Proper Diagnosis and Natural Hormones Effective in Treating Hypothyroidism
The role of a properly functioning thyroid in promoting healthy and active living has received much media attention in recent years. Still, many people with insufficient thyroid hormone production go undetected, and many who are being treated take a less than effective pharmaceutical product. This is from Steven F. Hotze, M.D., the author of the book Hormones, Health, and Happiness
The thyroid gland is located in the neck. It produces hormones secreted into the body that cause the increased use of glucose. Very simply, they are very involved in releasing the energy that keeps the body humming along at a healthy rate. Hypothyroidism is the condition of insufficient thyroid hormone production.
There are many symptoms of hypothyroidism, but it is far from undetectable by a doctor willing to take a look at a patient’s condition and history. Fatigue, weight gain, and sensitivity to cold are common patient complaints since hypothyroidism reduces the ability to metabolize glucose for energy. Additionally, many hypothyroid victims suffer from depression, concentration difficulties, blood pressure problems and loss of sex drive. In women, hypothyroidism can also impair fertility, cause a miscarriage and even premature delivery or still birth. Incidentally, seven times more women suffer from hypothyroidism than do men, according to Dr. Hotze.
In his book, Dr. Hotze is often quite critical of his fellow medical practitioners who place an over-importance on lab results instead of listening to the patient, understanding symptoms and considering prior treatment history. “Most American women who have hypothyroidism remain undiagnosed. Even those who suspect that low thyroid function is the underlying cause of their fatigue, weight gain, depressed mood, brain fog, and other symptoms seldom get help from their physicians. The reason for this is that most physicians have been influenced by a herd mentality. They don’t treat patients, they treat lab values.”
Even when lab results point a doctor in the direction of correct diagnosis, the synthetic form of thyroid hormone widely prescribed by the medical profession is ineffective in fully treating a patient, according to Dr. Hotze. The thyroid replacement Synthroid® is the number one prescribed treatment for hypothyroidism. In fact, in 2002 it was the fourth most prescribed drug in the United States. Without going into a lengthy explanation of its deficiencies, suffice it to say that it is lacking in a full complement of hormones needed to get the body running smoothly on all cylinders.
Dr. Hotze prefers to administer a natural thyroid hormone extract with proven results dating back to 1939. The product he utilizes is called Armour® Thyroid which is obtained from the thyroid gland of pigs. He has seen remarkable results with this product mainly because it contains the very same thyroid hormone molecules that the body produces.
Dr. Hotze warns that women suspecting they have a hypothyroid condition may have to visit several doctors to find one who will listen to their concerns, recognize the problem and then prescribe the correct natural hormone replacement product. Time doing this will be well spent in terms of proper diagnosis and treatment. A reading of Dr. Hotze’s book, Hormones, Health, and Happiness