When it comes to the thyroid, many people are aware that there is a real health problem concerning the thyroid and thyroid function. However, when I am spreading awareness about lifestyle interventions and innovative treatments for Hashimoto’s, most people ask, “What is Hashimoto’s, it must be a really rare condition”, to which my response is, “It’s actually the leading cause of low thyroid function in Western countries, and most people who take thyroid medications actually have Hashimoto’s”.
This conversation almost always then turns to, “Wow, I take thyroid medications”, or “My mom takes thyroid medications” or “My sister takes medications”, “could they have Hashimoto’s?”.
My answer: If you live in the United States, the UK, Australia, Europe and most developed countries that add iodine to the salt supply and take thyroid medications, there’s a high probability that you do have Hashimoto’s.
Depending on the source, estimates are that between 90-95% of those with hypothyroidism have Hashimoto’s.
But most doctors will never tell people that they have Hashimoto’s, or that their own immune system is attacking their thyroid. People are told that their “thyroid is sluggish”, and that these things happen with age and “Just take this pill, you’ll be fine.”
Why?
Because the conventional medical model treats autoimmune thyroid disorders in the same way as they would treat someone with a nutrient deficiency induced thyroid disorder, someone who was born without a thyroid or someone who had their thyroid removed or treated with radioactive iodine. But there is SO MUCH MORE to really care for autoimmune induced hypothyroidism.
So what is the difference between hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s?
Hypothyroidism, by definition, is a clinical state. It is a state of low levels of thyroid hormone in the body.
The low levels of thyroid hormone can occur as a result of a variety of different reasons, such as iodine (or other vitamin/mineral) deficiency, surgical removal of the thyroid, excess use of thyroid suppressing medications, adrenal and/or pituitary suppression, neurological interference, a fatty liver, heartburn and other digestive problems, damage to the thyroid (physical or disease induced), and more.
Most cases of hypothyroidism in the United States and in most countries that add iodine to their salt supply are caused by Hashimoto’s, an autoimmune condition. Depending on the source, estimates are that between 90-97% of those with hypothyroidism in the United States actually have Hashimoto’s.
Unfortunately many people think that if they had Hashimoto’s, their doctors would have certainly told them.
But that’s not usually the case.
Many doctors simply don’t test their patients for Hashimoto’s. That’s because the conventional medical model treats autoimmune thyroid disorders in the same way as they would treat someone with hypothyroidism… with synthetic thyroid hormones.
Here is what you need to takeaway from this newsletter:
*If you’ve been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, you should also be tested for Hashimoto’s.*
Often times, a person will be diagnosed with Hashimoto’s after already being diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Thus he or she will have both Hashimoto’s and hypothyroidism.
If you have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism and are currently taking thyroid medications yet you are still having symptoms, then you need to get tested for Hashimoto’s.
At this year’s Thyroid Health Summit, I, along with 2 other health and wellness advocates, will be sharing with you the information that you NEED TO KNOW to truly get your health back and restored to your prior vigor like the TOP 6 THYROID TESTS for correct diagnosis.
Registration for this event is FREE to the first 25 attendees. All you need to do to register is go online to www.EventsWithDrPatrick.com and grab those tickets while they are still available. When the free tickets are gone, the remaining tickets will be available for the ridiculously low price of only $10.
So mark your calendars, and get ready on Saturday, April 1st, 2017 @ 11AM to join me, Lindy Sellers of www.SweetHarvestHomestead.com, and Jennifer Klass of First Klass Health & Wellness at the West Stanly Senior Center in Locust for this life changing event. I look forward to seeing you there.
For more information on how I can help you with your health concerns, you can reach me at Stanly Wellness Center by calling 980-355-7600 or online at www.AskDrPatrick.com
