Hypothyroidism: You feel miserable. You're tired and cold all the time, you can't lose weight, your hair is falling out... You went to your medical doctor, and he checked your TSH. Everything came back within the "normal" range, so he said, "Your thyroid is fine." Well, now what?!?!
Does this sound like you? Not to worry. Chances are, even if your TSH was "normal", you could still be hypothyroid. You see, in the world of thyroid function, lab tests can lie. You got it - you were right all along. Dr. Berglund has treated countless hypothyroid patients who were "passed over" by the medical system. The good news is: once he was able to treat their thyroid, they got better!
What is Hypothyroidism?
Your thyroid gland is a small gland on the front of your neck, just above your clavicles. It controls the temperature of the body. It also stimulates repair and healing and the replacement of old cells and tissue with new. It is responsible for stimulating the metabolism by increasing fat burning. When the gland is under-functioning, the condition is called hypothyroidism. See the list to the left for signs and symptoms of a deficiency of thyroid hormone.
Causes of hypothyroidism
There are a few different causes of hypothyroidism. Sometimes, the thyroid isn't getting the nutrients it needs in order to function properly. Sometimes, the receptor sites aren't allowing the thyroid hormone to be utilized by the body. Other times, it's an autoimmune condition like Hashimoto's Disease.
Thyroid
Inadequate Nutrients
Just like a car needs proper fuel in order for the engine to function properly, your thyroid needs the appropriate nutrients in order to produce an adequate amount of thyroid hormone. Without the proper amounts of selenium, calcium, zinc, rubidium, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, L-tyrosine, and iodine, your thyroid will struggle to keep up with your body's needs.
Trouble with Receptor Sites
Dr. Berglund believes that just like Diabetes (Type 2) is a problem with insulin resistance, many people with hypothyroidism have a problem with thyroid hormone resistance. In this case, there is more than enough of the thyroid hormones (thyroxine or T4, and triiodothyronine or T3) but there is a communication problem where they are having a difficult time accessing the receptor sites on the cells. To put this more simply, there are plenty of "keys" made and plenty of "locks" but the keys only work in the locks about 75% of the time. Some people call this Thyroid Resistance. This is one of the reasons why the blood tests are inaccurate, because the blood tests are measuring numbers, but not activity.
Hashimoto's Disease
This condition is an autoimmune condition (the body's immune system has decided to attack the thyroid gland) that is initiated by food allergies or sensitivities and/or a viral infection. This is still hypothyroidism, but the autoimmunity often makes managing this condition an extra challenge. With Hashimoto's Disease, the immune system attacks and destroys healthy thyroid tissue, leaving the person with less and less thyroid function after each attack. People suffering with Hashi may "swing" meaning they can exhibit signs of hyperthyroid at times and hypothyroid at times. The key is to eliminate autoimmune triggers, whether they are food sensitivity-related, or due to a viral infection.