thyroid conditions improved when the bacterial overgrowth was addressed as opposed to the thyroid gland or thyroid hormones.

This would point to the possibility that addressing other problematic areas (in this case the bacterial overgrowth) besides the thyroid or thyroid hormones can lead to successful treatment in those with low thyroid conditions.

The study went on to say that though there was positive changes noted by the subjects, the lab work did not significantly change. Please check out this post I wrote about how normal TSH does not mean you are not low thyroid functionally.

But didn't I also say that the low thyroid can cause bacterial overgrowth too? That would mean that bacterial overgrowth can cause low thyroid conditions and vica versa.

Sorry. Thyroid conditions are not cut and dry (like you didn't already know that, right?).

So I hope this post has you scratching your head a little. Maybe even pondering questions like: what is the cause of my low thyroid condition (like bacterial overgrowth), is my thyroid condition causing other problems (like bacterial overgrowth) or are my symptoms from low thyroid or from another condition or both?

Keep asking yourself these types of questions and you will become that much closer to solving your low thyroid condition.

technorati tags: low thyroid conditions thyroid conditions bacterial overgrowth

Thyroid Conditions From an Alternative Perspective

There is a lot of information out on the web and in books dealing with thyroid conditions. Most of the publications available are from a medical perspective.

The diagnosis is made by finding and naming blatant pathology. The course of action is usually aggressive medication or surgery.

Here is a link to one thyroid blog that I have been impressed with that goes into detail from this perspective. This thyroid blog is run from a medical endocrinologist and gives very detailed descriptions of cases he has seen and how he handled it.

While this is the right course of action for some, others would benefit from more natural means.

This thyroid blog is dedicated to those with pathology that are looking to help themselves with alternative treatment for thyroid conditions, as well as those that don't have pathology, but rather interruption of normal physiology (the way the body should work).

Alternative treatment for thyroid conditions are very safe and effective. It would be a hard argument for anyone to say that lifestyle does not influence your thyroid condition. Some find alternative treatments sufficient to control their thyroid conditions, while others need to make the changes to work as a powerful adjunct to medical intervention.

I hope that this thyroid blog and other related material will help better equip you with the knowledge to implement alternative treatment for thyroid conditions to make changes in your life for the better.

technorati tags: alterntive treatment for thyroid conditions thyroid conditions thyroid blog

Did Santa Bring Me Hypothyroidism This Year?

Have you ever heard the holiday story of low thyroid hormone? The story is slightly different depending on who is telling it, but it goes something like this:

You intentionally did not stuff yourself this holiday season, yet you still gained weight.

You can afford to buy all your holiday gifts because of a great bonus, yet you still feel depressed.

You rub Ben Gay all over your hands and knees, but your joint still hurt.

As you scratch your head and wonder why, your body is screaming out to you for some much needed attention. If your body language could speak, it would be saying "I have low thyroid hormone...HELP!"

But why is low thyroid hormone commonly a holiday treat?

Unless you are living somewhere near the equator, it gets cold during the holiday seasons. Your body responds by doing what it needs to stay warm.

One way your body accomplishes this is by cranking up your metabolism. Thyroid hormone is what revs up your body's engine.

If you are one of millions that is gradually developing hypothyroidism, symptoms of low thyroid hormone may not pop up till a time when it is really needed, like winter.

Your body sees 2 options, either freeze to death or use more thyroid hormone to increase your body temperature. If you are already at low levels of thyroid hormone, other areas that use thyroid hormone may begin to suffer.

You may have had low thyroid problems for quite some time, but it is only now being fully recognized. You too can then tell of your story about why you feel fat, fatigued, depressed with achy joints all winter long, or tell them how you used to feel like that till you addressed your hypothyroidism.

technorati tags: hypothyroidism low thyroid hormone