Did you know that women are five to eight times more likely than men to have thyroid problems?! In fact, one woman in eight will develop a thyroid disorder during her lifetime.
And up to 60 percent of those with thyroid disease are unaware of their condition. Yikes!
So let’s talk about thyroid conditions. In this article, I’ll share about the signs of hypothyroidism, common causes, and how to support healthy thyroid function from the Ayurvedic perspective.
What Does the Thyroid Do?
Your thyroid’s major function is to control your metabolism through the production and release of metabolic hormones. In Ayurveda, hormones and metabolism fall under the domain of pitta dosha. The thyroid’s function of metabolism is synonymous with the Ayurvedic concept of Agni or digestive fire.
The thyroid gland is one of the most important and sensitive endocrine glands. It easily responds to stress, hence the global incidence of hypothyroidism is rising rapidly.
Hypothyroidism
Underactive thyroid or Hypothyroidism is the most common thyroid disorder, and it is thought to affect around six to ten per cent of women. The most common cause of primary hypothyroidism is the autoimmune condition Hashimoto’s disease.
From the Ayurvedic perspective, an underactive thyroid is a kapha condition. The qualities of kapha are heavy and slow which align with the symptoms of an underactive thyroid. Slow metabolism or manda agni is common amongst kapha individuals and those with a kapha imbalance.
Signs of Hypothyroidism
Vertigo
Fatigue and Weakness
Weight gain and hard to lose weight
Tendency for constipation
Tendency to feel depressed
Intolerance to cold
Coarse, brittle or lusterless hair
Dry, scaling, flaking skin, cracked heels
Brittle, splitting, curved or ridged nails
Rounded puffy face
Puffy around eyes or droopy/baggy eyelids
Thinning or loss of outer third of eyebrows or poor hair growth on lower legs
Redness to skin on front of neck
Swollen/puffy ankles or legs
Slow resting heart rate (less than 65)
Causes of Hypothyroidism
As mentioned, autoimmune conditions such as Hashimoto’s can cause hypothyroidism. Likewise, damage to the thyroid caused by thyroiditis, radiation or surgery can contribute. An imbalance of iodine in the diet can also cause hypothyroidism and in some cases, goiter. There’s also an interesting correlation between the thyroid and the fifth chakra or throat chakra. This represents an inability to speak your truth because it is somehow repressed or blocked.
A major cause of thyroid conditions is stress. From the Ayurvedic perspective, stress contributes to an imbalance of vata dosha which is involved in all disease processes. When stress stems from high tejas or overwork, it burns ojas or immunity and vitality, causing auto-immune conditions to manifest.
So from the Ayurvedic perspective, all three doshas are involved but hypothyroidism can be seen as primarily a kapha imbalance. The symptoms of slow metabolism, weight gain, heaviness, depression and coldness are all kapha qualities. This heaviness or coating by kapha dosha and excess meda dhatu (fat tissue) prevents pitta dosha from its cellular level functions, thus impairing agni.
How to Treat
All treatment in Ayurveda is individualized and based on the root cause of the illness. First, we work to remove the cause of the illness (diet, lifestyle, stressors, etc) then treat kapha and vata doshas.
All individuals will benefit from strengthening agni or digestion and incorporating kapha balancing measures. A focus on diet, exercise, reducing toxic exposure and managing stress (vata dosha) will be highly beneficial.
In addition to Ayurvedic diet and lifestyle, herbs can be very beneficial. In a clinical trial, when given Ayurvedic herbs, every single patient showed improvement. In fact, 33.3% showed excellent improvement, while marked improvement was reported by 53.33% of the patients, moderate improvement was found in 6.66% of the patients and same number of patients, that is, 6.66% showed mild improvement. It is important to consult an Ayurvedic practitioner before taking herbs.
Your practitioner may also recommend therapies of Panchakarma (Ayurvedic cleansing), meditation, pranayama and yoga to support your healing.
A Beacon of Hope in a Sea of Pharmaceuticals
Even though thyroid conditions are becoming more common, Ayurveda offers solutions beyond taking synthetic thyroid medication. The holistic approach will address the root cause of disease and heal your mind, body and spirit.
If you’re interested in Ayurvedic support for your thyroid condition, book a free clarity call today.
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