Hyperthyroidism Causes & Cures

Many people with hyperthyroidism wonder what caused their condition to develop in the first place. In this article I'll be discussing some of the common causes, as well as a potential method of curing hyperthyroidism. This is true even if you have been told by an endocrinologist or medical doctor that there is no cure for your condition, as while it is true you can't be cured through conventional treatment methods such as anti-thyroid drugs or radioactive iodine, a natural treatment protocol can potentially restore your health back to normal.

So let's begin by discussing three of the most common causes of hyperthyroid conditions:

Cause #1: Lifestyle Factors. Lifestyle factors are perhaps the biggest factor that leads to a hyperthyroid condition. Two of the biggest lifestyle factors are chronic stress and poor eating habits. With regards to stress, while there is nothing we can do to eliminate the stress in our lives, most people can do a much better job of handling stress. Too much stress can create problems with the adrenal glands, as while they are designed to handle acute stress situations, they cannot adequately handle chronic, prolonged stress. Problems with the adrenal glands will eventually affect other areas of the body, including the thyroid gland.

Poor eating habits can also stress out the adrenals, as when we eat too many refined foods and sugars this causes problems with the blood sugar levels, which once again over time will affect the adrenal glands, and can also cause malfunctioning of the thyroid gland. If the adrenal glands aren't addressed not only will the thyroid gland continue to malfunction, but it very well can lead to other problems, such as insulin resistance, and eventually type 2 diabetes.

In addition, many people with hyperthyroidism will develop the autoimmune thyroid condition Graves' Disease, which can be even more challenging to manage. While most endocrinologists will recommend either anti-thyroid drugs or radioactive iodine as a treatment method, not addressing the actual cause of this disorder can lead to other autoimmune conditions in the future.

Cause #2: Environmental toxins. It is no coincidence that over the last half-century we have had a dramatic increase in the number of thyroid conditions, and at the same time have had a huge increase in the amount of toxins we are exposed to. Although we can't eliminate all of the toxins we're exposed to, there are some things we can do to reduce our exposure to them. One of the things we can do is reduce the number of toxins used in the home, as this is where a good amount of our exposure to toxins comes from.

Just think about all of the household products you use that contain chemicals your body doesn't know how to handle. Most people don't think twice about using such products, figuring that they wouldn't be on the market if they were unsafe. But the fact is that most of these products aren't being regulated, so it is up to you to familiarize yourself with the ingredients and understand which products are safe to use in your home. I recommend visiting your local health food store and purchase some natural household products, once again making sure to familiarize yourself with the ingredients so that you know whether or not they are safe.

Cause #3: Genetics. Although genetics can lead to a hyperthyroid condition, it doesn't play as big of a role in the development of such conditions as many people think. This is great news, as this means that in most cases we can prevent such conditions from developing, as well as restore the health of someone who has hyperthyroidism. Of course this isn't always the case, but what some researchers are finding is that some people have genetic “tendencies” for a thyroid condition, but despite this, other factors will determine whether or not they will develop the condition.

In other words, someone might have a genetic marker for a thyroid condition, but as long as they take care of their bodies (eat well, do a good job of managing stress, obtain adequate sleep, minimize exposure to toxins, etc.), they will most likely not develop such a condition in the future. Very rarely does someone develop hyperthyroidism solely due to genetic factors.

Curing Your Condition Through Natural Hyperthyroid Treatment Methods

Now that we spoke about some of the main hyperthyroidism causes, let's talk about how you can possibly use natural treatment methods to cure your condition. First of all, let me begin by telling you that I had a hyperthyroid condition, as I was diagnosed with Graves' Disease. Even though I'm a natural healthcare professional, when you're personally diagnosed with such a condition you wonder if a natural treatment protocol really can help, or whether it's best to “play it safe” and follow the advice of your endocrinologist or general medical practitioner.

I will admit that despite being concerned about my symptoms (increased pulse rate, palpitations, weight loss, shakiness, etc.) I never considered receiving radioactive iodine for my condition. While some people do need to receive RAI, in most cases it should be used as a last resort, after everything else has failed. The reason for this is because radioactive iodine therapy damages the thyroid gland, and a high percentage of people will therefore become hypothyroid after receiving this treatment method.

However, I did consider taking anti-thyroid drugs to help manage the symptoms, but decided to hold off and follow a natural treatment protocol. While I admit that not everyone can be cured through such a protocol, it did in fact help to restore my health back to normal. It wasn't an easy process though, so for anyone who is looking for a quick and easy cure, this probably isn't for you. But to this day I have no regrets, and I feel sad for the thousands of people who have received RAI when they could have been helped through a similar protocol. While many people who have received RAI still can benefit from a natural treatment protocol, in some cases the thyroid gland has been damaged to much to restore its function back to normal.

Why Are Natural Hyperthyroid Treatment Methods Effective?

The reason why natural hyperthyroid treatment methods are so effective is because they try to get to the actual cause of the condition. So for example, I spoke earlier about how someone with a thyroid condition might very well have stressed out adrenal glands. A natural protocol will help to fix the adrenal gland problem, as well as any other areas that might be affected and is causing the thyroid gland to malfunction.

Although I spoke about the importance of eating well and managing the stress in one's life, as well as minimizing your exposure to environmental toxins, the truth is that it usually takes more than this to restore one's health back to normal. In other words, someone who currently has a hyperthyroid condition probably won't be able to completely restore their health just by modifying their lifestyle factors and exposure to environmental toxins, although this definitely is a good place to start.

Because it can be a challenge to restore your condition, for anyone looking to cure their hyperthyroidism I highly recommend consulting with a natural endocrine doctor. They will be able to determine the cause of your condition, and then will recommend an individualized protocol to help restore your health, assuming this is possible. The biggest regret people with hyperthyroidism who see a natural endocrine doctor have is that they didn't see one sooner. So while you might be skeptical of natural treatment methods, try to keep an open mind, and you just might be surprised how effective they can be, and how great you can feel again once you follow such a protocol.

For more information on how to treat Hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease through natural treatment methods, please visit my facebook fan page, Graves Disease and Hyperthyroidism: Natural Treatment Solutions (and don't forget to Like the page while you're there!).