Hypothyroid Treatment - Medical Treatments for Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone. This can occur for various reasons. Treatment may depend on various factors including the patient's health history, the severity of their condition, and the type of medical practitioner they seek for care.

Many practitioners rely on synthetic hormones to treat hypothyroid disease, but this may not always be the best course of action. It is important you educate yourself about hypothyroidism so you can make the best decision when it comes to caring for your body and treating your condition.

Hypothyroid

Let's learn a little more about standard care of hypothyroidism so you can make an informed decision along with the advice of your qualified healthcare professional.

Hypothyroid Treatment - Medical Treatments for Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroid Disease Treatment Protocols

Treatment for an underactive thyroid will vary from patient to patient depending on the severity of their disease and their treatment provider. For many, treatment will involve use of daily thyroid replacement hormones, whether synthetic or natural. This will require regular or routine monitoring by a healthcare provider to monitor thyroid function and assess the correct dosage.

Typically treatment with a hormone results in a quick improvement. If someone has their thyroid gland removed or partially removed they will probably require treatment with a synthetic hormone for the rest of their life. Hypothyroid caused by Hashimoto's thyroiditis, a more serious autoimmune condition, may also require a lifetime treatment protocol.

Some patients who have hypothyroid disease develop it as a result of a recent illness. In cases like this treatment may be needed for a short period of time. After the illness subsides, a patient may recover and no longer require treatment.

Sometimes pharmaceutical medicine causes a patient to develop hypothyroid disease. In cases like this treatment may simply involve discontinuation of the offending medication or a switch to a new medication. As long as the medication has not caused permanent damage to the thyroid gland, the odds are the patient will recover and can resume a normal lifestyle.

Sometimes a patient has sub-clinical hypothyroid. This is a mild case of hypothyroid disease. There are times when doctors or healthcare providers prefer to monitor cases like this instead of prescribing medication. Other times healthcare providers may recommend treating hypothyroidism immediately, depending on how severely the patient is affected.

You and your doctor, or healthcare provider should discuss your treatment options in cases like this, including the risks associated with treating hypothyroidism with synthetic or natural hormones, compared to a watch and wait approach. Patients taking hypothyroid hormones must watch for side effects which may include heart disease, chest pain or irregular heart rate.

Hormones available to treat patients include:

- Levothyroxine (Synthroid, Levoxyl, Levothroid)
- Natural Hormones

Taking too little medicine may result in little effect or improvement and can result in a return of symptoms or recurring weight gain. Taking too much hormone may result in increasing side effects including the jitters or tremors, or insomnia. It is critical that as a patient you take notes of all side effects you experience while taking hormones so your doctor can adjust your dose of your medication accordingly.

Remember that diet and lifestyle are just as much a part of your treatment protocol as hormone or medication therapy. Talk with your healthcare provider about lifestyle changes as well as medication when you begin treating hypothyroid disease. That way you will manage your disease as wholly as possible to ensure the best possible odds for successful management of your disease.

Severe Hypothyroidism

In some cases hypothyroidism goes undiagnosed for excessive periods of time as many people avoid going to the doctor when they feel unwell. In cases of severe debilitation, some patients may need life saving treatment. Severe hypothyroidism when left untreated may place a patient at risk for what is known as a myxedema coma. This requires emergency medical care and treatment with intravenous thyroid hormone.

Symptoms may include a heart attack or trouble breathing, and hypothermia or severe problems maintaining one's body temperature. If you or someone you know experiences any of these symptoms it is critical you seek emergency medical care as soon as possible.

Treatment of Hypothyroidism During Pregnancy

Some women develop hypothyroidism during pregnancy. During this time treatment is essential to ensure the wellness of both mother and fetus. Thyroid levels of women during pregnancy will be carefully monitored in women that have hypothyroidism to ensure adequate treatment. Some women will require treatment before, during, and after pregnancy if they have hypothyroidism before pregnancy.

Others may develop hypothyroid disease during pregnancy and may begin treatment during pregnancy, and may or may not require hormone replacement therapy following delivery.

Remember, treating hypothyroidism is a life saving matter, so go to your healthcare provider immediately and take a simple blood test...it can be a matter of life or death!

Once you have the facts about your illness you can then make an informed decision regarding your course of action. If you do not wish to take pharmaceutical medication you can access the wide variety of natural therapies available to help balance your thyroid hormones, and can stay healthy with appropriate dietary and lifestyle decisions.

Hypothyroid Treatment - Medical Treatments for Hypothyroidism

For more information on hypothyroid treatment, or how you can boost your thyroid function naturally, please visit www.HypothyroidismSecrets.com where you can grab a FREE copy of Duncan Capicchiano's hypothyroidism secrets mini-course. Duncan Capicchiano N.D. is a fully qualified Naturopath, Author, and Medical researcher specializing in hypothyroidism.

Can Natural Hypothyroid Treatment Methods Cure Your Condition?

Thyroid hormone is the treatment method that just about everyone with a hypothyroid condition receives. But more and more people with hypothyroidism are turning to natural hypothyroid treatment methods to help restore their health to normal. Although some people do need to take synthetic or natural thyroid hormone daily for the rest of their life, many people who thought they would need to be on thyroid hormone forever have been helped through a natural hypothyroid treatment protocol.

The first thing that is important to understand is that in most cases of hypothyroidism, the malfunctioning thyroid gland is not the cause of the disorder. So the thyroid gland usually doesn't just begin slowing down or stop the production on thyroid hormone on its own, as something causes this to happen. And frequently this malfunctioning of the gland is caused by other compromised areas of the body, such as the adrenal glands, immune system (i.e. Hashimoto's Thyroiditis), digestive tract, and/or other areas of the body. So the goal of any natural hypothyroid treatment protocol is to determine the cause of the thyroid condition. And unless the cause is addressed, the person will most likely need to continue taking thyroid hormone daily.

Hypothyroid

Sometimes a hypothyroid disorder develops after receiving thyroid surgery or radioactive iodine. While some of these people can't be cured, many people still can benefit from natural hypothyroid treatment methods. For example, someone who had hyperthyroidism and received radioactive iodine very well may become hypothyroid, and be told to take thyroid hormone daily for the rest of his or her life. But while the radioactive iodine therapy might have helped to eliminate the hyperthyroid symptoms (and replace them with hypothyroid symptoms), it did absolutely nothing for the cause of the disorder.

Can Natural Hypothyroid Treatment Methods Cure Your Condition?

What Are Some Of The Causes Of Thyroid Conditions?

There are multiple causes of thyroid conditions that are too numerous to list here. Frequently lifestyle factors will lead to the development of a thyroid condition. For example, someone who has a lot of stress in their life and does a poor job of managing it might develop weakened adrenal glands, which in turn can lead to a thyroid condition. Or the person might have a compromised immune system and develop a hypothyroid condition, and eventually an autoimmune thyroid disorder such as Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. Of course it takes a long period of time for these conditions to develop.

Another lifestyle factor that can cause or contribute to the development of a thyroid condition is poor eating habits. Eating a lot of refined foods and sugars, skipping breakfast, and/or going long periods of time without eating can also but a lot of stress on your body. This is why one of the primary goals of any natural hypothyroid treatment protocol will be to help the person eat healthier foods that are essential for optimal thyroid health.

In addition to lifestyle factors, environmental toxins can also play a role in the development of a thyroid condition. Over the last few decades there has been a dramatic increase in our exposure to toxins, many of them in our own homes. In fact, about 2,000 new chemicals are manufactured each year. Not surprisingly, over the years there also has been an increase in the number of thyroid conditions. This obviously doesn't mean that all thyroid conditions are caused by environmental toxins, but research has shown that many of these toxins do have a negative impact on the thyroid gland.

Of course genetic factors need to be considered as well. The good news is that the majority of thyroid conditions are not caused by genetics, which means that in many cases we can restore the health in people who have a thyroid condition, and prevent the occurrence of such a condition in someone who currently has a healthy thyroid gland.

How Can Natural Hypothyroid Treatment Methods Help?

A natural hypothyroid treatment protocol will try to get to the underlying cause of the disorder, rather than just manage the symptoms. So for example, someone with a thyroid condition who wants to see if they can avoid conventional medical treatment (synthetic or natural thyroid hormone) might decide to see a natural endocrine doctor. Such a doctor will first evaluate your condition to determine whether or not you're a candidate for natural hypothyroid treatment protocols.

In order to do this, they not only will look at the standard thyroid blood tests that most doctors look at (TSH, T3, T4, etc.), but many also recommend additional tests. For example, many natural doctors will recommend an adrenal stress index test (ASI), which will help to evaluate the function of your adrenal glands. Or they might recommend a male or female hormone panel to determine if there are any hormonal imbalances. Other doctors might want to perform tests to determine if you have any nutritional deficiencies.

In any case, if they determine that you are a good candidate for natural hypothyroid treatment methods, then they will give you their recommendations, and then of course it's up to you whether or not you want to follow them. Unlike conventional medical treatment methods that simply involve taking thyroid hormone, restoring one's health through a natural hypothyroid treatment protocol can be a challenge. As mentioned earlier, any natural endocrine doctor will most likely recommend changes in your diet, as well as you modifying other lifestyle factors. They very well might also recommend that you take multiple nutritional supplements and/or herbal remedies.

So it is a complex process in both finding the cause of the problem, and then treating your condition naturally. This is why it is not recommended that you self-treat your condition, as many people think that simply eating better and taking some nutritional supplements from their local health food store can cure their condition, when this is usually not the case. For those people looking for a quick and easy solution to cure their condition, then a natural hypothyroid treatment protocol might not be for you. On the other hand, if you're committed to getting well and realize that this is not going to be something that takes a few days or weeks to correct, then natural hypothyroid treatment methods might be able to help you.

Can Natural Hypothyroid Treatment Methods Cure Your Condition?

Dr. Eric Osansky is a licensed healthcare professional who personally used natural treatment methods to restore his health when he was diagnosed with an autoimmune thyroid disorder. For more information on how to use Natural Hypothyroid Treatment methods to restore your health back to normal, including a free video and 46-page guide that shows you how to treat your thyroid disorder naturally, please visit his website at www.NaturalEndocrineSolutions.com.