Do you have a thyroid condition?

According to Western medicine, hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are caused by abnormal levels of thyroid hormone. Hypothyroidism is when thyroid hormone is too low; hyperthyroidism is when it is too high. The symptoms of each condition are the opposite of one another.

According to TCM theory, both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are due to an unbalanced condition. Hypothyroidism shows more “cold” type symptoms due to Yang deficiency, whereas hyperthyroidism shows more ”fire” type symptoms due to Yin deficiency.

With regard to hypothyroidism, the nature of Yang is hot and so if Yang is weak it cannot warm the body. As a result, symptoms like cold intolerance, water retention, low heart rate, fatigue, decreased sweating, depression, infertility and low libido are commonly seen. These symptoms are all considered to be “cold” type symptoms.

With regard to hyperthyroidism, the nature of Yin is cold and so since it cannot balance Yang, the body will feel too warm. In this case, symptoms like increased appetite, anxiety, intolerance to heat, hair loss, hyperactivity, irritability, and sweating will be seen. These symptoms are regarded as “fire” type symptoms, and they can be made worse by emotional stress.

In order to rebalance the thyroid, we generally use acupuncture and herbs to increase Yang, or restrain Yang and tonify Yin. Yang can be increased by moxibustion or Chinese herbal medicine, which will warm the body and get rid of the “cold” type symptoms. And Yin can also be increased via acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine in order to restrain Yang and reduce the “hot” type symptoms.

It is tricky to find the right dose of synthetic thyroid hormone, and sometimes the incorrect dose can shift hypothyroidism into hyperthyroidism and vice versa. The TCM treatment for both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism has no such problem, and eventually, for some patients (not all), the body will return to balance, in which case they will no longer need TCM treatment nor their Western medication.

Treating thyroid conditions takes time though. It typically takes a minimum of 3 to 6 months to stabilize the condition (possibly longer depending on the person), but this is substantially better than having to take Western medication for the rest of your life.