Thyroid Disorder Treatment in Boca Raton, FL

While estimates suggest over 20 million people in the U.S. suffer with Thyroid Disorders, the real number is thought to be considerably higher. When it comes to Thyroid Disorders, some believe more than 60 percent of cases remain undetected – even when people seek medical attention for their symptoms.

Getting screened by a doctor who is experienced in diagnosing and treating Thyroid Disorders is crucial because Thyroid Disorders, left untreated, can be life threatening. Thyroid Disorders can wreak havoc with your overall health, and they can even lead to serious conditions like heart disease.

At Manhattan Integrative Medicine of South Florida, located in Boca Raton, we can help you find out if the symptoms you are experiencing are caused by Thyroid Disorders. To schedule your consultation with Florida’s top integrative and functional medicine doctor who specializes in thyroid health issues, complete the form below or call us at (754) 247-0122 today!

What is a Thyroid Disorder?

Thyroid Disorders can impact the overall performance of your entire endocrine system and every aspect of your health. The list includes diseases that involve the functioning of your thyroid gland. Some of the common conditions that may sound familiar include Hashimoto’s Disease, Hyperthyroidism or Thyroid Eye Disease (TED).

The thyroid is a tiny gland located just beneath your Adam’s apple. It’s about the size and shape of a small butterfly. Even though it’s small, it has a huge impact on your physical and mental health, your energy levels, and even hormonal health.

Unlike other hormones, receptors for thyroid hormones are found in every cell of the human body, regulating the function of every cell, organ and system in your body. When your thyroid makes either too little or too much of these essential hormones, you are considered to have a Thyroid Disorder.

What are the Different Types of Thyroid Disorders?

Thyroid disease can range from mild thyroiditis to end-stage thyroid cancer. The most common Thyroid Disorder involves Hypothyroidism — too little hormone production. A much smaller percentage of thyroid patients suffer from Hyperthyroidism, in which the thyroid produces too much thyroid hormone.

Thyroiditis involves inflammation of the thyroid gland. Hashimoto’s is the most common type of thyroiditis. An autoimmune disease where your body makes antibodies that attack the cells in your thyroid, Hashimoto’s causes the thyroid to produce too little thyroid hormone, leading to Hypothyroidism. Graves’ Disease, on the other hand, causes your thyroid to produce too much, resulting in Hyperthyroidism.

Both Graves’ and Hashimoto’s fall into another class of Thyroid Disorders that are autoimmune conditions that impact the thyroid Thyroid Eye Disease (TED) is another autoimmune disease in which your immune system attacks the tissue behind your eyes, leading to serious ocular conditions.

Your thyroid can be impacted by a number of different Thyroid Diseases, with a complex array of symptoms that often mimic other diseases. Teasing out causes, symptoms and an accurate diagnosis is not a task for the feint of heart. It’s a process that requires years of expertise and training in thyroid function with a functional and integrative medicine approach.

Causes of Thyroid Disorders

From autoimmune disease to a simple iodine deficiency, there are a myriad of potential causes, but the exact cause of each separate Thyroid Disorder is not always clear. Some of the causes could include:

• Certain medications
• Specific medical conditions
• Injury to the thyroid gland
• Surgical removal of part or all of the thyroid
• Other Thyroid Disorders like Hashimoto’s, an autoimmune disease that attacks the thyroid gland and generally leads to Hypothyroidism
• Radiation treatment of the thyroid
• Iodine deficiency
• Congenital Hypothyroidism, which is present at birth

Risk Factors for Thyroid Disorders

Thyroid Disorders can impact anyone – regardless of general health condition. It can develop at any age, in any ethnicity, but common risk factors include:

Age: Roughly 1 in 4 adults over age 65 exhibit some level of thyroid dysfunction.

Gender: It’s expected that women are five to eight times as likely to develop Thyroid Disorders - especially after menopause or pregnancy. One in eight females have some form of thyroid disease.

Genetics: A family history of Thyroid Disease makes you more likely to develop a thyroid condition.

Autoimmune Disease: If you are already suffering with an autoimmune disease like Celiac Disease, Type 1 Diabetes or Lupus, you are more likely to develop a thyroid-related autoimmune disease like Hashimoto’s, Graves’ Disease or TED.

Symptoms of Thyroid Disorders

There are a wide range of symptoms that could signal the onset of Thyroid Disease, and every individual has his or her own unique experience. We take not only your physical symptoms, but your emotional symptoms into consideration as we assess your condition.

An underactive thyroid – or Hypothyroidism (the more common type) – can exhibit any or all of the following symptoms:

• Fatigue
• Weight gain
• Constipation
• Poor memory, problems concentrating or brain fog
• Hair loss
• Joint pain and stiffness
• Puffy eyes/face
• Brittle hair and nails
• Sleep disturbance
• Dry or thinning skin
• Fertility problems
• Fluid retention
• Depression
• Cold hands and feet
• Low body temperature
• Muscle pain
• Sexual dysfunction
• Irregular periods

An overactive thyroid – Hyperthyroidism - presents with a completely opposite constellation of symptoms, including:

• Weight loss
• Diarrhea
• Feeling overheated/sweating
• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Palpitations
• High blood pressure
• Vision difficulties
• Eye sensitivity

A proper diagnosis is required for effective treatment. It’s the first step in your treatment journey.

Diagnosing Thyroid Disorders

If you are experiencing symptoms of Thyroid Disorders, our goal is to uncover the source of your symptoms, so that we can effectively diagnose and treat your condition. We recommend that you prepare a list of symptoms prior to your first consultation.

Other medical conditions can mimic the symptoms of Thyroid Disorders, so it is important to accurately diagnose your particular Thyroid Disorder with a comprehensive medical evaluation and thorough testing. At your initial consultation, we will conduct a full assessment of your symptoms and a complete medical history to accurately diagnose a thyroid issue and rule out other conditions that may have similar symptoms. We will also review current medications, lifestyle factors, and other health concerns.

As a first step in diagnosing Thyroid Disease and its symptoms, we use blood tests to determine if you are falling in the optimal range. Almost all of our patients have had their thyroid values tested and been told that they are "normal," but in conventional medicine, the range for normal thyroid function is very broad. We want to see your thyroid levels in a narrower range, which is more reflective of optimal or healthy thyroid function.

We utilize hormone testing to optimize your hormone levels. We also want to determine if the cause of your thyroid imbalance is due to an autoimmune condition.

A diagnosis is not based solely on TSH but on a combination of the patient’s symptoms, hands-on clinical examination, imaging tests, medical and family history, and comprehensive lab work.

Not everyone seeks help with Thyroid Disorders. But it’s important to seek a proper diagnosis. Not only can severe Thyroid Disorders be accompanied by symptoms that cause unnecessary suffering, but hormone imbalances or decline can also sometimes lead to serious medical conditions if left untreated – like heart disease.

At Manhattan Integrative Medicine of South Florida, located in Boca Raton, FL, we have a great deal of experience in diagnosing Thyroid Disorders and have had great success in treating the condition among our patients.

Treatment Options for Thyroid Disorders

Dr. Borenstein will create a customized treatment plan for your specific health concerns to restore your thyroid health. The specific course of treatment varies with each individual patient, especially since thyroid symptoms may present differently in each person – and uniquely depending on what the Thyroid Disorder is. We will create a treatment plan designed just for you and your condition.

At Manhattan Integrative Medicine pf South Florida in Boca Raton, we focus on finding the thyroid treatments that work best and safely for you. Treatment options offered include natural desiccated thyroid (Armour Thyroid, Nature-Throid), Cytomel (T3), slow release T3, compounded thyroid medications, and synthetic thyroid medications, including the hypo-allergenic, liquid levothyroxine capsule Tirosint.

For patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Manhattan Integrative Medicine can develop innovative programs to help lower antibodies with diet, supplements, and cutting-edge Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) therapy.

Lifestyle changes, like incorporating more movement into your life and changing what you eat, are a good place to start. Medical weight loss using Tirzepatide or Semaglutide can also address excess weight, which is a significant and troubling symptom of some Thyroid Disorders.

In addition to thyroid hormones, other treatment options may include:

• Targeted vitamins, herbs and supplements
• Recommended lifestyle modifications that support thyroid health
• Medical nutrition plan to optimize thyroid hormone balance (even if weight is not an issue)
• Stress management
• Identifying and addressing food sensitivities
• Evaluating and addressing toxic environmental exposure that may be contributing to thyroid dysfunction
• Assessing and treating allergies
• And more!

Did you know that testing and treating thyroid dysfunction can in some cases help resolve other hormonal issues – or at the very least reduce them – including issues with sexual hormones. Some sexual health issues improve greatly once your thyroid is functioning properly.

As one of the top functional medicine doctors in Florida, Dr. Borenstein offers the most effective treatment options for Thyroid Disorders. There are so many effective treatment options available for Thyroid Disorders and other hormonal issues, so schedule your consultation today.

What to Expect from your Thyroid Disorders Consultation

Our approach always involves seeing the human body as a single entity rather than as individual organs or metabolic processes. Since every part of the body is interconnected with every other part, any illness that affects one specific part of the body has a profound impact on the rest.

At Manhattan Integrative Medicine in Boca Raton, FL, we offer the most up-to-date testing and diagnostics, along with a cutting-edge functional and integrative medicine approach and a powerful focus on prevention, so you can avoid illness, injury and disease and maintain renewed health and freedom from troublesome symptoms that come with conditions like Thyroid Disorders.

We recommend that you prepare a list of current symptoms – whether or not they are related to your Thyroid Disorders - prior to your first consultation. On your first visit, Dr. Borenstein will discuss your family medical history, personal medical history, lifestyle, daily stressors, diet, exercise habits, and current medications. He may also conduct blood, saliva or urine tests, as necessary.

Request your consultation today.

Dr. David Borenstein is a top functional medicine practitioner in Florida who recognizes that each individual patient requires a prevention and treatment regimen tailored to an individual health profile and specific medical and family history. Dr. Borenstein has an established history of helping his patients heal from illness and restore overall health and longevity.

Call Manhattan Integrative Medicine of South Florida in Boca Raton FL at (754) 247-0122 for an initial phone consultation or complete our quick online form.

Serving patients in Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Jupiter, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Parkland, Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach, Coconut Creek, Coral Springs, Fort Lauderdale, Weston, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Aventura, Miami and the surrounding Palm Beach, Broward and Dade County, Florida communities.