Hashimoto's Thyroiditis what is this condition and how do you treat it ?

Hashimoto’s is one of the most common causes of underactive thyroid or Hypothyroidism and from my experience in the clinic, Hashimoto’s incidence is on the rise.

What Is Hashimoto’s?

Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune condition where the immune system becomes confused and starts to attack the thyroid gland. The result? Your thyroid then produces less thyroid hormone, often to the point where a synthetic hormone replacement needs to be taken.

What Causes Hashimoto’s?

Recent research suggests the increasing number of chemicals and toxins in our modern environment may trigger this autoimmune condition, other studies have shown bacteria, infections, gut parasites or even the Epstein-Barr virus could be to blame. Hashimoto’s is also associated with vitamin D deficiency and other autoimmune diseases and women are seven times more likely to have Hashimoto’s than men. Another likely trigger, like many other conditions, is stress.

Symptoms of Hashimoto’s Disease?

Hashimoto progresses slowly over the years, the issue with this is that symptoms may not seem obvious right away. The main symptoms include fatigue and difficulty losing weight, both of which are common in our busy and stressful lives. People with Hashimoto’s feel the cold more, experience constipation, depression, dry skin, brittle nails and hair loss, fertility and menstrual issues are also common.

Treating Hashimoto’s Naturally

The conventional treatment for Hashimoto’s is the prescription of thyroid hormone replacement medication – but this simply masks the symptoms and does not actually get to the root cause.

Natural remedies for Hashimoto’s Disease focus on supporting and restoring thyroid function, while working to down regulate the autoimmune response, which is attacking the thyroid. It is a complex process that involves balancing your immune system, whilst supporting healthy thyroid function with diet, lifestyle and natural medicines.

Your first port of call is testing! Have your Naturopath or doctor request some tests to determine what your starting point is. This blood test should include TSH, T4, T3, and antibodies and if you are under high levels of stress, it’s a good idea to also test Reverse T3.

Your Naturopath will then guide you through the process of natural treatment, however, there are some things you can begin to implement straight away.

We recommend our modified elimination diet as the first step to reducing foods that may be placing pressure on your gut and immune system. It involves removing gluten, dairy, processed foods, additives and preservatives, as well as alcohol, caffeine and sugar. Removing these items will give your system time to heal. Aim for a diet rich in whole foods, think a variety of fresh vegetables and fruit, wild-caught fish, probiotic-rich foods (sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi) and gut-healing.

Finally, it’s important to support your immune system with natural medicines such as specific probiotics, herbal medicines, therapeutic quality Zinc and Vitamin C, while a practitioner-grade Fish Oil can work to reduce inflammation associated with autoimmune conditions.