5 Most Common Mistakes Being Made When It comes To Treatment For Thyroid.

My Top Countdown Of The 5 Most Common Mistakes Made when it Comes To Treatment For Thyroid Disease Part I.

Whether it’s the family doctor, endocrinologist, Chiropractic Physician, Naturopathic Doctor, or Chinese herbalist, you may not be getting the straight information regarding your thyroid. Here are five very common myths and bits of misinformation that you are very likely to hear, along with the real story you need to know.

5. Your Levels are Normal

First, what does “normal” mean. A few years ago, the medical community went by the standard that .5 to 5.0 on the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) blood test was the normal range. If your TSH was below .5, you were hyperthyroid/overactive. If your TSH was above 5.0, you were hypothyroid/underactive. More recently, however, both the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and the The National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry’s “Laboratory Medicine Practice Guidelines,” have recommended that the normal range be revised. So when a doctor tells you your levels are “normal” — ask what “normal range” he/she is actually using to make that determination. Is he using a functional lab range ( TSH 1.8 to 3.0) or is he using the standard ranges for TSH( .5-5.0)

4. If You Have a Thyroid Problem, Take Iodine or Kelp

I see this well-meaning mistake being made almost daily! Walk into a health food store and tell the clerk you have a thyroid problem and you most likely will be told, “thyroid problems mean you need iodine” unfortunately, natural health practitioners, Chinese Herbalist, the health food clerks, and the well-meaning next door neighbor who sells Amway vitamin supplements, even worse Iodine loading will be quick to recommend kelp, bladderwrack and bugleweed or Iodine loading as a remedy to your problem. BEWARE !!!!!

Research shows as much as 90% of those with Thyroid disease suffer from something much more serious called Hashimotos Thyroiditis. Taking iodine in this situation could be very dangerous and initiate an advanced immune system attack destroying more of your thyroid gland.

But for some people, iodine or iodine-containing products may cause enlargement of the thyroid (goiter). Before you start iodine, you will need to determine if you have an autoimmune Thyroid. This requires additional testing to be performed and is not part of the standard thyroid screening test.