by 
By Dr. Michael Miles
The thyroid gland is the thermostat of our bodies. It regulates how fast our metabolism operates and, consequently, how warm our body is.
This gland is one part of the endocrine system and sits right below the Adam’s apple. It works very closely with the adrenal glands and the reproductive glands producing hormones that help our bodies function properly.
The thyroid can malfunction in a number of ways. It usually either runs too fast (hyper-thyroidism) or too slow (hypo-thyroidism).
When it runs too fast, it’s like racing your car engine while it’s parked. The car will overheat and things will start breaking. A person with hyperthyroidism (Grave’s Disease) is often very thin and jittery with eyes that bug out.
In contrast, a person with the more common hypothyroidism usually gains weight easily, has dry skin and brittle nails. They lose their hair easily. Either one of these conditions can produce a large lump around the Adam’s apple called a goiter. Sometimes a person will start out hyper- and will eventually burn out the thyroid and become hypo-.
There is a strong genetic component to thyroid function. It is common to find the same problems shared by many family members. It is also common to see problems show up in persons that have been exposed to radioactive substances.
A number of tests are used to evaluate the function of the thyroid. Blood tests have been developed to detect the amounts of thyroid hormones being produced. These are compared with what is considered normal.
The current gold standard among these tests is the TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone). Further tests are available to help determine the cause of a malfunction such as an autoimmune condition like Hashimoto’s or a delayed stress reaction like Wilson’s Syndrome.
A quick way to check the thyroid at home is to take your temperature. You should check it several times over many days to get an accurate reading. The best time to take your temperature to get a true basal body reading is the first thing in the morning before getting up and generating heat by moving around.
For women, this is most accurately done the first week after your period because the hormones generated in the second half of your cycle cause the temperature to rise almost a whole degree. Average temperature is listed at 98.6 degrees. Any temperature that consistently runs below 97 is a big red flag that something is wrong with the thyroid.
There are a number of ways to treat the thyroid. The most popular way is to circumvent it with hormone therapy, most notably with Synthroid. This hormone basically replaces a hormone normally produced by the thyroid and so the thyroid simply stops working.
The danger in this is that the thyroid performs other functions besides producing this one hormone. One of its most important other functions is regulating the amounts of calcium that circulates in our blood stream, thus effecting the development of osteoporosis.
Treatments other than Synthroid-type hormone replacement include surgery to remove it, radioactive iodine to burn it out, glandulars to stimulate it, and supplements of iodine and tyrosine to provide the raw ingredients for thyroid hormone production.
By the way, singing is good for your thyroid, as well as good for your health in general.
Dr. Michael Miles is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in psychology and pre-med, he completed his studies in medicine at the highly regarded Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington. Dr. Miles offers a holistic, integrative general practice, which focuses on treating chronic and degenerative diseases, digestive disorders and hormonal imbalances, as well as allergies and infections of all kinds. He holds a special interest in chelation therapy used in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. He is also very active in cancer research. He prefers non-toxic treatment techniques that include botanical medicine, clinical nutrition and homeopathy, but will offer pharmaceutical remedies when appropriate. You will find Dr. Miles to be compassionate, sincere and a strong advocate for your health. He is opening a new office in Catalina in June of 2014 which will feature hyperbaric oxygen therapy in addition to his normal services. www.catalinaclinic.com
by by