Natural Remedies

Cancer Cure for Thyroid

The thyroid is a shield shaped endocrine gland located at the front side of the neck. It is a double lobed gland that produces hormones such as thyroxin (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) that regulate the rate of metabolism and the rate of growth and functioning of other body-systems.

The two most common conditions for which thyroid medications have been developed are for when they become overactive (Hyperthyroidism) or when they become under-active (hypothyroidism).

Normally cells grow and divide to form new cells according to the needs of the body and when cells grow old, they die. Some times this process goes awry and cells start forming even when the body does not need them. And at other times old cells do not die. These extra cells form a growth or tumor, commonly known as cancer (a mass of tissue). Such growths on thyroid are usually called nodules, requiring specific thyroid treatment for cancer.

There is little confirmed knowledge available about the cause of thyroid cancer but what is known is the fact that there are certain factors that increase the risk of contracting this disease. These include exposure to radiation through X-Rays and radioactive fallout, a change in a gene called RET that can be hereditary, and lack of iodine in diet. But these risk factors are, however, only indicative and do not guarantee that thyroid cancer shall occur for sure.
Early thyroid cancer does not cause any symptoms but as cancer grows, some indicative symptoms may surface in the shape of

* A lump, or nodule, in the front of the neck near the Adam’s apple
* Hoarseness or difficulty speaking in a normal voice
* Swollen lymph nodes, especially in the neck
* Difficulty swallowing or breathing
* Pain in the throat or neck

Commonly known treatment options for thyroid cancer include radioactive iodine, external radiation and chemotherapy. These therapies are known for their dangerous side effects as they are known to damage healthy cells along with the cancerous cells that they are supposed to destroy.

Hormonal treatment of thyroid cancer very rarely causes any side effects but many cases of rash and loss of hair have been reported after administration of hormonal pills.

Surgery is often uncomfortable and may also result in voice problems or disfiguring of one of the shoulders as in some cases certain nerves and muscles may be removed during the operation. The extensive research that is going on in the field of cancer cure is bringing forth new drugs in the market. The sad part is that all these drugs seem to bring forth a new set of side effects.

This article is provided courtesy of Native Remedies.

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Thyroid Cancer Treatments

The thyroid gland, which is housed just below your voice box, derives its name from the Greek word for shield due to his shape. A healthy thyroid is just a little bigger than a quarter and cannot be felt under the skin. It has two lobes. A swollen lobe may just feel like a lump in your throat. A swollen lobe is called a goiter that is normally caused due to iodine deficiency. There are, however, other abnormal conditions of thyroid, out of which, thyroid cancer is the most serious.

Whereas no one can tell for sure what causes thyroid cancer, treatment for the same and thyroid medications take a long time to produce results.

Thyroid treatment involves a series of procedures that can start only after some visible symptoms surface because early thyroid cancer does not show any significant signs.

Any suggestive signs of thyroid cancer would first require a physical examination of any swelling in the lymph nodes in the neck along with blood tests for any abnormal levels in thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). In case medullary thyroid cancer is suggested, the physician may go for checking high levels of calcium in the blood or the RET gene. Other diagnostic procedures may involve an ultrasonography, a radionuclide scanning, or a biopsy. Biopsy is a procedure whereby a sample tissue is examined under a microscope to determine if the cells have become malignant (cancerous).

Once a positive diagnosis is established, the patient has the option to go for natural thyroid medications or settle for the routine allopathic procedures.

Surgery is the most common treatment for thyroid cancer, which could mean removal of the entire thyroid (Total thyroidectomy) or the lobe with the cancerous nodule (lobectomy). Sometimes an operation is required to check for cancer that may have spread. In cases where cancer has indeed spread, an I-131 therapy or external radiation is necessary for its treatment. Practically all patients who have had their thyroid gland removed require thyroid hormone pills to substitute the natural hormone.

Radioactive iodine therapy is another method to destroy thyroid cancer cells anywhere in the body. In cases where low dosage of radioactive iodine (I-131) is required the patient is not hospitalized but treated as an outpatient. However, this therapy does not work in cases of medullary thyroid cancer or anaplastic plastic cancer.

Patients in advanced stage of thyroid cancer do not respond to radioactive iodine therapy and require a local therapy known as external radioactive therapy. This involves directing high-energy X-Rays to the affected part. This process can mean daily visits to the hospital for several weeks.

There are also drugs that can kill cancerous cells. This is a systemic therapy known as chemotherapy because the drugs enter the bloodstream and travel throughout the body.

Thyroid medications require careful follow up and management. Chemotherapy involves drugs that can affect any part of the body and destroy healthy cells along with the cancerous cells. This results in weakening of your immune system, which in turn can expose you to further infections. They can also cause fatigue, nausea and vomiting, mouth sores, pain, hair loss, and anemia. If at all you are allowed to work, it may necessitate a major change in your work schedule.

There are alternative thyroid treatments available which can prove to be of great help in thyroid treatment as they are devoid of any side effects and require minimal management.

This article is provided courtesy of Native Remedies.

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A case for and against natural hormone for hypothyroid

Thyroid hormone is used either to replicate the function of a thyroid that is not functioning properly or to prevent further growth of thyroid tissue. These therapies are called replacement therapy and suppression therapy respectively.

Thyroid treatment for hormone replacement is required in cases where the thyroid does not produce enough hormones for healthy functioning of the body organs. This condition is known as hypothyroidism. In such cases the goal of thyroid medications is to replace hormones and this can be in shape of either synthetic hormone pills or natural hormones.

Replacement therapy is entirely different from taking medication and proper care has to be taken with regard to the dosage. Any increase in thyroid hormone can cause an excess supply resulting in hyperthyroidism, which in turn brings its own set of symptoms and problems.

Alternative thyroid treatments for hormone replacement include hormones derived from pigs and natural products. There is an ongoing debate between the proponents of conventional therapies and those fighting the case for natural therapies with regard to all treatments, and hypothyroidism is no exception. Whereas conventional medicine refutes the efficacy of such hormone pills prescribed as part of natural thyroid medication,the naturopaths highlight the strong and dangerous side effects of synthetic medications.

However, there are physicians who take a holistic approach to the entire affair of medication and believe that there are benefits to be derived from each form of treatment, be it conventional or alternative thyroid treatments. If conventional medicine has research to support its efficacy, the natural thyroid medication has an age-old history to prove that there is substance in its claims. But the situation is still that homeopathy which is an integral part of natural treatments that has a long history of having cured with success, is still denigrated by the advocates of allopathic therapy.

With respect to natural hormone replacement, the common argument that the physicians give is that the synthetic hormone provides steady hormone levels. What the doctors have a propensity to overlook is that the vast majority of people cannot convert thyroxine (T4) to the active form of thyroid hormone, triodothyroxine (T3). This is easy to confirm by measuring the free hormone levels but virtually none of the doctors use these tests.

The irony is that most of the conventional medicine is extensively funded and supported by a patent regimes. Natural products however lack both. With regards to hypothyroidism, it is simply a matter of preference as to which type of treatment one is comfortable with. Natural treatments treat symptoms in their totality and takes time to produce results. Conventional treatments, despite their side effects, are fast and supported by surgery. It has to be kept in mind that natural thyroid medication has even successfully managed postoperative care where surgery has given rise to newer problems.

This article is provided courtesy of Native Remedies.

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Homeopathic Remedy - Hypothyroidism

The thyroid gland maybe small in size but improper functioning can have a major affect on the overall health of an individual. The thyroid synthesizes, stores and secretes two main thyroid hormones - thyroxine, commonly called T4 and triodothyroxine, commonly called T3.

Your thyroid secretes a mixture of T4 and T3 in the ratio 90:10. Both of them regulate your body’s metabolism and certain other important biological functions. An overactive thyroid, which secretes too much hormone, is known as hyperthyroid. Hypothyroid is the opposite condition where there is an inadequate secretion of these hormones.

The symptoms of hypothyroid are general in nature but these can have a long lasting effect on your health. Most common symptoms are fatigue, depression, lack of concentration, difficulty in losing weight, weight gain, sensitiveness to cold and hot, hair loss, constipation, scanty or lack of menstrual periods, infertility, coarse skin, reactive hypoglycemia, yellow palms, puffiness around the eyes or the ankles (fluid retention), increased levels of serum cholesterol and hair loss (especially on the eyebrows).

Conventional thyroid treatment treats all cases of hypothyroidism in the same manner by seeking to replace the natural hormone by synthetic hormones while determining the dosage required by trial and error. A certain method of natural thyroid medication was tried in which a tissue from pigs was used to produce natural hormone for replacement. This was considered better than synthetic hormones since it had fewer side effects. However, the one concern with that remained with this method was the fact that it interfered with the natural functioning of the body to some extent.

Other alternative thyroid treatments like homeopathy, seek to ascertain the root cause of the disease.
Homeopathy is based on the principal that a collection of symptoms produced by a particular remedy in a healthy person will cure a similar set of symptoms in a sick individual. Moreover, homeopathy treats an individual holistically. A homeopathic physician will advise thyroid medications based on each individual’s symptoms and strive to augment the natural healing process of the body.

It has been found that homeopathic remedies stimulate body organs allowing the body to heal itself. With regard to hypothyroidism, this would mean that homeopathic remedies reactivate hormone secretions and a grouping of remedies effectively recharges and renovates the thyroid tissue by acting on the pituitary and other glands.

Homeopathy, as against a “ten minute visit - prescription”, requires much more time and effort since it requires the physician to study the patients’ history while taking into consideration their living styles, diet preferences, and even mannerisms.

One reason why homeopathy is not very prevalent is that once your body is recovered, you do not need to continue medication, a fact that does not go well with drug manufacturers. Moreover, it is nearly impossible to get funding for research, as you cannot get a patent on these remedies.

A homeopathic physician does not over-depend on remedies and may ask you to use some simple procedures to help in your recovery. Some of these may be

* A gentle tapping of the thyroid gland ten times, thrice a day.
* Soaking feet in water with sea salt
* Rubbing feet with a mixture of castor oil and kelp tincture, wrapping in plastic and leaving it overnight

The main aim of homeopathy and alternative thyroid treatments is to impress that the body is capable of healing itself and to avoid synthetic products that produce more harm than the disease itself.

This article is provided courtesy of Native Remedies.

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Relevancy of nutrition treatment for hypothyroidism

Synthetic products and convention medicine can prove to be very harmful in many cases as they have side effects that can prove to be as dangerous. Sometimes the threat that is posed for the patient by the side effects is actually more than the complications that the disease itself can cause.

Conventional medicine often treats hyperthyroidism with the aid of radiation and radioactive iodine therapies. The side effects of radiation therapy are well known but what is not often advertised is that excess iodine too can cause abnormal growth of the thyroid gland. This can lead to disorders in functioning and growth of the body as a whole. Elemental iodine, 12, is a veritable poison if taken in large quantities since iodides are similar to bromides in toxicity.

The concept of natural thyroid medication is based on the fact that no synthetic product is used for treating the ailment. The point that most people tend to miss is that alternative thyroid treatments carry a corollary that proper nutrition is mandatory.

Nutrition is an input and the foundation on which the health of the body rests. Healthy people are stronger, are more industrious and more capable to create opportunities for themselves. Better nutrition is not only a prime entry point to an ailment free body but also a milestone to achieving a better quality of life.

Hypothyroidism is a chronic ailment caused by an under-active thyroid, which is most commonly caused by autoimmune thyroiditis or Hashimoto’s disease. In conjunction with thyroid treatment, a healthy diet and exercise will go a long way in furthering the effectiveness of thyroid medications.

While managing diet for hypothyroidism, it is more important that you have more energy, less fatigue, and depression and focus on setting unrealistic goals for yourself. It is important to keep in mind that changes do not happen overnight and only a slow and steady but focused race will take you towards your goal. Take a step ahead everyday, pick yourself up if you stagger, and always keep your eyes on the goal.

The first step towards a healthy nutritional diet that can help you with your under active thyroid is to cut out on stimulants. Stimulants make glands overwork and there is a limit to how much the adrenal gland can work. Cutting down on stimulants including coffee, tea, and cold drinks can help in healing and recharging of the adrenal system.

To supplement your natural thyroid medication you should limit your carbohydrate intake in a way that only 40 to 45% of your calories come from them. Choose more complex carbohydrates like fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grain avoiding simple carbohydrates like direct sugar as in cakes, pies, cookies, soda, candy, ice cream and chips.

People with hypothyroidism are likely to have a sluggish digestion and constipation. Ensuring a fiber intake of 30-40 grams a day will not only improve digestion but also increase satiety and not let you feel hungry.

Thyroid malfunctioning directly affects the metabolism in your body. Water is an essential element that keeps the metabolism process in proper shape. A regular intake of at least 8—12 a day should be sufficient to lend a helping hand to the metabolism process.

A reduction in stress and regular exercise combined with a regulated diet can become a perfect combination for managing hyperthyroidism. Even simple exercises like deep breathing can help in relieving stress and controlling panting and fatigue.

This article is provided courtesy of Native Remedies.

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