The first thing I did when I went home was to begin a search for the definition of Hashimoto’s. The first thing I learned was that it’s the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the United States. It’s also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis. Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disorder that causes chronic inflammation when antibodies are directed against the thyroid gland.
It’s not known what causes Hashimoto’s, but it often runs in families.
As time passes, Hashimoto’s results in the thyroids inability to produce thyroid hormones and it becomes impaired. This impaired function leads to an underactive thyroid. Hashimoto’s is most often seen in middle age women but can be found in men and children.
Once I knew what I was diagnosed with, I moved on to natural cures. I found many sites where I was told once you have Hashimoto’s you’ll have to take medication for the rest of your life. I didn’t like what I was hearing so I continued my search until I found what I was looking for. Now we get to the nitty-gritty.
First, I learned if I was going to live with Hashimoto’s without taking medication, I was going to have to listen to my body. I needed to become familiar with the signs and symptoms of Hashimoto’s and learn how to manage them. I began the process of monitoring my thyroid by paying attention to my body temperature. If you have Hashimoto’s you will relate to always being cold. Well, I used that to my advantage. I began taking my temperature every three hours throughout the day to determine if my lifestyle changes were working. Take your temperature before you get out of bed in the morning, then every three hours after that.
When I began to monitor my temperature, it ranged from 96.8 to 98.5 depending on the time of day, and day of the week. The doctor didn’t instruct me in the temperature taking process. I found the idea when I was on the internet and stumbled across a website for Wilson’s Syndrome. I figured if it was related to symptoms of hypothyroidism, it could help me regulate what I was doing for Hashimoto’s. I knew as my temperature went up so did the function of my thyroid.
I did this for a month as I cleansed my body and changed my eating habits. The American Thyroid Association recommends a TSH range of 0.5 to 2.0mU/L. Mine was 5.12mU/L. Within 30 days I reduced it to 3.1mU/L. It wasn’t perfect, but I was moving in the right direction. Nothing, worth having or being, comes easily or quickly. If you choose to follow this method, it will take time. Every person is at a different place in their health and healing. We all bounce back differently. I have never been a drinker or smoker, so I had that going for me. Your situation may be different. Don’t give up you can get there.
In the next post I will talk about body cleanses. See you then.
Please remember my post’s are a journey toward good health that worked for me. Please check with your doctor before making any changes in diet or medication. I’m not a physician and am not directing any person to follow the information in any of my posts.
