Are you experiencing weight gain, depression, loss of libido, muscle aches, weakness, or cramping? Maybe you’re having issues with menstruation, dry and scaly skin, or brittle hair and nails? It might be your thyroid – even if you’ve been told your thyroid is normal. Do you know your Free T3? If your Thyroid medication is not working as it should, this may be an issue.
At Improving Your Health, Dr. Rubin helps you diagnose and treat thyroid conditions like Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s. Hypothyroidism – which is also known as an underactive thyroid – develops when your thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormone. Hashimoto’s, on the other hand, is an autoimmune disease that attacks the cells in your thyroid, causing it to produce too little thyroid hormone, which then leads to Hypothyroidism. Without enough thyroid hormones, many of your body’s functions slow down.
Thyroid disease is no simple matter, and you need someone who has the expertise and experience to understand how your thyroid function may be impacting your health. At Improving Your Health, Dr. Rubin will always help you select the most effective treatment option based on your individual needs. If you'd like to find out if your thyroid is at the root of your health issues, call either of our offices or book online today:
Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Disease are two common thyroid medical conditions marked by reduced production of thyroid hormone. Your thyroid is a small gland, about the size and shape of a small butterfly, located just under your Adam’s apple. If your thyroid gland malfunctions and under produces thyroid hormones, the resulting imbalance can cause symptoms ranging from fatigue and weight gain to cardiovascular disease. Each individual’s experience of Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Disease can vary widely and causes and symptoms will often vary too.
In general, thyroid conditions can range from thyroiditis to thyroid cancer. The majority of thyroid patients experience Hypothyroidism — too little hormone production — while a small percentage suffer from Hyperthyroidism, or too much. There are many different autoimmune diseases which fall into the category of thyroid disease, including Hashimoto’s, Graves’ Disease and Thyroid Eye Disease (TED).
The most common type of thyroiditis, Hashimoto’s, is an autoimmune disease that occurs when your body makes antibodies that attack the cells in your thyroid, causing it to produce too little thyroid hormone, leading to Hypothyroidism. In very rare cases, Hashimoto’s can lead to Hyperthyroidism, which involves overproduction of thyroid hormone.
Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Disease can impact any of us. They can develop at any age, ethnicity and in any gender, but it is most common in women and more common as we age. Family history is another risk factor. It is also more likely to develop in individuals who have other autoimmune diseases, like Type 1 Diabetes, Addison’s Disease, Celiac Disease/gluten sensitivity, Rheumatoid Arthritis, or Lupus. Other risk factors include:
Though the specific etiology is not always clear, there are a variety of causes that lead to Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Disease, including:
Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Disease share many of the same symptoms, especially as Hashimoto’s develops into a hypothyroid state. Some of the most commonly experienced symptoms include:
A complete medical history, medical testing, and a comprehensive assessment of your symptoms can be effective tools that can be used to properly diagnose Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Disease. If you are experiencing symptoms of Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Disease, our goal is to uncover the source of your particular symptoms, so we can diagnose and treat your condition. We use blood tests to determine if you are falling into the optimal range, and also to determine if the cause of your thyroid imbalance is due to an autoimmune condition. Testing may include:
At Improving Your Health, we have a great deal of experience in diagnosing Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Disease and have had great success in treating these conditions among our patients.
Once the underlying cause of your condition has been identified, we can begin to successfully treat your Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Disease. Because the causes vary, the course of treatment will vary with each individual. Our primary treatment tools may include:
Our goal is to heal your thyroid with nutrients and glandular medications. There are other modalities we use to counteract the changes in your body the onset of Thyroid Disease may trigger, including:
If you are struggling with Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Disease, working with a functional medicine physician who is experienced and understands the complexity of Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Disease is very important. At Improving Your Health, Dr. Rubin offers the most up-to-date testing and treatment for Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Disease, so you can be free of thyroid dysfunction and its troubling long-term prognosis.
We recommend that you prepare a list of your symptoms – not simply thyroid symptoms, but all of your medical issues - prior to your first consultation. There may be other seemingly unrelated conditions and health problems contributing to or being caused by your Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Disease.
Dr. Rubin is a widely respected functional medicine practitioner in Florida with offices in Naples and Tampa. He has extensive experience treating patients who are suffering from Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Disease.
He spent the first 25 years of his medical career working in internal and geriatric medicine, successfully becoming one of Florida's Sun Coast top-rated physicians. For four years, Castle Connolly Medical, Ltd. recognized him as one of the “Top Doctors” in South Florida. After further specialized training, he shifted his practice to a functional medicine approach to better serve the needs of his patients.
Dr. Rubin takes an individualized approach to treatment, recognizing that each patient has a different medical history, symptoms, and underlying root causes.
To get evaluated and begin treatment, call either of our offices or book online today: