Hashimoto's Disease

What is Hashimoto's disease?

Hashimoto's disease affects your body’s immune system and can lead to hypothyroidism, characterized by an underactive thyroid gland — a butterfly-shaped gland in your neck responsible for making thyroid hormone. Hashimoto's disease is a lifelong condition affecting your body’s metabolism. Amber helps you manage your condition to restore balance.

What are the symptoms of Hashimoto's disease?

Hashimoto's disease can cause the following symptoms:

• Slowed metabolism
• Weight gain
• Fatigue
• Hair loss
• Feeling cold
• Enlarged thyroid gland (goiter)
• Dry skin
• Constipation 
• Joint stiffness
• Muscle pain
• Slowed heart rate
• Dry, brittle hair
• Brittle nails
• Enlarged tongue 
• Depression
• Difficulty concentrating 
• Puffy face and eyes
• Memory problems
• Low sex drive
• Irregular or heavy periods in women
• Infertility in men and women

You might not notice any symptoms initially, but they may appear gradually over time. You could also experience depression, heart problems, reproductive dysfunction, or pregnancy complications resulting from an untreated thyroid disorder. 

What are the risk factors for Hashimoto's disease?

The following factors can increase your risk of developing Hashimoto's disease:

• Being female
• Family history of Hashimoto's disease
• Pregnancy
• Radiation exposure
• Excessive iodine intake
• Celiac disease
• Pernicious anemia
• Type 1 diabetes
• Sjögren’s syndrome
• Addison’s disease
• Lupus
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Other autoimmune diseases

Women are 10 times more likely than men to have Hashimoto's disease. They’re often diagnosed with the condition between ages 30-50. 

How is Hashimoto's disease diagnosed?

Amber reviews your medical history, lifestyle, health goals, and results of your functional lab tests. She may suggest you undergo a thyroid ultrasound to evaluate the size of your thyroid gland and detect or rule out thyroid nodules and cancer. 

How is Hashimoto's disease treated?

Your personalized Hashimoto's disease treatment plan may consist of:

• Medically supervised weight loss
• Custom nutrition plans
• Individualized exercise program
• Sleep changes
• Dietary supplements
• Stress management
• Hormone treatments

Amber can also help you manage any additional autoimmune conditions or other chronic diseases. She takes a holistic approach to treating Hashimoto's disease, using functional (root-cause) medicine. 

Amber follows up to ensure your thyroid hormone levels stay balanced and your symptoms disappear. She can adjust your treatment plan whenever necessary.

Schedule an in-person or telehealth Hashimoto's disease evaluation at Amber Functional Medicine, LLC, by calling the office or booking an appointment online today.