What Is Your Best Choice For Thyroid Care In Simpsonville SC?
An estimated 20 million men and women in the US have a thyroid disorder, although half of them are unaware of their conditions. Thyroid symptoms can vary greatly. They’re often mistaken by patients and their healthcare providers for other conditions such as pre-menopause or simply ‘aging.’ Given the complex nature of most thyroid conditions, it can be especially challenging for practitioners to help patients feel better and resolve all of their symptoms. Working with the right healthcare provider is essential.
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism or low thyroid is a very common thyroid condition. Typically it results in a slower than normal metabolism, as reflected in symptoms. Individuals who have a thyroid hormone deficiency or who struggle with inadequate thyroid function for another reason can have a number of symptoms:
- Weight gain or difficulty losing weight
- Cold hands and feet
- A need for an excessive amount of sleep
- Constipation
- Depression
- Fatigue or tiredness
- Thinning hair or hair loss
- Difficulty with memory
- Muscle cramps or aches
- Abnormal menstrual cycles in women
Some patients who have hypothyroidism have multiple symptoms, others have only one main symptom, and some have none at all. It’s easy to imagine a scenario where a patient visits her healthcare provider for depression and is given a prescription for an antidepressant with little consideration given to a possible thyroid problem. Likewise, a patient who is overweight and feeling sluggish may be told to try to get more sleep, exercise more and eat a healthy diet. Unfortunately, these recommendations aren’t likely to help in either case if the cause of the problems is a thyroid condition.
Hashimoto’s Disease
One of the primary causes of hypothyroidism is the autoimmune disease known as Hashimoto’s. If you have Hashimoto’s, your thyroid gland is attacked and damaged by inflammation. In this case, even if a practitioner does determine you have a thyroid problem, if the autoimmune disease remains undetected and unaddressed, you aren’t likely to feel better. In standard medicine, the most common course of action for hypothyroidism is thyroid medication. If a patient has Hashimoto’s, this will do nothing to help the underlying condition. In spite of taking medication as directed, inflammation continues to wreak havoc on the thyroid and may cause imbalances and dysfunctions in multiple systems throughout the body.
An Alternative Approach To Thyroid Care
If you’re concerned about a thyroid condition or Hashimoto’s disease, consider working with a functional wellness care provider. Functional wellness practitioners focus on finding the root causes of symptoms rather than attempting to alleviate them with prescription medications. Instead of trying one thing or taking a ‘wait and see’ approach, a practitioner trained in functional wellness will dig deep to find out why you are experiencing symptoms. In-depth testing and a comprehensive review of your health history will be used to unravel the complexities involved in your condition. Whether you have low thyroid or Hashimoto’s or something else entirely, you’ll learn exactly why you feel the way you do and best of all, how the problems you’re having can be addressed with safe, natural and effective therapeutic support.