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What are Thyroid Disorders
Thyroid disorders can include hypothyroid, hyperthyroid, Hashimoto thyroid disease, Graves disease, goiter or thyroid nodules.
Hypothyroidism is when thyroid gland is under active. Low thyroid symptoms may include fatigue, dry skin, increased sensitivity to cold, memory problems or brain fog, constipation, depression & weight gain.
Hypothyroidism can resemble symptoms of numerous other diseases such as depression, PMS and fibromyalgia. This is the reason it is very important to have a full thyroid panel to test for imbalances in thyroid hormone function. Testing TSH alone is not enough to determine if the thyroid gland is functioning properly.
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What are Thyroid Disorders
Thyroid disorders can include hypothyroid, hyperthyroid, Hashimoto thyroid disease, Graves disease, goiter or thyroid nodules.
In hyperthyroidism, the thyroid gland is overactive. Symptoms may include restlessness, nervousness, racing heart, irritability, anxiety, difficulty sleeping & weight loss.
There are several suspected causes of hyperthyroid. Inflammation of the thyroid gland can cause an increase in the release of thyroid hormone. Grave’s disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. Grave’s is an autoimmune disease that attacks the thyroid gland, causing it to become overactive resulting in an abnormal protrusion of the eyes called exopthalmos.
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What are Thyroid Disorders
Thyroid disorders can include hypothyroid, hyperthyroid, Hashimoto thyroid disease, Graves disease, goiter or thyroid nodules.
Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune disease of the thyroid gland. Symptoms can vary from person to person with some experiencing no symptoms at all and others experiencing severe symptoms. Symptoms can include fatigue, depression, constipation, mild weight gain, dry skin, dry thinning hair, pale puffy face, heavy and irregular menstruation, intolerance to cold, enlarged thyroid or goiter.
Hashimoto's disease is known to be the most common cause of hypothyroidism. Risk factors include infectious diseases, iodine and selenium intake, and food sensitivities.
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Testing for Thyroid Disorders
As a rule, the standard thyroid blood test is the TSH test. TSH is Thyroid Stimulating Hormone and is the hormone that tells your body to produce more thyroid hormone. TSH is a pituitary hormone. A high level can indicate hypothyroid and a low level can indicate hyperthyroid. It can also indicate a pituitary or hypothalamus issue.
TSH alone is not enough to evaluate thyroid status as you can have normal thyroid levels and have symptoms.
Other recommended tests include:
Free T3 - the active form of thyroid hormone
Free T4 - the inactive form of thyroid hormone that gets converted to T3 for use in the body
Thyroid Antibodies - present when an autoimmune thyroid condition is present
It is also recommended that specific mineral levels, B12 and folate, vitamin D, cortisol and sex hormones are assessed.
In auto immune thyroid conditions such as Hashimoto's Thyroiditis further testing for viruses, bacteria and pathogens is often necessary.
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Natural Medicine
Because thyroid conditions can be caused by many factors such as inflammation, inadequate nutrition, adrenal hormones, sex hormones, food intolerance, infectious diseases, mineral status, pregnancy, certain medications and other environmental factors an individualized approach is necessary. Specific medical tests can reveal the potential cause of thyroid dysfunction. Correcting the cause using nutrition, herbs, whole food supplements & minerals and homeopathy can bring healing to the individual with thyroid dysfunction.
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What Patient's are Saying
If you want to feel better, Dr. Joelle Cafaro is the call to make! If you are satisfied with the 15 min time slot that comes with your traditional doctor appointment, this is not for you. Dr. Cafaro is very thorough and takes the time to get to the bottom of the issue or issues that are the problem. From lab work to dietary issues, she sorts it out and helps your body readjust itself. She is amazing and so knowledgeable.