What is Graves’ Disease?
Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disease, meaning that the immune system attacks the thyroid gland. If you’re one of the 10 million people who have Graves’ disease, you’re probably wondering what you can do to help improve symptoms and get some relief.
Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) is generally contributed to Graves’ disease, a condition where too much thyroid hormone is produced. Thyroid hormones influence every organ in the body, including the heart.
Graves’ Disease Symptoms
Do you suspect or know that you have Graves’ disease? You may experience symptoms such as:
- Anxiety/Irritability
- Fatigue
- Weight loss
- Hand or finger tremors
- Enlargement of the thyroid gland (goiter)
- Brain fog
- Frequent bowel movements
- Bulging eyes (Graves’ ophthalmopathy)
- Thick, red skin usually on the shins or tops of the feet (Graves’ dermopathy)
- Sleep problems
- Sensitivity to heat
- Heart palpitations
Triggers for Graves’ Disease
What can trigger or fuel an imbalance in your thyroid gland?
- Gluten sensitivity or other food triggers
- Viral infection such as Epstein Barr virus (EBV)
- Plastics like BPA, phthalates, parabens
- Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth
- Mold toxicity
- Low glutathione status
- Hormonal imbalances
- Nutrient deficiencies
- Leaky gut
- Blood sugar dysfunction
How Can Dr. Autoimmune Help?
Typically in treatment for Graves’, an oral radioactive iodine medication is prescribed to destroy overactive thyroid cells. However, since this drug may cause an increased risk of cancer, many people choose to find more natural healing methods.
It can be frustrating trying to find help with chronic and complex conditions, which is why we have chosen to dedicate our practice to exactly that. Instead of treating the symptoms, our functional medicine approach focuses on finding the causes.
All autoimmune diseases start in the gut. We design custom plans of dietary intervention, supplements and lifestyle recommendations to help heal the gut and support the immune system rather than focusing on the thyroid. In supporting these fundamental functions of the digestive tract we can reduce inflammation and see dramatic changes in symptoms.
Finding the Root Cause
We know that autoimmunity requires 3 things to develop:
- Genetic predisposition
- Leaky gut (a.k.a intestinal permeability)
- An environmental trigger
It All Starts in the Gut!
Our small intestine consists of 25 feet of tubing, the inside surface area being equivalent to that of a doubles tennis court!
Proteins called “tight junctions” prevent a flood of material into the gut. Low vitamin D levels coupled with inflammation in the gut starts to widen the space between cells, allowing materials (bacteria and food) to start seeping through. This triggers inflammation and as antibodies are formed they begin to target the thyroid. This is why medication may help symptoms but it can never resolve your thyroid condition.
