At least, that’s how it seems. I like to keep informed on the latest medical research regarding Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read an article with the headline that states that there is a link between a particular health condition and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. Not only that, but I suffer from some of them as well. I’m sure many of you do too.

I recently discovered that Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) has been linked to Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. How’d I discover that? Well, because I have PCOS. I have researched it. And in my research, I discovered Hashimoto’s is linked to it along with other conditions and diseases like insulin resistance, pre-diabetes, and diabetes. My latest focus is the links between Hashimoto’s and the whole slew of irritable bowel diseases. Why? Because guess what I’m going through right now! Yup, testing for GI issues. Joy.

If you have an auto-immune disease like Hashimoto’s, you should be aware that you’re at risk for any other autoimmune disease. I was already aware of that, so it came as no surprise to find articles describing links to Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis with diseases like Crohn’s, Celiac Disease, Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Sjogren’s Syndrome. Since kidney stones occur pretty frequently in patients with Sjogren’s Syndrome, I suppose it could be argued that there is a link between Hashimoto’s and kidney stones. Call it the six degrees of Hashimoto’s.

I guess my point is this, while you shouldn’t just blame all your ills on your Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, you shouldn’t just dismiss them either. There may be a link and it’s something you should bring up with your doctor to make sure. As a Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis patient, you are at risk for a great many other serious diseases. Stay vigilant. Make sure your concerns are addressed. The more you monitor your health, the easier it will be to 1) recognize new health risks sooner and 2) you’ll be able to mitigate any problems associated with those new health issues.

These factors include:

• Environmental factors such as chemicals and pesticides.
• Chronic stress. Stress can suppress your thyroid.
• Chronic inflammation from particular foods we eat.
• Nutritional deficiencies of iodine, vitamin D, omega-3 fats, selenium, zinc, vitamin A, and the B vitamins.

His 7 step plan includes some very good advice to help you get your hypothyroidism under control. In a nutshell, these steps are:

1. Treat the underlying causes of your hypothyroidism.
2. Supporting your thyroid through good nutrition.
3. Minimizing stress.
4. Boosting thyroid function via exercise.
5. Using supplements to provide the nutrients your thyroid needs.
6. Heat therapy to help eliminate toxins.
7. Thyroid hormone therapy.

For more details on Mark Hyman’s 7 step plan, view his article here.