3 Reasons Why Anyone With Graves Disease Should Consider Natural Treatment Methods
Anyone who has Graves' Disease, or any other hyperthyroid condition for that matter, might want to consider choosing a natural treatment protocol over conventional medical treatment. While taking antithyroid drugs might be necessary to manage the symptoms on a temporary basis, this doesn't actually do anything for the underlying cause of the problem. And while some people do go into a state of remission when taking antithyroid drugs, many do not, and for those who do go into a state of remission it usually isn't permanent.
So while conventional medical treatment definitely has its place, what I'd like to do is provide three reasons why you might want to consider choosing natural treatment methods:
1. To preserve your thyroid gland. While taking antithyroid drugs won't destroy your thyroid gland, in many cases endocrinologists will recommend radioactive iodine. This harsh treatment method obliterates the thyroid gland, which has many important functions. And while people can live without their thyroid gland by taking thyroid hormone for the rest of their life, why do this if you don't have to?
Sure, some people with Graves' Disease and hyperthyroidism do need to receive radioactive iodine treatment. But many people don't, and many times RAI is recommended as the first line of treatment, sometimes even when the person isn't experiencing severe hyperthyroid symptoms. In fact, I've consulted with people who had very mild hyperthyroid symptoms but were still told by their endocrinologist to receive radioactive iodine. Outside of the United States, many doctors in other countries recommend antithyroid drugs first, and RAI as a last resort.
And while antithyroid drugs don't do anything for the actual cause of the hyperthyroid condition, in most cases it's a better first line of treatment than RAI. Either way, one should still consider natural treatment methods in order to try restoring their health back to normal, rather than just manage the symptoms.
2. So you don't have to take thyroid hormone for the rest of your life. As I mentioned before, those people who receive radioactive iodine treatment will usually need to take thyroid hormone for the rest of their life. And while many people do fine by taking synthetic or natural thyroid hormone, why have your thyroid gland obliterated and take thyroid hormone daily for the rest of your life if you don't have to? Plus, not everyone does well when taking thyroid hormone. Frequently they need to have the dosage adjusted a few times, and sometimes they still remain symptomatic. Once again, some people may need to receive radioactive iodine treatment, but in most cases this treatment should be a last resort, after everything else has been tried.
3. To achieve overall optimal health. By following a natural treatment protocol, besides trying to restore your thyroid health back to normal, it should also benefit your overall health as well. The reason for this is because following a natural treatment protocol involves modifying certain lifestyle factors such as eating well, taking certain nutritional supplements, obtaining sufficient sleep, and changing other lifestyle factors. As a result, someone with Graves' Disease or any other type of hyperthyroid condition who follows a natural treatment protocol will really benefit their overall health.
This probably sounds great to you, but you might be wondering why more people who have Graves' Disease don't follow a natural treatment protocol. Well, a big reason for this is because many don't know about natural treatment methods, as endocrinologists and most other types of medical doctors don't recommend these treatment methods, and are usually opposed to this type of a treatment protocol. So the only way people with these conditions find out about natural treatment methods is through their own efforts, frequently searching online, or perhaps being told by a friend, family member, or co-worker who saw a natural endocrine doctor and had their health restored by a natural treatment protocol.
Another reason why many people don't follow a natural treatment protocol is because it admittedly is challenging to do. So many people who do find out about natural treatment methods aren't willing to take responsibility for their own health, as they are hoping they can just take some nutritional supplements or herbs to cure their condition. Although taking supplements and herbs can be beneficial, there are other factors which are equally important in restoring one's health back to normal.
