Hashimoto’s Disease: It’s Time to

Take Control of Your Health

Millions of Americans have a thyroid condition and don’t know it.
By Cara Cook

April 28, 2019

Over 20 million Americans have a thyroid condition, but it is a disease that not many
people are aware of. Many people have or will develop a thyroid condition in their
lifetime but never even know they are affected. Many doctors don’t routinely check for
thyroid disorders despite the fact that so many people are affected. Betty Book, a 35-
year-old woman with Hashimoto’s disease, is trying to bring awareness to
hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism to help others like her.
Betty was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in March of 2018. She had gone to the
doctor because she had been feeling tired constantly despite getting eight hours of
sleep per night. She also noticed her hair had begun to fall out, her skin was extremely
dry, and she had muscle weakness that left her unable to function normally. Betty’s
doctor ordered a T4 test which is a blood test that measures the level of T4 in the blood.
Her blood test indicated an extremely low level of T4 and her doctor diagnosed her with
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is an autoimmune disease
which is when the body’s immune system sees the thyroid as a foreign body and
attacks it. The
disease wreaks
havoc on the
body and mind
of people who
have it. Some
of the most
common
symptoms are
goiter, weight
gain,
depression,
Figure 1 The Symptoms of Hypothyroidism
loss of
memory,
fertility issues, joint pain, and heart problems. People with the disease often experience
a constant state of coldness, especially in their extremities. Hair loss, dry skin, and
intense fatigue are also common. The American Thyroid Association says that people
with an autoimmune disorder are much more likely to develop other autoimmune
disorders including “celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease… multiple sclerosis and
rheumatoid arthritis.”
The doctor prescribed Betty a thyroid hormone called Levothyroxine. It is a medication
that replaces the thyroid hormone that the body is no longer adequately producing.
Levothyroxine, like most medications, has side effects that range from mild to more
serious. According to the University of Illinois-Chicago in the article "Levothyroxine, Oral
Tablet," some of the side effects of the medication include excessive sweating,
headache, nervousness, anxiety, irritability, mood swings, trouble sleeping, tremors,
and muscle weakness. The side effects of the medication can be even worse than the
symptoms of the disease.
Betty took the medication for months without noticing any changes in her symptoms.
She asked her doctor for other ways to manage her symptoms, but her doctor didn’t
have any alternative options. Betty decided to do her own research to find ways to
alleviate her symptoms. She discovered many things along her journey that have
helped her immensely such as changing her diet, taking vitamins, and homeopathic
remedies.
Proper diet is one of the easiest and most beneficial things that people with Hashimoto’s
thyroiditis can do to help alleviate their symptoms. Specific diets such as paleo, gluten-
free, vegetarian or vegan diets can be extremely helpful because they feature foods that
provide the nutrients that people with thyroid problems lack. They also eliminate foods,
such as gluten, that people with thyroid disease should avoid. Nutrients and vitamins
that are important for people with hypothyroidism include zinc, selenium, thiamine, and
vitamin B12. These nutrients are important for people with thyroid disorders because
they tend to have insufficient amounts of those nutrients in their bodies. A doctor should
be consulted before starting any supplement program.

“Homeopaths offer individualized treatment for each patient.

The doctors are treating the patient, not just the disease.”
Homeopathy, the treatment of diseases with natural substances, is another excellent
treatment option for managing symptoms of the disease. According to the National
Center for Homeopathy, "Homeopathy is a safe, gentle, and natural system of healing
that works with your body to relieve symptoms, restore itself, and improve your overall
health. It is extremely safe to use… [and] has none of the side effects of many
traditional medications.” Homeopathy is an option that could be especially excellent for
people who have an autoimmune disorder but who don't yet have thyroid damage. It
would be an excellent preventative measure for people with Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
It is important for people with Hashimoto's disease to take preventative action with their
lifestyle choices to have the best quality of life possible. Hashimoto's thyroiditis is a
disease that cannot be cured. Medications such as Levothyroxine can help to replace
the thyroid hormone that is deficient in people with the disease and it can help reduce
further damage to the thyroid gland, but the disease will never go away. Special diets,
supplements, vitamins, and herbal tinctures can help reduce or eliminate symptoms that
medication alone cannot treat.