Thyroid disease is one of the most common, yet misunderstood and overlooked, conditions in Americans. It’s estimated that in the United States, at least 27 million and as many as 60 million people have thyroid disease.
Women make up the majority of thyroid patients. And, unfortunately, millions remain undiagnosed and untreated.
Therefore, there is a lot of confusion in traditional medicine as to how to diagnose and treat patients with thyroid conditions. So, today, we want to take the time to start the conversation on thyroids.
The Thyroid Explained
The thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland that sits below your Adam’s apple. It’s around 2-inches long and is made up of two sides known as lobes that sit on either side of your windpipe.
So, now that you know what the thyroid is let’s, get into why it matters. Your thyroid produces, stores, and releases hormones into your bloodstream and then throughout your body.
These hormones go on to do some pretty big jobs like:
- Controlling the rate at which your body burns calories
- Digestion
- Your heart rate
- Your mood
When your thyroid is off-kilter, you can bet there will be a domino effect throughout your entire body.
Thyroid Dysfunction
Issues stemming from thyroid dysfunction vary. However, for this post, we’ll keep our focus on two: hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.
Both disorders are challenging to detect thanks to vague symptoms that can easily be attributed to other ailments.
So, review the symptoms listed below. And, if you can identify with two or more of them, you should reach out to your doctor to have your thyroid tested.
Hypothyroidism
An underactive thyroid that can result in:
- Dry skin and hair
- Muscle cramps
- Forgetfulness
- Constipation
- A rundown feeling
- Swelling in the face
- Unexplained weight gain
- Heavier/irregular menstrual flow
- Heightened sensitivity to cold
Hyperthyroidism
An overactive thyroid that can result in:
- Irritability
- Unexplained weight loss
- Increased perspiration
- Racing heartbeat
- Difficulty sleeping
- Frequent BMs
- Less frequent and lighter periods
- Bulging eyes
- Shaky hands
Dr. Lamkin’s Approach to Optimizing Your Thyroid
During your comprehensive consultation with our team, we’ll go over several treatment and optimization options. Dr. Lamkin’s thyroid optimization protocol involves an initial lab assessment, including:
- TSH
- T3 (free)
- T4 (free)
- Reverse T3
- Thyroglobulin antibody
- Thyroid peroxidase antibody
Furthermore, a full review and discussion of all treatment options and a review of the thyroid optimization protocol will occur.
Over the following weeks and months, using basal body temperatures, home measurements of blood pressure and heart rate and with periodic labs, thyroid levels will reach optimal physiologic levels.
Diet
Treatment plans will vary on your specific symptoms, their patterns, and your hormones, but the first line of defense here will be making improvements to your diet; additionally, dietary changes could help address corresponding symptoms.
Incorporate Iodine
Daily dosages of 150 mcg is necessary for the production of thyroid hormones. For example, fish, dairy, eggs, and processed grains will give you the source you need.
Avocados
Fat is where it’s at when it comes to optimizing your thyroid. Avocados are chock-full of the excellent fat rich in omega-3.
Garlic and Onions
Research shows thyroid disease comes with decreased immunity function. Garlic and onion have immunity-boosting properties as well as antiviral and anti-inflammatory benefits.
Make the Right Cuts
For example, certain foods like cruciferous veggies and allergy-prone foods like soy and gluten, which can all inflame and trigger hypothyroidism.
Natural Thyroid Hormone
Typically, after thyroid hormone replacement has been prescribed, thyroid levels remain suboptimal or even outright deficient due to one-dimensional treatment only using synthetic T4 containing treatments such as Levothyroxine.
Natural desiccated thyroid hormone such as Naturethroid or Armour or compounded preparations contain both T4 and T3. The key to helping patients with low thyroid feel their best is to help them optimize their T3 levels with sustained levels throughout the day.
This is often lost when only T4 is prescribed, particularly if the patient has problems converting their T4 to T3, which is essential to optimize thyroid levels.
We Can Help
We hope you find this information helpful as a quick introduction to the thyroid. Don’t spend another feeling less than your best, schedule a consultation with the Lamkin Clinic today!
We’ll assess and test your thyroid and help you establish the best treatment plan to keep your thyroid in check.
Resources
- Women’s Health – Thyroid Disease
- Understanding Thyroid Problems
- Medline Plus – Thyroid Disease
- Cleveland Clinic – Thyroid Disease
- Medicine Net – Thyroid Disorders
- Symptoms and Signs of Hypothyroidism