The Cultivate an Exceptional life Podcast is where Leisa Watkins uncovers stories, strategies, and resources designed to inspire and encourage you to cultivate better health, more happiness, and joy, despite the challenges life throws in our path.

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HASHIMOTOS DISEASE

Hashimoto’s disease is an autoimmune condition in which your immune system attacks your thyroid, a small gland at the base of your neck.

Background Information on Hashimotos Disease

Hashimoto’s disease is an autoimmune disorder that can cause hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid. With this disease, your immune system attacks your thyroid. The thyroid becomes damaged and can’t make enough thyroid hormones.

The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck. Thyroid hormones control how your body uses energy, so they affect nearly every organ in your body—even the way your heart beats. Without enough thyroid hormones, many of your body’s functions slow down.

Typical Symptoms of

Hashimoto’s Disease

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is thought to be due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Risk factors include a family history of the condition and having another autoimmune disease. 

The most common symptoms of Hashimoto’s disease include the following:

  • fatigue
  • weight gain
  • pale or puffy face
  • feeling cold
  • joint and muscle pain
  • constipation
  • memory loss
  • dry and thinning hair
  • heavy menstrual flow or irregular periods
  • depression
  • panic disorder
  • a slowed heart rate
  • problems getting pregnant and maintaining pregnancy.

Traditional Treatment for Hashimotos

Treatment usually depends on whether the thyroid is damaged enough to cause hypothyroidism.

Hypothyroidism is treated by replacing the hormone that the thyroid can no longer make. You will take levothyroxine NIH external link, a thyroid hormone medicine that is identical to a hormone the thyroid normally makes. Your doctor may recommend that you take the medicine in the morning before you eat.

You will take levothyroxine to replace the hormone your thyroid no longer makes.
Your doctor will give you a blood test about 6 to 8 weeks after you begin taking thyroid hormone and adjust your dose if needed. Each time you change your dose, you’ll have another blood test. Once you’ve reached a dose that’s working for you, your doctor will probably repeat the blood test in 6 months and then once a year.

Your hypothyroidism most likely can be completely controlled with thyroid hormone medicine, as long as you take the prescribed dose as instructed. Never stop taking your medicine without talking with your doctor first.

Alternate Remedies

Many people with Lyme disease use a wide range of treatments to help manage the symptoms and complications of their disease.

We believe in using alternative treatments to support the bodies healing process. We have had great success in supporting the body through a healing process with alternative methods.

Below are some of the remedies that have been suggested for use in helping alleviate the symptoms of Lyme disease. This listing is created as a reference. We may have not yet tried all the remedies yet.

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