Thyroid Eye Disease, Graves Disease, & Natural Thyroid Treatment Methods

A small percentage of people with Graves' Disease have thyroid eye disease, also known as Graves' Opthalmopathy. This is an inflammatory eye condition, and what happens is that the same antibodies which attack the thyroid gland in Graves' Disease also attack the tissues of the eyes. This condition also affects some people with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. Many people who have thyroid eye disease won't need treatment, and this condition usually will self-resolve on its own. However, some people will need treatment, and natural thyroid treatment methods might be an option.

While I'll shortly discuss the benefits of natural thyroid treatments and thyroid eye disease, sometimes medical treatment is necessary for this condition. The most common medical treatment involves using corticosteroids to help with the inflammation. In some cases, more extreme treatment methods are used. These can include immunosuppresant drugs, radiation, surgery, etc.

Can Natural Thyroid Treatments Help With Thyroid Eye Disease?

Some people with thyroid eye disease wonder if following a natural thyroid treatment protocol can cure this condition. They key is whether such a protocol is successful in restoring their overall health, and not just curing the thyroid eye disease. In other words, if someone with an autoimmune thyroid disorder follows a natural treatment protocol, and if following such a protocol restores their health back to normal, then this should help with the thyroid eye disease as well. So natural thyroid treatment methods can frequently help many people with thyroid eye disease. However, one needs to realize that it usually will take time to see some positive changes. As a result, those people looking for quick symptomatic relief from their thyroid eye disease will most likely be disappointed.

In addition, some "side effects" of thyroid eye disease might not respond well to natural thyroid treatment methods. For example, exophthalmos (bulging of the eyes) sometimes won't respond to a natural thyroid treatment protocol. This doesn't mean that someone with this problem can't have their condition reversed naturally, but there is no guarantee.

While natural thyroid treatment methods sometimes won't reverse some of the side effects of thyroid eye disease, following such a protocol can usually do a good job of preventing thyroid eye disease from developing. So if you have Graves' Disease, or even Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, beginning a natural thyroid treatment protocol can be a nice preventative measure. Of course the primary reason for using natural treatment methods shouldn't be to prevent thyroid eye disease from occurring, but rather to restore your health back to normal, whenever this is possible of course.

Radioactive Iodine Treatment May Worsen Your Condition

There are some studies which show radioactive iodine worsening the symptoms of thyroid eye disease. So if you have Graves' Disease and are thinking about receiving RAI, then you might want to reconsider. To be frank, even if you don't have thyroid eye disease you might want to hold off on receiving radioactive iodine if at all possible. After all, this is a harsh treatment method which damages the thyroid gland, and frequently makes the person hypothyroid for the rest of their life. And while hypothyroidism is usually easy to manage (although not always), many people with Graves' Disease can have their health fully restored through a natural thyroid treatment protocol.

In fact, when I was personally diagnosed with Graves' Disease, I restored my health back to normal through a natural treatment protocol. While I did consider taking the anti-thyroid drugs that were recommended to me, I didn't consider receiving RAI. This doesn't mean you should take the same approach, but you should realize that in most cases radioactive iodine should be the absolute last resort, after everything else has been tried. So whether you have thyroid eye disease or not, you might want to think twice about receiving radioactive iodine treatment.

If you do have thyroid eye disease and decide to receive RAI, and if your symptoms increase, corticosteroids will most likely be recommended. And by the way, even if you have already received radioactive iodine therapy, it isn't too late to follow a natural thyroid treatment protocol. While it isn't always possible to fully restore the health of someone who has received radioactive iodine treatment, many people can still benefit from these treatment methods. Some people can still have their health restored back to normal if their thyroid gland wasn't completely destroyed, while many who can't have their health completely restored can still benefit from following a natural treatment protocol.

Combining Conventional & Natural Thyroid Treatment Methods

For those people with thyroid eye disease who are unsure whether to choose conventional medical treatment or a natural treatment protocol, there is the option to do both. In other words, you can always receive conventional medical treatments to help manage the symptoms, and at the same time begin a natural thyroid treatment protocol to restore your health back to normal. This is a good option for those who have severe symptoms, since natural thyroid treatment methods usually take some time to "kick in".

For those who are skeptical about the safety and effectiveness of natural thyroid treatments, just keep in mind that there are risks with any type of treatment. However, in most cases, natural treatment methods are very safe, and usually don't cause the side effects that many conventional medical treatments will cause. As for the effectiveness, my personal success story is proof that natural treatment methods can restore someone's health back to normal. Obviously not everyone is an ideal candidate for a natural thyroid treatment protocol. However, as mentioned before, most people can receive benefits from following such a protocol, even if their condition can't be completely cured.

Consult With A Natural Endocrine Doctor

While it might be tempting to self-treat your condition using supplements you purchase at a health food store, it is best to speak with an expert. That is why anyone with thyroid eye disease who is thinking about following a natural thyroid treatment protocol should consult with a competent natural endocrine doctor. Such a doctor will evaluate your condition on an individual basis to see if you're a good candidate for a natural thyroid treatment protocol. If you are, then he or she will give you their recommendations, and then of course it's up to you whether or not you want to comply.

In summary, if you have thyroid eye disease, then natural thyroid treatment methods can potentially help restore your overall health back to normal. For those who don't have thyroid eye disease, but have Graves' Disease or Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, a natural treatment protocol can usually prevent thyroid eye disease from developing. And if you aren't completely comfortable with natural treatment methods, just keep in mind that you can combine both conventional medical treatments with a natural thyroid treatment protocol.

For more information on how to treat Hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease through natural treatment methods, please visit my facebook fan page, Graves Disease and Hyperthyroidism: Natural Treatment Solutions (and don't forget to Like the page while you're there!).