Thyroid dysfunction affects roughly 27 million American while GI (gastrointestinal) dysfunctions affect roughly 70 million Americans. These conditions are the most overlooked dysfunctions within the medical world. Time and time again, patients suffer from such conditions and medical screenings will misdiagnose or completely miss the problem at hand. 90% of patients with thyroid dysfunction are misdiagnosed by their doctor and are suffering from an autoimmune condition. Traditional tests seem to miss many pieces of the puzzle, allowing the symptoms of the patient to get worse. Untreated thyroid dysfunction can lead to fatigue, joint pain, memory loss/brain fog, hair loss, diminished sex drive, sporadic unhealthy fluctuations in weight, depression, among many others.
Poor digestive health is extremely common in this country and a major contributor to low thyroid function. Most thyroid dysfunction is actually an autoimmune disease and it is believed that an unhealthy gut triggers all autoimmune diseases. The reason is that much of the immune system (80%) is located in the digestive tract, so naturally if that area of the body is unhealthy, it becomes susceptible to disease and more chronic health conditions.
Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis is an autoimmune disease that, in short, is when the body attacks the thyroid gland. This disease is so frequently misdiagnosed by the traditional medical world that patients can be living with it, yet not know they have it. A misdiagnosis serves as the number one reason why people with any type of thyroid dysfunction continue to experience their symptoms. An important reminder is that, to begin combating thyroid dysfunction a patient needs to maintain a healthy gut. Without one, thyroid symptoms will continue to progress.
Over the counter prescriptions and drugs are offered to help deal with symptoms of thyroid dysfunction but they don’t deal with the causes of the disease. They simply mask the symptoms and ignore the root. Holistic approaches help to relieve symptoms the best, because they take into account the human body as a whole. For many thyroid patients, one piece of the puzzle lies within the gut, and traditional approaches ALWAYS overlook this.
If you are concerned your doctors are not looking into the possibility that you are suffering from an autoimmune condition, call my office to schedule a consultation: (714) 731-7680.
Remember, nothing in your life will change until you do!
