Hyperthyroidism is the overactivity of the thyroid gland causing the thyroid gland to produce too many thyroid hormones. Excess thyroid hormones speeds up the body's metabolism and may cause many symptoms including weight loss, hand tremors, rapid or irregular heartbeat and anxiety.
Graves' disease is an overactivity of the thyroid gland caused by the immune system and is an autoimmune condition. In some cases of Graves' disease, there is a risk of Graves' ophthalmopathy, which is swelling around the eyes causing the eyes to bulge.
Causes of hyperthyroidism include:
genetics
environmental triggers
goitre
high inflammation
some infections
stress
vitamin D deficiency
smoking
iodine deficiency or excess
pregnancy
From a naturopathic point of view, there is many things that can be done to support not only the thyroid gland, immune system (if Grave's disease) and other body tissues that are affected. As with any condition, it is important to address the cause and we can do this by looking into (but not limited to) the following:
environmental toxin exposure
nutritional deficiencies
oxidative stress
inflammation within the body
insulin resistance
We can also use herbs and nutritional supplementation to support the thyroid gland itself. These are all very dependent on the individual person's needs and requirements as well as long term treatment to prevent future complications such as Grave's ophthalmopathy and cardiovascular disease.
If you are struggling with thyroid health, please reach out by booking a FREE Discovery call to discuss.
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