Thyroid Health

Thyroid health is a key factor in heart health, metabolism, and overall well-being. The thyroid is a small gland located at the front of the neck. It is part of the endocrine system, which is a system of glands responsible for sending hormones throughout the body to initiate various crucial functions.

The thyroid works directly with the pituitary gland (via TSH) to regulate your metabolism, heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and ultimately your weight. It does this by way of producing 2 specific thyroid hormones called T4 and T3 (1).

When your thyroid doesn’t produce optimal levels of thyroid hormones, you may experience more than a handful of unpleasant side effects. These side effects can include cognitive impairment, fatigue, and weight gain, just to name a few. In fact, many patients suffer from these symptoms without realizing they can be fixed by identifying and treating the root cause of thyroid dysfunction.

“In our practice, preventing or reversing thyroid dysfunction is essential to maintaining optimized health and longevity.” – Dr Shapiro

The importance of proper thyroid health cannot be understated. In our medical practice, screening for thyroid hormone dysfunction is an important part of every functional medicine consultation with Dr. Shapiro.

To learn more about how Dr. Shapiro uses functional medicine to prevent or reverse metabolically-related thyroid function, schedule a consultation today. Fill out our online form, call (305) 763-8832, or text (305) 203-3120 to book your consultation with Dr. Shapiro and the TribecaMed team.

Understanding Thyroid Hormones:

The two primary thyroid hormones, T4 (thyroxine) and T3 (triiodothyronine), play a critical role in regulating the body’s metabolism, cardiovascular function, thermoregulation, and overall energy balance. Every cell in the body depends on these thyroid hormones to set important processes into motion. ⁽¹⁾ As such, it is important that the thyroid produces optimal levels of T4 and T3.

When the thyroid produces either too little or too much T3 and T4, an individual might develop either hypothyroidism (the underproduction of thyroid hormones) or hyperthyroidism (the overproduction of thyroid hormones).

Common Symptoms of Hypothyroidism: (1)

Alternatively, people struggling with hyperthyroidism may present with the following symptoms: (1)

Regardless of the type of thyroid dysfunction, individuals may experience any number of symptoms. As a result, many people focus on treating their individual symptoms without realizing they have a hormonal imbalance. In our medical practice, Dr. Shapiro focuses on identifying the root cause of thyroid hormone imbalance regardless of the presenting symptoms. This allows for a more definitive approach to improving thyroid health.

Common Causes of Thyroid Dysfunction

Understanding the root cause can help you determine if you’re more at risk.

These common causes include:

The Gut Dysbiosis and the Gut-Thyroid Connection

“The thyroid is the ‘smoke detector’ for inflammation in the gut.”

– Dr. Shapiro

For many people, thyroid dysfunction is the direct result of an imbalance of bacteria in the microbiome, called Gut Dysbiosis. The thyroid and gut work hand-in-hand to regulate many essential functions throughout the body. This relationship is known as the thyroid-gut-axis. ⁽²⁾

When Dysbiosis (imbalance of gut microbes) occurs, this commonly results in intestinal inflammation and nutrient malabsorption which can directly slow down thyroid function. (2)

Dr. Shapiro considers optimized thyroid health a top priority for all of his functional medicine patients. As part of his root-cause approach, he encourages these patients to complete a state-of-the-art, gut microbiome stool test called the GI MAP. In our medical practice, identifying and treating gut inflammation is the first step in preventing or reversing thyroid hormone dysfunction.

Iodine Deficiency or Excessive Iodine Consumption

Iodine is an essential micronutrient needed for proper thyroid function. However, too much or too little iodine can cause thyroid hormone dysfunction by impeding hormone production and creating an imbalance in the body. (2) Insufficient iodine can lead to hypothyroidism, goiter (thyroid enlargement), and developmental issues such as cretinism in severe cases. Excessive iodine intake can disrupt thyroid function, potentially causing hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. In your consultation, Dr. Shapiro may consider iodine as part of a personalized approach to optimizing thyroid health.

Autoimmune Thyroid Disease (AITD)

AITD includes a group of autoimmune conditions where the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, affecting its function. The most common thyroid conditions within this group include Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (which typically leads to hypothyroidism) and Graves’ Disease (which typically leads to hyperthyroidism). (2) When diagnosing AITD, Dr. Shapiro will refer you to an endocrinologist within his referral network as Hashimoto’s and Graves are both linked to a slightly higher risk of developing thyroid cancer.

Benefits of Optimizing Your Thyroid Health

In our medical practice, patients with optimized thyroid hormone function can expect a myriad of health benefits. These include:

✔️Improved Energy & Muscle Strength

✔️Healthy Weight Management

✔️Better Skin Health & Hair Growth

✔️Balanced Body Temperature

✔️Enhanced Heart Health & Lipid Metabolism

✔️Improved Digestive Health

✔️Sharper Mental Clarity

✔️Reduced Anxiety and Depression

✔️Regulated Menstrual Cycles

✔️Enhanced Fertility

The thyroid serves as a crucial aspect of your physical health, but the benefits of optimizing thyroid function go well beyond physical changes. Taking care of your health by treating your thyroid issues can contribute to an overall sense of well-being. Whether you have mild symptoms of thyroid problems or symptoms that are severe enough to impact the quality of your everyday life, addressing these problems can provide a sense of relief.

To schedule a personal consultation at our state-of-the-art Miami office, fill out our contact form or call (305) 763-8832 or text (305) 203-3120 today.

Candidates

If you are suffering from any of the previously mentioned symptoms associated with hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, you may be an ideal candidate for the treatment options available at TribecaMed.

Whether or not you are suffering from symptoms of hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, everyone should care about the health of their thyroid. Anyone looking to optimize thyroid health should visit the TribecaMed office in Miami to determine if they are a suitable candidate for treatment.

Personal Consultation

The first step in treating your thyroid issues is to book a personal consultation with Dr. Shapiro and the TribecaMed team. Prior to this personal consultation, you will be asked to take a variety of health marker tests to help the TribecaMed team understand your situation before creating a customized treatment plan for you. These tests include blood work designed to identify thyroid issues as well as a highly specialized stool DNA test known as GI-Map.

The GI-Map test will not only identify if your thyroid issues are related to imbalances within the gut microbiome, but it will also provide Dr. Shapiro and his team with the other important details necessary to craft a personalized treatment plan for you.

TribecaMed serves patients in the Miami area, but we also see a great deal of patients who travel from out of town in order to receive highly personalized and attentive care from the best in the business. If you live outside the Miami area, or if you simply prefer virtual communication, virtual consultations are available in addition to in-person consultations.

Call (305) 763-8832, text (305) 203-3120, or fill out our online form to book a consultation with TribecaMed today.

Cost of Thyroid Health Treatments in Miami

Because symptoms and causes of thyroid issues can vary, treatment options and pricing will vary as well. During your personal consultation, Dr. Shapiro and his team will provide you with a cost estimate that is relevant to your situation. If you have any questions about pricing, please do not hesitate to call or text our Miami office at (305) 763-8832 or (305) 203-3120, respectively. Alternatively, you may also fill out our online form.

References

1. Cleveland Clinic. Thyroid: What It Is, Function & Problems. Cleveland Clinic. Published June 7, 2022. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23188-thyroid
2. Knezevic J, Starchl C, Tmava Berisha A, Amrein K. Thyroid-Gut-Axis: How Does the Microbiota Influence Thyroid Function? Nutrients. 2020;12(6):1769. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12061769