Dr. Chris Heimlich DC, Scottsdale Phoenix Metro Area Doctor Shares The First of 7 Low Thyroid Mistakes Patients and Doctors Make….
Research shows that the most common reason for hypothyroid symptoms is an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. It is estimated that 80% or more of people suffering with hypothyroid symptoms have this autoimmune disease. If this is the case, why don’t doctors check antibody levels.
Before we talk about that, let’s look how bad an autoimmune disease really is. An autoimmune disease is where the body is attacking itself. The body tries to destroy different tissues inside itself. That is a serious problem.
Now the biggest reason doctors don’t check the antibody levels is because it does not change their management protocol. For thyroid treatment most doctors are going to give you synthetic thyroid replacement hormones, intermittently check your TSH, and call it a day. If you continue to suffer with the same symptoms as before they will be attributed to some other ailment, usually depression or anxiety, and be treated accordingly.
The second reason is that it is seen as a “medical waste” in the eyes of the insurance company. I do agree with the insurance companies on this. Why pay for a test if it isn’t going to change the course of management? The payment for a test that will not alter the course of management is in a way wasteful, but the real waste is in ignoring the underlying cause of the problem and leaving the patient to suffer.
Having no alternative management plan for Autoimmune thyroid, and the resultant medical waste of a test ordered but that has no bearing on the patients management are the two main reasons many Hashimoto’s patients go undiagnosed and ignored in the system.
It is critical to determine if your hypothyroid symptoms are from an immune mechanism. If it is from autoimmune disease, it should absolutely be managed in more comprehensive way, not only including some type of replacement hormone, but it should also include management of the immune systems destruction of the gland itself. A more comprehensive approach by a natural thyroid doctor in Phoenix AZ gives the patient a better chance to feel and function normally.