Thyroid Health

Eye and Vision Problems? You Might Blame TED – Thyroid Eye Disease

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What does your immune system and your thyroid gland have to do with health issues involving your eyes and vision? Plenty. In fact, there are a number of symptoms that point to thyroid eye disease, as the culprit. Commonly known as TED, thyroid eye disease is a medical condition featuring symptoms that can include irritated, red, teary, or bulging eyes; eye pain or pressure; sensitivity to light; blurry or double vision; impaired vision or loss of color in your vision; puffy or retracted eyelids; or eyes that point in different directions. TED is related to another, better-known medical condition called Graves’ disease, in which the body’s immune system attacks the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is part of the endocrine system, which includes the adrenal glands, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, ovaries, and testes. It releases hormones into the bloodstream that help to regulate metabolism, bone growth, brain development, heart rate, digestion, …

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What Does My Thyroid Gland Have to Do with My Swollen, Achy Legs?

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If you have thyroid gland issues and your legs are swollen, you may be searching online for answers to some or all of the following questions: Why do my legs feel heavy? Why are my legs restless at night? Why do I have leg cramps all the time? Why do my legs feel weak when I walk? Why are my legs always swollen at the end of the day? Why, when I wake up in the morning, do my legs take time to get moving, hurt, and feel tingly? If these questions are familiar to you, you may be relieved to know that they sound familiar to us, too, because we hear them all the time from patients struggling with hypothyroidism — a disorder of the endocrine system in which the thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormone. Unfortunately, doctors who practice conventional medicine often miss the connection between swollen, …

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Before You Take Any Iodine Supplement, Read This!

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Health experts often turn to Japan for secrets to a long and healthy life. After all, the Japanese have one of the longest life expectancies on earth, as well as the greatest percentage of people who live past the age of 100. Conventional wisdom often attributes this longevity to the diet of the Japanese people. To many observers, the fact that the Japanese eat lots of fish and seaweed is why they are so healthy and live so long. And it may be true that the Japanese diet is at least partially responsible for their health and longevity, but such reasoning can be dangerous, especially when it is based on false and misleading data. One example of false data is the claim that the Japanese consume more than 13 milligrams of iodine daily in seaweed consumption alone. Some well-known health experts and supplement manufacturers, and retailers have been using this …

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Dr. Matt Lewis to Speak at Tampa’s Thyroid & Autoimmune Summit

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Seven of South Florida’s leading experts in the detection and treatment of chronic illnesses are set to deliver talks next week as part of the 2nd Annual Tampa Thyroid & Autoimmune Summit. And representing BioDesign Wellness Center will be our very own Dr. Matt Lewis, DACBN, CFMP®. The summit runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 26, at the Root Cause Medical Clinic in North Tampa. Besides Dr. Lewis, the daylong event features other esteemed area functional medicine practitioners, including: Dr. Jordan Axe— Root Cause Medical Clinic Dr. Beata Carlson— Natural & Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Vincent DePasquale— National Stem Cell Institute Dr. Shahida Choudhry— Pharmacist Kristin Burton— Central Florida Medical Thermography Sarah Bingham— Nutritionist & Fast Food Healer According to recent research, nearly 5 percent of the nation’s population over the age of 12 suffers from hypothyroidism, with the thyroid cancer incidence per 100,000 people in Florida being …

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Restoring Thyroid Health: Part 2 — Hyperthyroid

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Editor’s Note: Below is Part 2 in our two-part series on restoring thyroid health. As we learned in Part I of the series (which we encourage you to read before moving on to the post below) — Restoring Thyroid Health: Part 1: Hypothyroid — Just shy of 15 percent of the U.S. population is expected to develop a thyroid condition at some point, while roughly 20 million people in the U.S. have a form of thyroid disease, and 60 percent of those people with thyroid disease are actually unaware of their condition. In this part, the focus shifts to diagnosing and treating hyperthyroid (overactive thyroid). Symptoms of hyperthyroid include: Appetite change (decrease or increase) Difficulty sleeping (insomnia) Fatigue Frequent bowel movements or diarrhea Heart palpitations Heat intolerance Increased sweating Irritability Light menstrual or missed menstrual periods Mental disturbances Muscle weakness Nervousness Fertility issues Shortness of breath Tremor/shakiness Vision changes Weight loss or …

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Restoring Thyroid Health: Part 1 — Hypothyroid

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According to the American Thyroid Association (ATA), more than 12 percent of the U.S. population will develop a thyroid condition during their lifetime, an estimated 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease, and 60 percent of those with thyroid disease are unaware of their condition. The ATA also points out that “undiagnosed thyroid disease may put patients at risk for certain serious conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, and infertility.” The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped organ located just below the larynx (voice box). It is part of the endocrine system — the body’s chemical (hormone) messaging system. Although it is relatively small, weighing only about 25 grams, its performance impacts every cell, tissue, and organ in the human body by regulating the body’s metabolism — the process by which the body extracts and uses energy from food. In the endocrine system, the hypothalamus signals the pituitary gland …

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