Hypo

Because the symptoms may be varied and difficult to define, often mimicking other conditions, many people with an underactive thyroid gland may be completely unaware of the problem.

To get a basic understanding of hypothyroidism, you need to familiarize yourself with the thyroid. The thyroid is a small gland found in the middle of the lower neck (below the larynx or Adam’s apple).

This gland manufactures thyroid hormones which enable the body to carry out a variety of very important functions. The thyroid works in conjunction with pituitary gland which produces thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH).

TSH in turn stimulates the thyroid gland to produce the thyroid hormones, T3 and T4. These thyroid hormones play a vital role in the body, influencing metabolism and all the organs in the body. They determine how fast or how slow the organs should work and how the body generates and uses energy.

When the thyroid is under-active and doesn’t produce enough of these hormones, hypothyroidism can develop. Metabolic rate and energy levels decrease and the body uses energy slower than it should.

Who Suffers from Hypothyroidism?

Underactive thyroid is a very common medical condition and statistics suggest that 1 in 50 women and 1 in 1000 men will develop symptoms of hypothyroidism. It is more common in older women and can also occur more frequently during pregnancy.

Conventional treatment usually involves the administration of synthetic or animal derived thyroid hormone replacement drugs.
Diagnosing Hypothyroidism

A blood test is needed to confirm the diagnosis of an underactive thyroid gland, but does not necessarily tell you the cause. The patient’s clinical history and results of antibody screening tests and thyroid scans can help to determine the underlying cause.

Symptoms of Hypothyroidism

The symptoms of hypothyroidism are not always easy to distinguish from other conditions, which makes a proper diagnosis very important. Some of the symptoms of underactive thyroid gland include:

* Thrush
* Allergies, e.g. Itching Eyes, Rashes, Hives
* Heart Palpitations
* Sore Breasts
* Stomach Bloating/Digestion Problems
* Nausea
* Itching Skin
* Low Sex Drive
* Skin Problems, e.g. Wrinkles & Age Spots
* Aching Joints & Muscle Soreness, e.g. Aching Legs & Backaches
* Motion Sickness
* Dry, Tangly Hair Or Hair Loss
* Fatigue & Exhaustion
* Depression
* Constipation
* Weight Gain Or Difficulty Losing Weight
* Brittle, Split Nails
* Swelling & Puffiness in the Eyes, Face, Arms and Legs
* Poor Concentration
* Menstrual Problems, e.g. Heavy and/or Infrequent Flow

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Hyper

This gland influences many of your bodily functions, such as physical growth and development, puberty, metabolism, organ function, fertility and body temperature. Just how well the thyroid regulates these functions depends on the production of two specific hormones, called T3 and T4.

The thyroid works in conjunction with the pituitary gland in the brain. When the level of thyroid hormones drops too low, the gland in the brain produces Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) which tells the thyroid gland to produce more hormones.

However, when the thyroid gland produces too much of these hormones, our bodies use energy faster than they should. And because the thyroid controls vital systems such as metabolism and body temperature, an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) will affect the body, causing a variety of related symptoms.

Diagnosing Hyperthyroidism

A sample of blood is the best screening method of testing for hyperthyroidism. Your health care professional will want to test the levels of T4 and T3 (the thyroid hormones) as well as the levels of TSH in your blood.

These blood tests will provide an accurate picture of how the thyroid is functioning. If the doctor feels further tests are necessary they may give a radioactive iodine uptake test. The type of radioactive iodine used for the test will not harm the thyroid or pose any risk. After 24 hours special equipment is then used to measure the amount of radioactivity over the thyroid gland.

Symptoms of Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism symptoms vary and may include the following:

* Impotence in Males
* Muscle Spasms, Cramps, Twitching & Tremors
* Acne
* Eye Twitch
* Headaches
* Hair Loss
* Anger, Nervousness, Mood Swings or Feeling Anxious
* Stomach Problems
* Low Sex Drive
* Body Temperature Changes
* Nausea
* Diarrhea or Experiencing more bowel movements than usual
* Itchiness
* Fatigue
* Rapid heart beat
* Difficulty breathing
* Sweating more than usual
* Hair becoming brittle
* Losing weight regardless of the amount of food you eat

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Homeopathic remedy controls shakes, tremors, twitches and muscle spasms

Adult ADD and Relationships

Problems with relationships transpire mostly because the frustration and anger in those with symptoms of adult attention deficit disorder cools off as easily as it occurs. While others carry the hurt and anger after the event or argument, the ADD adult is left wondering as to what happened and why others are still annoyed. In addition, they are termed as egoistic and immature since they are incapable of following up on commitments.

Adult ADD may create problems with organization and planning. The most common trait that that has been observed is that of postponement of tasks that need immediate attention, even at the risk of suffering a loss, monetary or otherwise. College students have trouble in focusing on lectures and completing their assignments in time. As adults with ADD are mostly impulsive too, this often leads to monetary issues, which is one of the main reasons for a broken romantic relationship or a troubled relationship with others.

Adult ADD Medication

Once an individual has been diagnosed with and is on adult ADD medication, it is vital that the family has a proper and extensive understanding of the diagnoses and how the behaviors related with ADD can affect the entire family. The family may be required to deal with conditions like depression, anxiety, over indulgence in alcohol, and other conditions that manifest due prevalence of ADD.

If one of the two adults in a married relationship exhibits ADD symptoms, it is important that both are susceptible to each other’s weaknesses and strengths to enable the relationship to fructify and evolve positively. In such cases both the spouses become supplementary to each other, one of them has periods of spontaneity and the other acts like a stabilizer.

Adult ADD Behaviors

In cases where the non-ADD spouse fails to appreciate the procrastination and other inabilities of the ADD spouse as being medical conditions, the ADD spouse often resorts to strange behaviors in search of novel situations. Such behaviors often manifest in the form of over spending and extra marital affairs.

Most likely, once treatment of ADD starts, couples tend to expect miracles from the cure forgetting that adult ADD medication takes time to cure and may even lead to certain temporary side effects. This leads to negating the efforts already made towards nurturing relationships with ADD patients. For this purpose, family or couples therapy has to be a central part of the overall treatment. It is imperative to remember that it takes a long time to cultivate adult ADD relationships and it may take an equally long time to make long-term changes.

Adult ADD may be an explanation but that does not mean that it be made an excuse. Instead, if an effort is made to comprehend the strengths and weaknesses it may lead to managing the conditions successfully and help in developing strategies to convert those very symptoms to an advantage.

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Source: Adult ADD: Article courtesy of Native Remedies

The autistic brain

The structure of the human brain differs in many ways from that of other animals. These differences are the aspects that are responsible for the advanced cognitive skills that are seen only in humans. In an autistic brain, the entire circuitry of the brain is periled. Such a situation causes uncoordinated movements, incapability of learning, and lack of memory and language skills. It also causes large moods swings and unacceptable social behavior. Indications of an autistic brain usually surface well before a child reaches the age of three. However, the causes behind an autistic brain are still not clear to scientists and doctors.

Autism is considered to be a genetic disorder. However, the genetics of autism are complicated and not properly understood by science. The link of autism to genes has been drawn based on studies carried out among identical and fraternal twins. If one of the identical twins is autistic, the other is most likely (90% of the cases) to be autistic too. On the other hand, this probability decreases to 15 to 0% in the case of fraternal twins. This, however, only indicates a genetic predisposition. Analysis of other attempts to link genetics to autism have been inconclusive. It is hypothesized that the genes are placed in such a manner that it increases vulnerability to environmental factors like exposure to toxins and viruses. It has also been argued that autism is a combination of three different disorders like social disablement, lack of communication skills, and repetitive behaviors, which have distinguishable causes and co-occur in certain cases.

Symptoms of an Autistic Brain

An autistic brain is not characterized by individual symptoms. It is diagnosed based on a blueprint of symptoms. Apart from the most common symptoms like lack of communication skills, repetitive behavior and inability to socialize, there are other symptoms that exist which are generally independent of diagnosis. Symptoms like unusual sensory stimulation, atypical eating habits and sleep problems have been observed in some children with developmental difficulties.

Autism affects various parts of the brain, and parents normally notice signs in the first two years of the child’s life. It appears as a result of developmental factors that impair many or all of the brain functions. Autism is a highly-researched field of medical study and some of the hypotheses include:

• Too many neurons, which leads to increased connectivity between key areas of the brain.
• Abnormality in organization of synapses and dendrites.
• Unbalanced networks that excite or inhibit responses.
• Abnormal neuronal migration during early gestation period.

Managing Symptoms of an Autistic Brain

Autism can be managed for lessening family distress and increasing functional independence of autistic children. While early intervention may help in improving some of the abilities of the child, autism cannot be cured completely. Herbs and vitamins that promote mental focus are normally instrumental in improving brain health and maintaining concentration, but in the case of an autistic child, they are of minimal help.

Source: Autistic Brain: Article courtesy of Native Remedies

Because anxiety often has more than one cause and is experienced in highly individual ways, its treatment usually requires more than one type of therapy. In addition, there is no way to tell in advance how patients will respond to a specific medication, remedy or therapy.

Coping with Anxiety natural remedies

Below you will find a comprehensive set of herbal remedies from Native Remedies to help you manage and optimize your child’s health – naturally and safely.

PureCalm
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SocialFear Relief
Homeopathic remedy relieves social fear, anxiety, nervousness, shyness and stage fright
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SAD Soother
Homeopathic remedy relieves depression related to seasonal affective disorder
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MindSoothe
Promotes balanced mood, emotional health and feelings of well-being
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Calm Tonic
Homeopathic remedy relieves the effects of stress, worry and nervous tension, plus supports nervous system health
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Mood Tonic
Homeopathic remedy relieves irritability, anxiety & sadness, plus maintains healthy serotonin levels to restore balanced mood
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K-OK Kiddie Calmer
Homeopathic remedy relieves nervousness, worry, shyness and separation anxiety in children
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MindSoothe Jr.
Promotes emotional stability and balanced mood in children
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A+ Test Calmer
Deal with Normal School Exam Nerves – Stay Calm During Test Taking
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Easy AirTravel
Homeopathic remedy relieves the fear, nervousness, anxiety and panic attacks associated with flying
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The Calm Within CD
Relaxing CD promotes relaxation and reduces stress
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“How You Can Banish Hyperactivity, Cure Inattention And End The ADD/ADHD Nightmare For Good . . . Safely, Naturally And Without The Use Of Drugs”

What ADHD is:

- ADHD is a disorder that has a variety of symptoms
- Psychiatrists or mental health professionals are usually best suited to make a diagnosis
- Anywhere between five and ten percent of children have ADHD
- There are different levels of severity when it comes to ADHD

ADHD is a disorder that is not well understood. It can cause difficulties for children in school and in social situations.

Many children will continue to experience ADHD into adulthood, however, a large number will grow out of the condition.

There is no known cure for ADHD – but do not lose heart as there effective treatments available that have been demonstrated help the manage and contol of the condition.

One of the known causes of ADHD is a variation in certain chemicals that are either not released or not processed correctly by the brain.

The majority of children with ADHD will present signs by the age of seven years old.

ADHD is a challenge for the entire family. Without proper advice and preparation it can be difficult to raise a child with ADHD.

While a child with ADHD behavior may be frustrating at times it is important to remember that it is not their fault.

If your child has ADHD it is essential that you learn as much as you can about this prevalent disorder, and learn the best methods to help you, your child and your family.

* Hashimoto’s disease – This an auto-immune disease, where your antibodies, which usually ward off foreign infections or substances, turn on your own body and attack the thyroid gland, This causes inflammation in the thyroid gland, gradually affecting its ability to function and produce thyroid hormone.

* Hypothyroidism caused by thyroid gland inflammation – also called thyroiditis. This is caused when inflammation of the thyroid gland leaves a large percentage of the thyroid cells damaged and unable to produce enough hormones. This inflammation could be due to things like infection or trauma

* As a Consequence of treatment for hyperthyroidism – People who suffer from hyperthyroidism are often treated with radioactive iodine or anti-thyroid medications to reduce their thyroid function. When the function is reduced too much, hypothyroidism can result.

* Thyroid surgery – Removing all or a large portion of your thyroid can diminish hormone production. If there are not enough thyroid producing cells to satisfy the body’s needs, you will develop hypothyroidism.

* Pituitary/hypothalamic disease – You could also be at risk of developing hypothyroidism if the pituitary gland fails to produce enough TSH – the hormone responsible for ‘instructing’ the thyroid to produce T3 and T4.

* Iodine deficiency – Iodine is found primarily in seafood, seaweed, plants grown in iodine-rich soil and iodized salt and is essential for the production of thyroid hormones. Some areas of the world experience a severe iodine deficiency, for example India, Chile, Ecuador and Zaire.

* Radiation therapy – Radiation used to treat cancers of the head and neck can affect your thyroid gland and may lead to hypothyroidism.

* Medications – A number of medications (such as lithium which is often used for psychiatric disorders) can contribute to hypothyroidism. Consult your doctor about the effect of your medications on your thyroid gland.

Foods to Avoid for Those with Hyperthyroidism

Since hyperthyroidism can be the result of too much iodine in the body, it is important to limit the intake of iodized salt, kelp, seafood, sea salt and some dairy products. Refrain from lunch meat and red meat as much as possible and avoid refined foods like white bread, pasta and sugar. Instead of using high fat cooking oils, switch to olive oil or vegetable oil. Eliminate trans fatty acids in most commercially cooked foods, these include onion ring, French fries, donuts and margarine.

For infants born with hyperthyroidism, complications arise such as poor weight gain, rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, bulging eyes, diarrhea, vomiting, and difficulty breathing. Oftentimes newborns are given medication and within a few weeks their symptoms are cleared up.

Although Grave’s Disease mainly affects women above the age of 20, it can also be the cause of hyperthyroidism in adolescent children. Symptoms of hyperthyroidism in children involve restlessness and disruptive behavior at school, and are easily mistaken for something other than a thyroid condition. If the condition worsens, symptoms become more severe and include bed wetting, quickened pulse, anxiousness, heat intolerance, weight loss, rapid growth, shaking hands, muscle weakness and diarrhea.

Pregnancy and Hyperthyroidism

If you are pregnant and suspect that you may have hyperthyroidism, it is essential that you seek a professional assessment. Diagnosis and appropriate treatment is very important as hyperthyroidism in pregnancy can be dangerous for both the mother and the baby.

In some pregnant women hyperthyroidism is a pre-existing condition. However, hyperthyroidism can also develop during pregnancy. Diagnosis is usually more difficult as pregnancy can mask the symptoms. For example, fatigue and weight gain are routinely experienced with pregnancy. Blood tests for T3 and T4 may also be inaccurate during pregnancy.

The most common cause of hyperthyroidism in pregnant women is Grave’s Disease with symptoms occurring during the first half of pregnancy. In most instances, mild to moderate hyperthyroidism during pregnancy will not cause problems for mom or baby – and the pregnancy can be expected to progress normally. However, severe and chronic hyperthyroidism may cause a variety of more serious complications and a correct diagnosis and treatment is therefore vital.

It is important to ask whether certain prescription medications may be passed through the placenta to your baby, and what effect this may have on your child. While prescription medication can be effective as part of a broader treatment plan, it is not always necessary.

What is the Thyroid Gland?

The thyroid is a small endocrine gland located just below your adam’s apple and is often described visually as a butterfly having two halves or lobes.

The thyroid release hormones that influence many bodily functions, such as physical growth and development, metabolism, puberty, organ function, fertility and body temperature. These functions depend on two hormones released from the thyroid gland: tri-iodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4).

The thyroid gland can produce too much of these hormones (hyperthyroidism) or not enough (hypothyroidism). These thyroid hormones play a vital role in the body, thereby influencing all organs. They also determine how fast or how slow the organs should work and when the body systems use energy.

Diagnosing a Thyroid Disorder

A blood sample is the best screening method for any thyroid disorder. A blood analysis will help determine the levels of T4 and T3 that exist in the blood and can provide a picture of how the thyroid is functioning.

If your doctor feels further tests are necessary, they may administer a radioactive iodine uptake test. The type of radioactive iodine used for the test will not harm the thyroid or pose any risk to you. After 24 hours, special equipment is then used to measure the amount of radioactivity over the thyroid gland.

Symptoms of a Thyroid Disorder

The most common symptoms of thyroid disorders are:

* An Underactive Thyroid – Hypothyroidism
The thyroid does not produce enough hormones and many symptoms of thyroid disorder in this case are related to a slow metabolism.
* An Overactive Thyroid – Hyperthyroidism
The thyroid becomes enlarged, produces too much hormone, and the body uses energy faster than it should.

Symptoms of the above disorders include:

* fatigue
* dry, coarse skin and hair
* hair loss
* hoarse voice
* forgetfulness
* mood swings
* trouble swallowing
* weight gain or weight loss
* intolerance to temperature
* irritability/nervousness
* sleep problems
* muscle weakness/tremors
* irregular menstrual periods
* vision problems or eye irritation
* infertility

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