{"id":4413,"date":"2013-06-06T12:01:16","date_gmt":"2013-06-06T16:01:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/?p=4413"},"modified":"2013-06-07T16:58:37","modified_gmt":"2013-06-07T20:58:37","slug":"hypothyroidism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/2013\/06\/hypothyroidism.html","title":{"rendered":"Why Hypothyroidism is a \u2018Silent Epidemic\u2019 of Misdiagnosis"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Dr.<\/a>Years ago I told two different doctors that I believed something was wrong with my thyroid. I noticed I had symptoms of hypothyroidism. Each pooh-poohed me, saying my numbers were fine. But they weren\u2019t. I finally went to an endocrinologist who said my numbers weren\u2019t terrible but they indicated a problem, especially with my symptoms. After getting help, the annoying symptoms are gone and I feel much better. Taking charge of my health empowered me! Thyroid issues are very common yet many people don\u2019t know they need care.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why I\u2019m thrilled to have Dr. Steven Hotze<\/strong><\/a>, founder and CEO of the Hotze Health & Wellness Center in Houston, Texas and author of Hormones, Health, and Happiness<\/strong><\/a> as my guest today. He\u2019s a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy and the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, and the former president of the Pan American Allergy Society. Dr. Hotze shares why it\u2019s so important to find a doctor who can treat you properly. I personally relate to most of what he says and use the bio-identical hormones he recommends to keep my body healthy, after having an adverse reaction to the synthetic drug. Read this carefully!<\/p>\n

Hypothyroidism\u2014a \u2018Silent Epidemic\u2019 of Misdiagnosis <\/strong>
\n3 Major Consequences for Sufferers<\/strong>
\nby Dr. Steven Hotze<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

There are at least two aspects of a misdiagnosis that can cause patients harm. First, it means you are not being treated for what\u2019s actually causing illness; second, a misdiagnosis can lead to inappropriate treatments and medicines with side effects that can cause you harm. But there\u2019s a quality of life issue that\u2019s important as well. Many of my patients are women at or near middle age, and they often suffer from a multitude of symptoms including fatigue, low body temperature, brain fog, weight gain, loss of libido, hair loss and depression. Too often, they\u2019re told by their physician that \u2018nothing is wrong.\u2019<\/p>\n

Women are more apt than men to pay attention to their bodies \u2013 and they\u2019re right for doing so. A women\u2019s body includes a much more complex hormonal balancing act, with dramatic swings involved in the menstrual cycle.\u00a0 Often, the women who come to me with that litany of symptoms do have a medical issue: hypothyroidism. It\u2019s a \u201chidden epidemic\u201d because it is so frequently un- or misdiagnosed.<\/p>\n

The condition means the thyroid is not producing enough thyroid hormone, which affects hormone regulation. Hypothyroidism affects women seven times more frequently than men. Three ways in which a missed hypothyroidism diagnosis can affect a patient\u2019s life:<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 Living with unrelieved symptom<\/strong>s. When a person experiences the constellation of symptoms associated with hypothyroidism and is told by multiple doctors that it\u2019s \u201cjust a normal part of aging,\u201d the future can seem bleak. Many physicians will order blood work and tell the patient she\u2019s fine because the results are \u201cnormal.\u201d However, 95 percent of people tested for hypothyroidism fall within a range considered normal. Also, keep in mind that two different labs testing identical blood samples can provide different results.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 Prescribed unnecessary medication with undesirable side effects<\/strong>. Wellbutrin, Lexapro, Paxil, Effexor, Zoloft and Fluoxetine \u2013 these are just some of the antidepressants that one in four women take, according to a recent report from MedCo. One in 10 Americans, or 30 million people, are taking pills to fight depression, and 30 percent of the women aged 35 to 60 who are taking them are doing so because of misdiagnosed hypothyroidism. Antidepressants can have numerous side effects, from nausea and irritability to sexual dysfunction and homicidal or suicidal thoughts.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 Uncomfortable, unhealthy physical changes<\/strong>. Untreated hypothyroidism causes weight gain, which can further affect a person\u2019s emotional health. The weight gain comes with all the risks any excessive weight brings, from diabetes to heart disease.<\/p>\n

It has long been a clich\u00e9 in our society that “pills are not often the answer for our mental and physical well-being,” yet pharmaceutical companies continue to dominate treatment in our country. Hormone replacement therapy, as long as bioidentical hormones are used, has been proven to be a healthy and effective treatment for women suffering hypothyroidism.<\/p>\n

The distinction between synthetic and bioidentical hormones is important; the latter have the same molecular structure as the hormones that are found naturally in the body, which means bioidentical hormone treatments cannot hurt patients. Counterfeit hormones \u2013 those that do not perfectly match the molecular structure of hormones in one\u2019s body \u2013 can be dangerous.<\/p>\n

Hypothyroidism and aging share an important common denominator \u2013 diminished or faulty hormone production — so it\u2019s easy to see how doctors can miss a diagnosis. But that makes it all the more important for physicians to listen to their patients, and that takes time. Hormone replacement therapy using bioidentical hormones help patients who are suffering extreme symptoms in both cases.
\n***************<\/p>\n

Check out Dr. Steven Hotze<\/strong><\/a>‘s book Hormones, Health, and Happiness<\/strong><\/a> to learn how to can age in more comfort and good health. It’s got some great info for taking charge of your health, like I did!
\n***************<\/p>\n

Join the Self-Love Movement\u2122<\/strong><\/a>! Take the 31 Days of Self-Love Commitment<\/strong><\/a> and get my book, How Do I Love Me? Let Me Count the Ways<\/a><\/strong> for free at http:\/\/howdoiloveme.com<\/a><\/strong>. Read my 2013 31 Days of Self-Love Posts HERE<\/strong><\/a>. Join the Self-Love Movement\u2122<\/strong><\/a>! on Facebook<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Please leave comments under my posts so we can stay connected.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Years ago I told two different doctors that I believed something was wrong with my thyroid. I noticed I had symptoms of hypothyroidism. Each pooh-poohed me, saying my numbers were fine. But they weren\u2019t. I finally went to an endocrinologist who said my numbers weren\u2019t terrible but they indicated a problem, especially with my symptoms.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,15],"tags":[689,691,690],"class_list":["post-4413","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-self-empowerment-confidence","category-self-love-acceptance","tag-dr-steven-hotze","tag-hormones","tag-hypothyroidism"],"yoast_head":"\nWhy Hypothyroidism is a \u2018Silent Epidemic\u2019 of Misdiagnosis - Lessons from a Recovering Doormat<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/2013\/06\/hypothyroidism.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why Hypothyroidism is a \u2018Silent Epidemic\u2019 of Misdiagnosis - Lessons from a Recovering Doormat\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Years ago I told two different doctors that I believed something was wrong with my thyroid. 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Daylle's books have been translated into over 10 languages and are popular around the world. She speaks for colleges, organizations and corporations. Through her company, Project Self-Empowerment, Daylle creates programs and materials to help people empower themselves. One goal is to raise the money to self-publish her book, How Do I Love Me? Let Me Count the Ways and give it away for free in colleges and through organizations, to give thanks for all her blessings. Daylle uses her writing and speaking to help others find the kind of contentment and empowerment that she has.","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/author\/dschwartz"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4413","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/83"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4413"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4413\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4537,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4413\/revisions\/4537"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4413"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4413"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4413"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}