Infectious agents and auto-immune thyroid disease

Major Causes of Thyroid Disease

Over the last few weeks, I have written articles that described some of the major causes of thyroid disease.  This week, I am going to cover the last major factor that lead to hormonal issues.

We have learned that chlorine and gluten are two important triggers of thyroid problems. The last one is infectious agents.

Micro-organisms such as Rubella, Epstein-Barr Virus, retrovirus, Influenza B virus, Coxsakie virus and Yersinia are well-know to trigger or contribute to thyroid dysfunction and hormonal imbalance.  The mechanism behind this is what scientists called “mimicry”. In other words, these infectious agents release in the body molecules that are almost identical to the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) receptors located in the thyroid gland itself. Once the body detects these molecules, it will produce antibodies that will destroy them. The problem is that these antibodies start attacking the thyroid gland as well, leading to auto-immune thyroid disorders, such as Hashimoto’s, Grave’s disease, hypothyroidism, among others.

If your thyroid does not seem to stabilize despite medication or anything else you might be doing or might have tried, I can almost guarantee that an infectious agent is involved. Addressing this would be the key to stabilize the thyroid and help you regain your health.

If you have any comments, please feel free to contact me.

yours in health,
Dr Serge