Thyroid Disease - Coping With Hypothyroidism
Learning to cope with thyroid disease is much more than taking a pill every day.
You may continue to suffer with symptoms of hypothyroidism even while under a doctor's care, especially at times when you have changes in your body such as during pregnancy or menopause.
With persistence and proper treatment though, you can manage your disease and lessen its impact on your daily life.
A vital step in managing your thyroid disease is to find a competent and skilled doctor.
Even though you may have a close relationship with your GP, you should consider seeking out a doctor that specializes in diseases of the thyroid and hormonal issues.
Unless you receive treatment that is tailored to your particular circumstances, you may have to suffer needlessly with bothersome symptoms.
Above all else, don't give up until you find a doctor that listens to your symptoms and doesn't brush them off as being psychological or unimportant.
Unless you are properly diagnosed, you can't receive the treatment you need to get your thyroid hormones back in balance.
Treatment for hypothyroidism usually involves taking replacement thyroid hormones.
These drugs must be tailored to your individual needs.
Your doctor will start you on a low level and increase it as needed until most of your symptoms go away.
This leaves a lot of room for uncertainty and error and that is one reason why treatment from an experienced doctor is recommended.
Levothyroxine is the drug most commonly prescribed to treat hypothyroidism.
It replaces the thyroid hormones in your body that are decreased due to your under functioning thyroid gland.
The goal is to achieve normal blood values of TSH or thyroid stimulating hormone.
Your blood levels need to be monitored at least yearly to make sure you are still receiving an adequate dose of the medication.
One problem with taking thyroid hormone replacements is that you can take too high of a dose and then your thyroid hormone levels become too high and you begin to experience symptoms associated with an over active thyroid.
Some of these symptoms include sweating, extreme restlessness, and sudden weight loss.
Coping with hypothyroidism takes patience and perseverance.
Some of the symptoms can be unpleasant such as constipation, weight gain, depression, and physical changes like puffiness and hair thinning.
In addition to medication, there are natural methods you can try that may help stimulate your thyroid and help you cope with symptoms like constipation and weight gain.
Avoid refined foods as much as possible.
Rely upon fish and beans for protein and limit your intake of red meat.
Eliminate trans fats and use healthy oil like olive oil in your cooking.
You may also want to eliminate soy products as these are thought to interfere with thyroid medications.
Some foods may interfere with the normal functioning of your thyroid, talk to your doctor about limiting these foods: peanuts, pine nuts, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, kale, cabbage, and mustard greens.
Avoid any foods that you suspect you are allergic or sensitive to.
Eat foods that have a lot of iron and B vitamins like whole grains, sea vegetables, and other fresh vegetables.
Supplements such as a daily multivitamin and multimineral may help as well as fish oil, alpha-lipoic acid, L-tyrosine, and probiotics.
Herbal preparations that may be useful for thyroid support include green tea, guggul, and coleus.
Since most cases of hypothyroidism are not caused by an iodine deficiency in modern times, it is not recommended that you take iodine or bladder wrack without discussing it first with your doctor.
In fact, any time you begin natural treatments to treat your hypothyroidism, you should let your doctor know because you might need to readjust your thyroid medications.
Hypothyroidism is usually a chronic drawn out process that doesn't start overnight and takes a while to bring back into balance.
When your symptoms are relieved and you are feeling much better, it is a sign that your treatment is working and not an indication you should stop your medication.
Depending upon the cause of your hypothyroidism, you may need to take medication on an ongoing basis to help you overcome the symptoms of this thyroid disease.
You may continue to suffer with symptoms of hypothyroidism even while under a doctor's care, especially at times when you have changes in your body such as during pregnancy or menopause.
With persistence and proper treatment though, you can manage your disease and lessen its impact on your daily life.
A vital step in managing your thyroid disease is to find a competent and skilled doctor.
Even though you may have a close relationship with your GP, you should consider seeking out a doctor that specializes in diseases of the thyroid and hormonal issues.
Unless you receive treatment that is tailored to your particular circumstances, you may have to suffer needlessly with bothersome symptoms.
Above all else, don't give up until you find a doctor that listens to your symptoms and doesn't brush them off as being psychological or unimportant.
Unless you are properly diagnosed, you can't receive the treatment you need to get your thyroid hormones back in balance.
Treatment for hypothyroidism usually involves taking replacement thyroid hormones.
These drugs must be tailored to your individual needs.
Your doctor will start you on a low level and increase it as needed until most of your symptoms go away.
This leaves a lot of room for uncertainty and error and that is one reason why treatment from an experienced doctor is recommended.
Levothyroxine is the drug most commonly prescribed to treat hypothyroidism.
It replaces the thyroid hormones in your body that are decreased due to your under functioning thyroid gland.
The goal is to achieve normal blood values of TSH or thyroid stimulating hormone.
Your blood levels need to be monitored at least yearly to make sure you are still receiving an adequate dose of the medication.
One problem with taking thyroid hormone replacements is that you can take too high of a dose and then your thyroid hormone levels become too high and you begin to experience symptoms associated with an over active thyroid.
Some of these symptoms include sweating, extreme restlessness, and sudden weight loss.
Coping with hypothyroidism takes patience and perseverance.
Some of the symptoms can be unpleasant such as constipation, weight gain, depression, and physical changes like puffiness and hair thinning.
In addition to medication, there are natural methods you can try that may help stimulate your thyroid and help you cope with symptoms like constipation and weight gain.
Avoid refined foods as much as possible.
Rely upon fish and beans for protein and limit your intake of red meat.
Eliminate trans fats and use healthy oil like olive oil in your cooking.
You may also want to eliminate soy products as these are thought to interfere with thyroid medications.
Some foods may interfere with the normal functioning of your thyroid, talk to your doctor about limiting these foods: peanuts, pine nuts, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, kale, cabbage, and mustard greens.
Avoid any foods that you suspect you are allergic or sensitive to.
Eat foods that have a lot of iron and B vitamins like whole grains, sea vegetables, and other fresh vegetables.
Supplements such as a daily multivitamin and multimineral may help as well as fish oil, alpha-lipoic acid, L-tyrosine, and probiotics.
Herbal preparations that may be useful for thyroid support include green tea, guggul, and coleus.
Since most cases of hypothyroidism are not caused by an iodine deficiency in modern times, it is not recommended that you take iodine or bladder wrack without discussing it first with your doctor.
In fact, any time you begin natural treatments to treat your hypothyroidism, you should let your doctor know because you might need to readjust your thyroid medications.
Hypothyroidism is usually a chronic drawn out process that doesn't start overnight and takes a while to bring back into balance.
When your symptoms are relieved and you are feeling much better, it is a sign that your treatment is working and not an indication you should stop your medication.
Depending upon the cause of your hypothyroidism, you may need to take medication on an ongoing basis to help you overcome the symptoms of this thyroid disease.