Hashimoto’s Treatment Virginia: A Functional Medicine Approach

“We got back your blood test reports; you have Hashimoto’s disease and may have to be on thyroid supplement pills for a life." If 5your Hashimoto's treatment, Virginia, began with anything close to this, it is a cue to full-blown panic! Hashimoto's disease is one of the most common causes of hypothyroidism in the United States and other areas with low iodine intake. It is more common in women than men, with an estimated annual incidence of 3.5 per 1000 women and 0.8 per 1000 men. In the United States alone, approximately 5 in every 100 people suffer from the disease. 

Many patients struggle to understand and come to terms with lifelong thyroid hormone pills, let alone Hashimoto's thyroiditis, autoimmune disease, etc. As one of the best functional medicine doctors in USA, we strive to educate you about the condition and offer support to a pill-free, natural, and holistic journey to complete reversal of Hashimoto's disease.

The Top Causes of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

Hashimoto's thyroiditis, also known as lymphocytic thyroiditis, is a chronic autoimmune disorder of the thyroid gland that was identified as early as 1912 and named after the Japanese physician Hakarou Hashimoto. 

What Happens in Hashimoto's Disease?

In this autoimmune function, the body mistakenly perceives the thyroid gland cells as foreign invaders and initiates an attack on them. The lymphocytes (a type of white blood cells) incorrectly target and gradually destroy the thyroid cells, resulting in hypothyroidism (or low thyroid hormone). 

The Causes of Hashimoto's Disease:

The exact cause of Hashimoto's disease is uncertain; however, it is an interplay of a person’s genetic vulnerability to it and triggers factors that initiate chronic autoimmune thyroid dysfunction.

The triggers of Hashimoto's disease include:

• Poor gut health, that can be further divided into 3 factors: 

The gut is where the immunity meets the harmful bacteria. It is an ecosystem of both good and bad bacteria. When a trigger increases the harmful bacterial colonies, it initiates gut inflammation—essentially an immune response. Hashimoto's treatment Virginia, is largely based on this root cause.

The inflamed gut, also called the ‘leaky gut,’ allows the toxins produced by the bad bacteria to enter the blood and cause immunity responses like Hashimoto's disease.

• Food sensitivities: These include any food—healthy or unhealthy that is incompatible with your gut—initiating allergies.
• Nutritional deficiencies: The "nutrient collapse" of modern food offers low iron, vitamins, and zinc, essential for thyroid health.
• Exposure to toxins: These are the biggest triggers of Hashimoto's disease and include unintentional exposure to lead, mercury, aluminum, petrochemical complexes, synthetic pesticides, insecticides, GMO food, preservatives, etc.

Cigarette smoke, air pollution, household chemicals, mold, BPA from plastics, and perchlorates from roadworks and fireworks are also potential toxins. 

• Latent viral infections such as Lyme disease, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Bartonella infections, etc. 
• Poor mental health conditions can initiate the disease.

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Understanding the Signs and Symptoms of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

Hashimoto's disease often goes unnoticed unless the damage is profound; it is because we often miss the initial group of signs characteristic of thyroid health issues. 

• Gaining weight
• Weakness and cognitive impairment
• Constipation
• Losing hair
• Feeling cold.
• Mood swings (anxiety, depression)
• Period fluctuations or infertility.
• Muscle and joint aches.
• Symptoms may include dry skin and facial puffiness.

The symptoms worsen as the disease progresses. Middle-aged women (30-60 years old) are the most vulnerable. However, changing food habits and early onset of gut issues can also trigger the disease in younger persons today.

A Functional Medicine Approach to Hashimoto’s Treatment Virginia

If Hashimoto's thyroiditis has been diagnosed, there is little that a conventional thyroid specialist in Virginia has to offer, apart from pills to compensate for the low thyroid hormone levels—the ‘band-aid approach’. 

In fact, Hashimoto's thyroiditis as a cause of hypothyroidism is heavily underdiagnosed. Conventional medical tests for thyroid issues often focus solely on TSH and the inactive hormone T4, overlooking antibody tests, such as anti-TPO, which are key indicators of autoimmune thyroid damage. This approach may result in partial diagnoses or inadequate treatment. 

The best functional medicine doctor Virginia, leverages the sample blood sample to extend the tests to the following:

• T3
• T4
• TSH
• Reverse T3
• Anti-TPO and/or anti-TG levels.

Quite interestingly, many people with hypothyroidism and long-term pills continue to have symptoms even when their lab results appear normal. Precisely why, the functional medicine Virginia thyroid specialist uses the ‘functional reference ranges’ to detect early subtle changes in the hormones, allowing proactive management.

To get started you can click here for a free 15 minute evaluation call.

Additional Investigations Depending on the Initial Consultation and Lab Tests

• Deficiencies: This helps identify micronutrient and macronutrient deficiencies. 
• Food sensitivities: The best functional medicine doctor Virginia, works alongside a dietician to make a customized diet plan to lower inflammation in the gut, detect and treat food allergies, and enhance thyroid health.
• Detecting Toxins: These include Heavy Metal Toxicity Urine Tests, The Tri-Test: Hair, Blood, and Urine Analysis, and Micronutrient Panels to check thyroid-specific toxins. 
• Stool test: A thorough stool analysis can evaluate digestive health, gut inflammation, and microbiome dysfunctions, detect infections, and address gut-thyroid axis issues impacting thyroid function.
• Testing other hormones: Hypothyroidism affects menstrual cycles and stress, making comprehensive hormone panels including tests for estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and cortisol levels more critical.

Patient Consultation

As Functional Medicine practitioners of thyroid gland specialists Virginia, every patient is encouraged to have transparent and open communications about their queries and concerns through the journey of Hashimoto’s treatment.

Restore Gut Health

A recent, 2022 research suggests that gut microbiota may significantly influence the onset of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, though systematic studies on how gut microbiota changes throughout disease progression are still lacking. 

However, another study highlighted that gut microbiota composition varies in people with Hashimoto’s disease, depending on their thyroid function status, with ‘Phascolarctobacterium’ potentially playing a role in the development of the condition.

Remove food allergies

An elimination diet, suggested by a dietician with inputs from the Functional Medicine practitioner, can help exclude reactive foods, supporting gut healing. These include:

• Gluten, like in grains, legumes, etc. to curb gut issues like celiac disease, IBS, etc. 
• Caffeine
• Dairy
• Eggs
• Sugar
• Nuts
• Seeds

 

A functional medicine diet will include a balance of organic fruits, meats, olive oil, and vegetables in the right proportions, cooked correctly, and eaten in the right combinations and order. 

Add natural foods

Pesticides and insecticides in vegetables accumulate in the intestines over time. They disrupt the process of bacterial action, preventing digestion. Moreover, GMOs or preserved and processed ‘healthy foods’ are worse than we know. Pesticide-free vegetables and fruits and whole, real foods are beneficial sources of fiber and micronutrients, promote gut health, and feed the good bacteria. For instance, whole fruits, not juices, are rich in fibers that support gut bacteria and aid in colon bowel movements.

Supplements

These include:

• Zinc: Zinc supplements help support the gut barrier and reduce the ‘leaky gut’ issues.

• Magnesium: Magnesium is crucial for the body's chemical and electrical processes, and low levels increase the risk of Hashimoto's disease antibodies, making it a necessary supplement.

• Selenium: Selenium, an antioxidant, supports metabolism, immunity, and thyroid function, potentially impacting TPO antibodies, thyroid hormones, and hypothyroid symptoms.

• Vitamin D: Vitamin D supplementation improves the vitamin D levels in Hashimoto's disease, anti-TPO antibodies, self-tolerance, and reduces inflammation.

• Omega-3: Omega-3 fatty acids, a healthy fat, can improve brain function, alleviate brain fog and depression in hypothyroidism, and support cognitive and emotional health.
• Gut enzymes: These include oral enzyme powders that help digest protein-containing meals better and break down circulating immune complexes and thyroid gland antibodies.
• N-acetylcysteine (NAC): Aids in liver function, breaking down gut pathogenic biofilms, and enhancing glutathione levels.

Balance the gut bacteria flora

These include:

Probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics each play a role in gut health. 

• Probiotics are food that contains millions of beneficial, live, good bacteria. When consumed as advised they reduce the load of harmful bacteria. Common probiotic-rich foods include yogurt, buttermilk, cottage cheese, pickled vegetables, and fermented foods like sourdough bread batters. 
• Prebiotics, on the other hand, are items that are food for these beneficial bacteria; good sources are onions, garlic, soybeans, asparagus, and bananas. 
• Synbiotics combine both probiotics and prebiotics to extend their effect over a long period; for example, pairing yogurt with bananas or stir-frying garlic with vegetables creates synbiotic benefits.

Hydration

Water hydrates the entire body, including gut cells, aids digestion, and neutralizes toxins by flushing them out.

Exercise

This is critical to the systematic functions of the body and reduces stress-related issues.

Click here to book a free 15 minute evaluation call with Dr. Gupta.

 

Hashimoto’s Treatment Virginia with Dr Anshul Gupta

Hashimoto's disease-induced hypothyroidism can cause severe health complications like goiter, myxoedema, pregnancy issues, and mental illness. The feeling of being on meds for life with ‘no chance’ of reversing it worsens the matter. As one of the best functional medicine doctors in USA, Dr. Anshul Gupta has years of experience in the industry. With many successful patient stories worldwide, his team prioritizes every case of thyroid disorder as exclusive and new. His concept is to treat thyroid health as a part of the entire body’s health.

"Many of our patients are surprised to learn that they can live symptom-free and experience "complete reversal" from Hashimoto's disease without taking regular medications," says Dr. Anshul Gupta.

If you or a loved one has been struggling with thyroid problems for some time, please do not hesitate to contact us. 

 

To get started you can click here for a free 15 minute evaluation call.