Root Causes of Thyroid Disease

When I was first diagnosed with Graves’ Disease, I spent a lot of time and energy trying to get my thyroid hormone levels within ‘normal’ range. 

I was taking medication. I was going to weekly doctors’ visits and having labs checked. Yet, my severely high thyroid levels lowered at a snails pace. It left me exhausted and frustrated.

However, when I started digging deeper into why my immune system was being triggered, everything changed.

Getting to the root causes of thyroid disease can be really helpful in mapping out your healing journey and reclaiming your health.

For me, it helped gradually reduce my need for methimazole, maintain a healthier thyroid hormone range, and go into remission three years after being diagnosed.

There can be many different root causes of thyroid disease – and some of course, can be more simple to correct than others. 

These are some common root causes you might be overlooking; causes that can help you look at your wellness journey differently so you can reduce symptoms and start to feel better.

LET’S TALK COMMON ROOT CAUSES

Nutrient Deficiencies: Under-eating, stress, and following a highly processed eating style can make it hard to fully nourish your body.

Your thyroid and immune system need nutrients: vitamins A, B, D, essential fatty acids, iodine, iron, selenium, tyrosine, and more to maintain healthy balance.

Heavy Metals: Exposure to metals such as lead, mercury, and chromium in food, water, and the environment can cause damage to the thyroid and trigger autoimmunity.

Infections: Stealthy bacteria like H. Pylori and viruses like Epstein Barr can produce antibodies that keep your immune system in attack-mode.

Dental Work: Metal and amalgam fillings can lead to toxicity. In addition, root canals and other dental procedures can cause infections that can often go undetected.

Radiation: Bluetooth, cellphone towers, WiFi, smart devices, and even home security systems emit radiation that can damage the thyroid, increase the risk of developing nodules and trigger autoimmunity.

Stress: You might be tempted to breeze through this one. But it’s important to know that stress is something to seriously consider when you’re navigating thyroid disease.

• Physical stress (over exercising or lack of sleep).
• Mental stress (having too much on your plate).
• Emotional stress (anxiety/depression).
• Stressful life events (moving across the country).

While it may seem impossible to completely avoid stress. You can learn how recognize the different types of stress in your life and create tools to manage it better.

HOW I STARTED TO PINPOINT MY UNIQUE ROOT CAUSES

I took time to write out my wellness timeline and health history going back as far as possible.

Starting with my parents and their health history. Then writing out any illnesses, life events, etc. I experienced with the dates they occurred. This can feel overwhelming but give yourself time and keep adding to your timeline as you remember things.

Once my timeline was done, I looked it over and highlighted any events that stood out. 

How did I feel before versus after these events?

Did any of my symptoms start after these events?

Having a wellness timeline helped me tune into areas I realized actually contributed to the development of my thyroid disease and made my journey toward healing more empowering.

It allowed me to dive deeper, do some alternative functional testing, and get some real answers (and results).

Getting to the root causes of thyroid disease can take time but my approach is to treat the cause not the symptom – and it’s the best way to help your body truly heal.

Have you created a wellness timeline? Leave me a comment below. I’d love to hear from you.

Looking for more tips about how you can take action that supports your thyroid health? Grab my FREE GUIDE: 4 Ways to Help Your Thyroid Thrive.