Hypothyroidism or the underactivity of the thyroid gland, is a condition which occurs when the thyroid gland fails to produce enough thyroid hormones, and/or there is a failure of the tissues to receive thyroid hormones. Some causes of a thyroid disorder are common; some are more rare. Below is an outline of those potential causes. Recognize your own??
- Iodine Insufficiency
- It’s strongly proposed that millions of individuals develop hypothyroidism due to the lack of adequate iodine intake, which in turn is due to soil depletion and lack of iodine in our diet. Since iodine is necessary in the synthesis, storage and secretion of thyroid hormones, a deficiency of iodine can result in hypothyroidism.
- Hashimoto’s Disease
- Also called “Hashi’s” or “thyroiditis”, this is an autoimmune disorder in which one’s immune system attacks it’s own thyroid cells, causing inflammation and eventually resulting in hypothyroid. In many cases a goiter develops because of the inflammation, but sometimes the thyroid gland can actually shrink. Patients with Hashi’s can vascillate between hypo and hyper. There is a genetic predisposition to autoimmune disease, so if you have one, you are more at risk to have others, including Hashi’s thyroiditis. It is proposed that a lack of iodine also plays a role in autoimmune attacks on the thyroid.
- Overtreatment for Graves Hyperthyroid or Hashi’s with Radioactive Iodine
- If a person with Graves’ disease or Hashimotos is treated with radioactive iodine (RAI), the thyroid gland is usually rendered partially or fully inactive. Over time, from a few months to a few years, hypothyroidism usually occurs.
- Thyroid Removal Surgery
- If much of the thyroid gland is surgically removed, the result can be hypothyroidism.
- Radiation of the face/neck/chest
- Whether for treatment of acne, or for Hodgkins Disease, this treatment from the 1960’s through the 80’s and beyond can be a precursor to developing thyroid disease, especially if the thyroid area wasn’t protected.
- Tumor on the Pituitary Gland
- Also called Secondary Hypothyroidism, a tumor on the Pituitary gland interferes with the production of the Thyroid Stimulation Hormone, causing hypothyroidism as well as adrenal insufficiency. Disorders of the hypothalamus portions of the brain may also cause thyroid hormone deficiency.
- Trauma from Accidents or Surgery
- Trauma, such as from automobile accidents, surgery, or severe uterine hemorrhage during childbirth can result in Sheeans Syndrome, which is hypopituitarism, and results in hypothyroidism. Cholecystectomy and Hysterectomy, as well as Tonsillectomy, can increase the risk of hypothyroid. Whiplash or neck trauma can cause hypothyroidism.
- Pharmaceutical Drug Induced
- Lithium, used in the treatment of bipolar manic-depressive disorder, inhibits thyroid hormone release and can also result in a goiter. The heart drug, Amiodarone, also increases your risk of hypothyroidism.
- Supplements
- On the opposite side of the coin of insufficient iodine is taking too much from iodine-containing herbs such as kelp, bladderwrack, or bugleweed can increase your risk for hypothyroidism. Many multivitamins, glandular support formulas and combination products contain these supplements.
- Over consumption of Goitrogenic Foods
- When eaten in large quantities, this class of foods can promote goiters and resulting hypothyroidism. They are mostly only a concern when served raw as cooking may minimize or eliminate goitrogenic potential. Goitrogenic foods include brussel sprouts, rutabaga, turnips, kohlrabi, radishes, cauliflower, African cassava, millet, babassu, cabbage, kale and soy products.
- Over consumption of Soy Products
- Soy products have a definite antithyroid and goitrogenic effect. Long term consumption of soy products can promote formation of goiters and development of autoimmune thyroid disease.
- Nutritional Deficiencies
- Deficiencies of iodine or minerals (selenium, iron, magnesium, zinc) or vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin B Riboflavin, Niacin, Pyridoxine, Vitamin C and Vitamin E) can affect thyroid hormone production.
- Cigarette Smoking
- Unfortunately, tobacco smoke contains cyanide, which is converted to thiocyanate, and which adversely acts as an anti-thyroid agent, inhibiting iodide uptake and hormone synthesis. The enlargement of the thyroid can occur due to smoking, which is a clue that the thyroid is negatively affected.
- Pregnancy/Childbirth
- Some doctors estimate that as many as 5 to 10% of women develop a thyroid problem after delivery. Childbirth can be a hormonal trigger for Hashimoto’s Disease. The owner of this site has this as the cause of her hypothyroidism.
- Menopause
- Thyroid problems are known to surface at periods of hormonal upheaval and are more common just prior to or during menopause. (The owner of this site noticed her thyroid got a bit worse as she started to enter meno.)
- Aging
- Hypothyroidism becomes increasingly common as we age, particularly in women. Ten percent of all women over the age of 50 show signs of a failing thyroid. The percentage rises to 20% in women over 65. The owner of this site saw her 90+ year old father-in-law ease into severe hypothyroidism which the doctors refused to treat.
- Environmental Exposures
- Some patients have experienced the fact that fluoride and chlorine can interfere with proper thyroid conversion and result in hypothyroidism. Another concern is mercury, a component in dental fillings, which can disable the thyroid’s ability to convert T4 to T3, resulting in hypothyroidism.
- Percholate and Other Toxic Chemicals Exposure
- Percholate blocks iodine from entering the thyroid, and prevents further synthesis of thyroid hormone. It is found in various water supplies around the nation, particularly in areas near rocket fuel or fireworks plants. There is strong evidence that exposure to certain toxic chemicals increase the risk of developing thyroid disease. Those that are of concern are dioxins, MTBE, and others that act as “endocrine disrupters”.
- Additional Causes
- Asthma and the use of inhaler/expectorants
- Polyunsaturated oils interfere with the release and transport of thyroid.
- Estrogen Dominance
- Excess Cysteine
- Accumulation of Iron in the thyroid gland (10% of those with hemochromatosis)
- Adrenal Insufficiency
- Thyroid Hormone Resistance
- Dysfunction of T4 to T3 conversion
- Congenital Hypothyroidism–being born without a thyroid
- Nuclear Plant Exposure
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