Hypothyroidism is a condition that, like its name suggests, affects your thyroid. If you’re affected by this disorder, your thyroid is underactive. This means it either doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormones, or it doesn’t release them at adequate levels.

There are many different causes of hypothyroidism, and if left untreated, it can in rare cases be fatal.

Symptoms Of Hypothyroidism

If you’re suffering from any of the following symptoms, you may have hypothyroidism. Come in and speak with Dr. JJ to find out.

• Chronic fatigue
• Digestive issues, including constipation
• Dry skin
• Dry or thinning hair
• Brittle nails
• Brain fog, or difficulty remembering
• Depression
• Unexpected Weight gain
• Muscle weakness, tenderness, aches, or stiffness
• Joint pain, stiffness, or swelling
• Menstrual irregularities
• Elevated cholesterol levels
• Cold extremities, or sensitivity to cold
• Decreased heart rate
• Enlarged thyroid gland
• Swollen or puffy face
• Hoarse or sore throat

Complications From Hypothyroidism

Aside from the above symptoms, there are certain complications that can arise from hypothyroidism, especially if left untreated.

Heart problems are a common one, generally understood to be because higher levels of LPL cholesterol, AKA “bad cholesterol”, is common in people with hypothyroidism. At its worst, those with untreated hypothyroidism may experience heart failure.

Infertility is another common complication from hypothyroidism, since the levels of thyroid hormone in your body play a role in ovulation.

If you manage to carry a pregnancy to term with hypothyroidism, your baby runs a higher risk of congenital conditions, in particular intellectual or developmental disabilities.

Mental health issues can also worsen with hypothyroidism, including depression and slowed brain function, which may worsen the longer your condition goes untreated.

You may also experience decreased sensation in your extremities due to a condition called peripheral neuropathy. This is because hypothyroidism can damage your peripheral nerves, which are the nerves that send signals from your brain to the rest of your body. With this damage, you may feel numbness and tingling, as well as pain.

In rare cases, you may encounter myxedema, the result of long-term, untreated hypothyroidism. With myxedema, your body can’t handle your hypothyroidism anymore, and as a result various bodily functions begin to deteriorate. This may involve hypothermia, shock, confusion, decreased breathing, coma, seizures, and in some cases, death.

Risk Factors For Hypothyroidism

Though anybody can potentially develop hypothyroidism, there are some factors that may put you at greater risk.

In particular, if you’re a woman, over 60, or have a family history of thyroid disease , your risk is greater. As well, some autoimmune diseases may increase your risk, like celiac disease or type 1 diabetes .

If you’re pregnant, or were recently, this can increase your risk as well.

Finally, sometimes medical conditions, such as thyroid cancer, may necessitate a partial or full removal of your thyroid, known as a thyroidectomy. In this case, your thyroid gland is almost certainly going to be underactive, or non-active in the case of a full thyroidectomy.

Subclinical Hypothyroidism

If you speak to your medical doctor, they can send you for blood work to measure the levels of thyroid hormones in your bloodstream. There’s an acceptable range for thyroid hormones, and your doctor may tell you that your hormones are “within acceptable levels” and not recommend any treatment.

However, you may still experience some of the symptoms of hypothyroidism, albeit at a reduced level. In other cases, you may experience no symptoms at all.

However, even if your medical doctor suggests otherwise, there are still measures you can take to bring your thyroid back to normal.

Naturopathic Solutions For Hypothyroidism

Conventional treatments for hypothyroidism commonly involve medications (Synthroid ®, Cytomel ®) to increase your level of thyroid hormones to within the normal range. However, these treatments don’t address the underlying problems causing your hypothyroidism in the first place.

While these medications can make a positive impact on managing your disease, you may need to go on them for the rest of your life.

However, there are naturopathic solutions for hypothyroidism available which may help.

A naturopathic approach to hypothyroidism involves addressing the underlying causes behind your condition. Dr. JJ will work to uncover the factors involved in your condition, and put together a treatment plan designed to address the root cause.

Depending on your unique needs, this may involve diet and lifestyle factors, nutritional supplementation, stress management, and/or a detox plan. You may be a candiate for dessicated thyroid, a prescrition drug that contains both hormones T4 (thyroxine) and T3 (triiodothyronine).  Dr. JJ can prescribe this drug.  He will assess your case to see if it is right for you.

If you’re struggling with hypothyroidism, or you think you may be, there are naturopathic solutions available which may be able to help.

Contact Dr. JJ to find out how.

Hyperthyroidism is a condition where your thyroid works harder than it should, producing an overabundance of thyroid hormones. Just like hypothyroidism – an underactive thyroid – hyperthyroidism is not a good sign.

It can cause a wide variety of symptoms, and if left untreated it can have serious implications for your health.

Symptoms Of Hyperthyroidism

these symptoms can be fairly subtle, especially in older adults, so it’s a good idea to have your thyroid levels checked if you’re experiencing any of the following:

• Increased appetite
• Unexpected weight loss
• More frequent bowel movements
• Rapid or irregular heartbeat
• Anxiety or irritability
• Increased sweating, especially in your palms
• Menstrual fluctuations
• Increased heat sensitivity
• Chronic fatigue
• Insomnia
• Brittle or thinning hair or skin
• Tremors in your hands

Complications From Hyperthyroidism

If left untreated, hyperthyroidism can have a variety of troubling complications. Some of them can be fatal.

Arrhythmia is a common complication, which means an abnormal heart beat. If left long enough, this can lead to cardiac dilation, a condition where your heart cavity increases in size. This thins and weakens the heart muscle, which can lead to congestive heart failure or cardiac arrest.

As if your heart wasn’t already at enough risk, hypertension, or high blood pressure, is another possible complication.

Finally, those with untreated hyperthyroidism run a greater risk of osteoporosis. This is because your overactive thyroid can end up pulling calcium and phosphate out of your bones. These are two minerals which are crucial for maintaining healthy bones.

Causes And Risk Factors For Hyperthyroidism

One of the most common causes of hyperthyroidism is the presence of an autoimmune condition known as Graves’ disease. More on that later.

Other diseases that are linked with hyperthyroidism include thyroiditis, an excess of iodine, leaky gut syndrome, food allergies, or thyroid nodules.

If you have a family history of hyperthyroidism, especially of Graves’ disease, you’re at greater risk of hyperthyroidism. The same goes for a personal history of certain chronic illnesses. Those who are dealing with type 1 diabetes, for example, need to keep an eye on their thyroid.

Finally, women are up to eight times more likely than men to develop all thyroid disorders, and hyperthyroidism is no different.

Naturopathic Solutions For Hyperthyroidism

Conventional treatments for hyperthyroidism can be effective, but they also focus mostly on inducing the thyroid to produce hormones at a reduced level, rather than treating the root cause. In extreme cases they may opt for a thyroidectomy, after which point you must take thyroid hormone supplements for the rest of your life.

However, there are a variety of naturopathic treatments available for hyperthyroidism designed to address the root cause of your hyperthyroidism issues in the first place.

If you’re experiencing any of the above symptoms, call Dr. JJ to book an appointment.

Graves’ disease is a condition first identified by Robert Graves , an Irish doctor, in 1835, who also happened to invent the second hand on watches.

It’s a difficult disease to diagnose, because its symptoms mimic other conditions so closely. As a result, Graves’ disease is often misdiagnosed. However, it is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism.

Graves’ disease is one of more than 100 recognized autoimmune disorders. That means it’s a condition where your body’s own immune system attacks you. In this case, it causes a hormonal imbalance that leads to an overproduction of thyroid hormone.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for Graves’ disease. However, through naturopathic treatments, you may be able to manage your symptoms and keep your thyroid operating at a healthy level.

Symptoms Of Graves’ Disease

As mentioned above, Graves’ disease symptoms are similar to symptoms from other illnesses. As a result, this is a notoriously difficult condition to diagnose.

If you have Graves’ disease, you may experience the following:

• Anxiety
• Irritability
• Unexpected weight loss
• Increased appetite
• Increased perspiration
• Erectile dysfunction
• Reduced libido
• Menstrual irregularities
• Chronic fatigue
• Insomnia
• Frequent bowel movements

Graves’ Ophthalmopathy

Some people with Graves’ disease are also affected by Graves’ ophthalmopathy, a condition that affects your eyes. Researchers believe this is because the tissue behind your eyes has proteins similar to the ones that make up your thyroid, though research is still ongoing.

Other than the above symptoms of Graves’ disease, you may experience:

• Bulging eyes
• Vision loss
• Double vision
• Increased sensitivity to light
• Puffy, reddened, or inflamed eyes
• Pain or pressure in the eyes
• A gritty sensation in the eyes

Graves ’ Dermopathy

Although uncommon, those with Graves’ disease may also develop Graves’ dermopathy, also known by pretibial myxedema. Graves’ dermopathy is characterized by swollen and reddened skin that appears usually on the shins and feet.

Some describe the texture of the affected area as similar to that of an orange peel. This is caused by certain carbohydrates building up in the skin during Graves’ disease, though the cause of this is still unclear.

The symptoms of Graves’ dermopathy include the red and swollen skin mentioned above, as well as those listed in Graves’ disease and Graves ophthalmopathy, since the vast majority of those with Graves’ dermopathy also have Graves’ ophthalmopathy.

Complications From Graves’ Disease

Graves’ disease increases the risk of infertility. And if you do manage to get pregnant, Graves’ disease increases the risk of miscarriage, as well as complications like premature birth, developmental issues, and thyroid dysfunction in your fetus.

As well, Graves’ disease can be particularly pernicious for those with a history of heart disease. It can lead to arrhythmia, an expanded and weakened heart cavity, and potentially heart failure. The risk for this is greater if you’re pregnant.

Graves’ disease can also cause osteoporosis, as your body draws calcium and phosphate from your bones. These are two elements that are critical for bone health.

Finally, if left untreated for an extended period of time, Graves’ disease can lead to thyroid storm, a condition where your body temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate skyrocket, and is usually fatal without immediate treatment.

Causes And Risk Factors Of Graves’ Disease

We don’t yet understand what causes Graves’ disease. Although it’s caused by your immune system being tricked into attacking your thyroid, we don’t know what causes that to happen.

Like all thyroid issues, women are far more likely to be afflicted by Graves’ disease than men. This risk is increased if you’re pregnant or have recently given birth.

High stress has also been linked with Graves’ disease. If you have other autoimmune conditions, you may be at greater risk as well.

Genetic factors have also been cited. In particular, a family history of Graves’ disease increases your risk, though we don’t know exactly how the inheritance pattern works.

Finally, you’re at a much higher risk of developing Graves’ disease if you smoke cigarettes.

Naturopathic Treatments For Graves’ Disease

Conventional medicine treatments for Graves’ disease generally involve strategies to bring your level of thyroid hormones back down to normal levels through medication. This may involve radioactive iodine to gradually destroy your overactive thyroid cells, or medications to reduce your thyroid’s function or to block the effects of hormones on your body. In extreme cases, they may recommend a partial or full thyroidectomy, a procedure involving the removal of your thyroid gland altogether, which means that after you’ll need to supplement with thyroid hormones for the rest of your life.

However, these treatments come with a wide variety of harmful side effects which may make the process of getting back to your normal life more difficult.

There are naturopathic solutions, however, that can help. A naturopathic approach involves treating your body as a whole, addressing dietary and lifestyle factors, as well as considering any other factors that may play into your Graves’ disease.

While there is no cure for Graves’ disease, naturopathic medicine has been proven successful in helping manage its symptoms.

If you’re dealing with Graves’ disease, contact Dr. JJ to book an appointment today, and find out how naturopathic medicine can help you.

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is an autoimmune condition, like Graves’ disease. Both conditions affect your thyroid, but in different ways. While Graves’ disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism – an overactive thyroid – Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is the most common cause of hypothyroidism – an underactive thyroid.

With Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, your immune system produces antibodies that attack your thyroid. When you have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, the communication between your pituitary gland, hypothalamus, and thyroid breaks down at some point. This could mean your hypothalamus isn’t communicating properly to your pituitary, your pituitary isn’t releasing the hormones it should after receiving the signal, or your thyroid isn’t converting the hormones it should be.

It’s the most common cause of hypothyroidism, but it’s a distinct condition because you can experience hypothyroidism without Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

Symptoms Of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

The most common symptoms of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis include:

• Unexpected weight gain
• Infertility
• Chronic fatigue
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Decreased libido
• Hair loss or thinning, or changes in texture
• Rough, dry, or cracked skin
• Stiff or swollen joints
• Sore or tender muscles
• Constipation or bloating
• Increased sensitivity to cold
• Difficulty breathing
• Frequent urination
• Menstrual irregularities
• Swollen or puffy face

Complications Of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

If left untreated, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis can lead to a host of different complications, some of which can be fatal.

Those with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis generally have difficulty getting pregnant. This is because Hashimoto’s thyroiditis can cause ovarian failure. If you do manage to get pregnant, you’re at greater risk of complications during your pregnancy, including congenital defects and miscarriages.

It’s also been linked with an increased risk for Addison’s disease, an autoimmune disease that affects the adrenal gland. Those with Addison’s disease have underactive adrenal glands, releasing less cortisol and aldosterone than they should.

You may also experience a thyroid goiter, a condition where your thyroid becomes enlarged. More on that later.

In rare cases, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis may increase your risk of thyroid lymphoma, a type of thyroid cancer.

Other complications involve brain and kidney problems, neurological damage, and a higher risk of serious infections.

Causes & Risk Factors Of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

The exact cause of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is not known. However, there are a number of factors associated with it, including stress, diet, lifestyle, genetics, and environmental factors.

As far as risk factors, being a woman increases your risk of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, like with all other thyroid disorders. The reason for this isn’t yet known. This is particularly true of pregnant women, or women who’ve recently given birth. Because pregnancy involves such a significant change to your body, it affects everyone differently, and sometimes you may develop antibodies to your own thyroid, in a condition known as autoimmune thyroid syndrome.

Age is another factor – the majority of people with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis are somewhere between 20 and 60 years old, and the cohort between 50 and 60 are at the greatest risk.

If you have a family history of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, or of thyroid disorders in general, you’re more likely to develop it yourself. The same is true for autoimmune disorders in general, though – a family history of any autoimmune disorder may place you at higher risk of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

Stress seems to be another contributing factor, especially at very high levels.

Undereating can lead to Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, but so can overexerting yourself during exercise, since both can disrupt your hormones.

Finally, smoking increases your risk of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

Naturopathic Treatments For Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

Conventional treatments for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis commonly involve medications to increase your level of thyroid hormones to within the normal range. However, these treatments don’t address the underlying problems causing your autoimmune reaction to happen in the first place. While these medications can make a positive impact on managing your disease, you may need to go on them for the rest of your life.

However, there are naturopathic solutions for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis available which may help.

A naturopathic approach to Hashimoto’s disease involves addressing the underlying causes behind your condition. Your naturopathic doctor will work to uncover the factors involved in your condition, and put together a treatment plan designed to address the root cause.

Depending on your unique needs, this may involve diet and lifestyle factors, nutritional supplementation, stress management, and/or a detox plan. You may be a candidate for dessicated thyroid, a prescrition drug that contains both hormones T4 (thyroxine) and T3 (triiodothyronine).  Dr. JJ can prescribe this drug.  He will assess your case to see if it is right for you.

If you’ve been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, or you believe you may have it, call Dr. JJ to book an appointment today, and take your first step toward a happier, healthier life.

Wilson’s temperature syndrome is a disorder first described by Dr. E. Denis Wilson , MD, in 1990. He describes it as a thyroid disorder, but what differentiates it from the above disorders is the fact that hormone levels appear to be within the normal range in blood tests.

Because many of the symptoms are similar to that of a slow metabolism, your doctor may order a blood test to check your thyroid levels. Once they discover it’s within the normal range, though, your doctor may tell you that everything is fine, or that it’s just a part of getting older. However, there are naturopathic solutions available which can provide relief for Wilson’s temperature syndrome .

Symptoms Of Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome

If you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms, and your thyroid hormones appear to be within the normal range, you may be suffering from Wilson’s temperature syndrome:

• Chronic fatigue
• Insomnia
• Anxiety or depression
• Panic attacks
• Headaches or migraines
• Irritability
• PMS
• Fluid retention
• Unexpected weight gain
• Dry or brittle hair or nails, or hair loss
• Cracked and dry skin
• Increased sensitivity to temperature
• Difficulty concentrating or remembering
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Decreased libido
• Acne
• Dry eyes
• Difficulty seeing

These symptoms may only emerge during times of severe stress, or get worse during such periods.

Causes And Risk Factors Of Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome

If you’ve been following along, you know that thyroid disorders are far more prevalent among women than men, and Wilson’s temperature syndrome is no different.

Wilson’s temperature syndrome also seems to affect people whose ancestors lived through famines. So for example, those of Russian, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, and many of North and South America’s indigenous populations.

Naturopathic Treatments For Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome

When creating a treatment protocol for Wilson’s temperature syndrome, Dr. JJ knows that some healthy diet and lifestyle changes may be all you need to get better on your own.

However, there are cases where a different protocol is needed. In this case, Dr. JJ follows the protocol that Dr. Wilson himself developed.

This may include the use of dessicated thyroid, a prescrition drug that contains both hormones T4 (thyroxine) and T3 (triiodothyronine). Dr. JJ can prescribe this drug. He will assess your case to see if it is right for you. Dr. JJ may also recommend nutrients that support the conversion from T4 to T3 thyroid hormone.

When diagnosing your disorder, Dr. JJ will first try to discover whether there’s another explanation. Wilson’s temperature syndrome can mimic the symptoms of anemia, leukemia, certain infections, or problems with your liver or kidneys.

Once we rule these out, Dr. JJ will suggest you check your body temperature at regular intervals throughout the day. Based on these results, Dr. JJ can determine whether you have Wilson’s temperature syndrome, and what sort of treatment protocol is right for you.

Contact Dr. JJ today to book an appointment, and let’s get to the bottom of your symptoms.

Your thyroid is located in the front of your neck, near the middle. Are you experiencing unusual swelling around that area? If so, it’s possible you may be dealing with goiter.

Goiter is the name given to several different types of growths of your thyroid gland. They’re associated with a wide variety of thyroid disorders, including each of the disorders listed above, as well as toxic nodular goiter, also known as Plummer’s disease. This is a disorder where a number of nodules form on your thyroid, causing it to overproduce thyroid hormones (hyperthyroidism). After Graves’ disease, Plummer’s disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism here in the Western world.

Dr. JJ offers naturopathic treatments for both thyroid nodules and goiter.

Symptoms Of Goiter And Plummer’s Disease?

The most obvious symptom of goiter is a swelling in the front of your neck. Because goiter is associated with other thyroid conditions, it’s difficult to predict the specific symptoms.

However, if you’re experiencing swelling in the front of your neck along with any of the symptoms of thyroid disorders listed above, it’s likely you have goiter.

The symptoms are similar for Plummer’s disease, but in that case the symptoms mirror those of hyperthyroidism. Scroll up and read the symptoms of hyperthyroidism – if you’re experiencing those, along with goiter, it may be Plummer’s disease. However, Plummer’s disease can cause goiter long before the symptoms of hyperthyroidism begin.

Complications With Goiter And Plummer’s Disease

Complications for goiter depend on the disorder that’s causing it. However, if a goiter gets too large it can begin to restrict your breathing and swallowing.

As for Plummer’s disease, complications include thyroid cancer.

What’s The Difference Between A Thyroid Nodule And Plummer’s Disease?

Plummer’s disease is also known as toxic multinodular goiter. As the name suggests, it’s made up of multiple thyroid nodules.

Thyroid nodules are small, abnormal growths of thyroid cells on your thyroid gland. They cause small lumps to form, and are extremely common. The vast majority of them are benign. In fact, many of them are found through routine or specialized scans of your head and/or throat in order to search for something else altogether. However, in rare cases thyroid nodules can lead to Plummer’s disease or thyroid cancer.

So in short, thyroid nodules are common and not necessarily a problem, though they’re good to keep an eye out for. Plummer’s disease is a potential complication related to thyroid nodules.

Naturopathic Treatments For Plummer’s Disease And Goiter

The first step in providing a naturopathic treatment plan for thyroid goiter is to find out what’s causing it.

To start, Dr. JJ will perform a full health examination, taking into account every aspect of your health history – physical, mental, emotional, psychological, and spiritual. This will help him understand not only your current symptoms, but any elements of your past that may be influencing how you feel now.

From there, Dr. JJ will be able to understand the source of your symptoms, and put together a treatment plan designed to help you control your symptoms, so you can get back to living a normal, happy, healthy life.

Wondering if you have goiter or Plummer’s disease? Ask Dr. JJ!