The thyroid gland is an extremely important organ that is needed for the body to function properly. It produces hormones that contain iodine. These hormones are essential for human growth and development. But the thyroid gland, like other organs, can be exposed to negative environmental influences and diseases, as a result of which it must be treated. Depending on the diagnosis and the degree of neglect of the disease, both chemical preparations and various procedures or traditional medicine are usually used to treat the thyroid gland. Each of these methods has its own characteristics, different effectiveness and degree of impact on the body, so it is important to use exactly the approach that is suitable in your particular case. 

Only a qualified specialist can diagnose the disease and prescribe the appropriate course of therapy. If you have any suspicions or symptoms of the disease, do not treat yourself – it may harm you! Seek professional help from an endocrinologist.

Treatment of the thyroid gland with folk remedies
Of course, official medicine today shows incredible progress and offers a huge number of effective drugs. But often such drugs have strong side effects on the human body and can lead to various complications. As an alternative to chemicals, herbalists recommend turning to the recipes of traditional medicine, because herbal treatment is a natural and safe way to influence the cause of the disease, in addition, folk remedies allow you to get rid of the disease without hormones and other active substances that have a large number of contraindications.

We have put together some recipes for you to treat thyroid problems.

With hypothyroidism

1. Powder from kelp take three times a day, diluting ½ tsp. in a glass of water.
2. Take 15 g of dried lily of the valley flowers per 100 g of alcohol, leave for 5-7 days. Take 10 drops three times a day. Dilute the alcoholic infusion with water before use.
3. Potentilla root is used not only for the manufacture of dietary supplements to maintain the gland, but can also be used for treatment with folk methods at home. Mix the root of this plant, nettle leaves, gorse, dandelion root, cocklebur, carrot seeds (in a ratio of 1: 3: 1: 1: 2: 1). Mix well. Take 1 tbsp. l. collection for ½ liter of water, cook for 5 minutes after boiling. Cool to room temperature, drain. Add 2 ml of alcoholic infusion from the walnut partitions. Drink four times a day – 25 ml. Can be combined with kelp powder.  
4. Prepare a mixture of 1 kg of honey, 100 g of garlic (chopped), 300 g of peeled walnuts and 50 g of anise seeds. Stir until smooth before each use. Drink 1 tbsp. l. funds half an hour before meals.
5. Mix flowers of wild strawberry, bedstraw, thyme, budra, mountain ash and woodlice grass (in equal parts). Brew 1 tbsp. l. collection in 200 ml of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes. Drink in the morning on an empty stomach.

With thyroiditis

1. Mix 1 tbsp. l. buckwheat, 5 walnut kernels (pre-chopped) and 1 tbsp of honey. Take in small portions throughout the day. Consume every three days.
2. Take 1 tbsp. hawthorn flowers, pour 1/2 liter of alcohol or vodka. Insist 7 days. Take, previously diluted in a 1: 5 ratio with drinking water (up to 20 g of diluted infusion three times a day before meals).
3. Insist 1 tsp. celandine leaves in 200 ml of boiling water for an hour. Strain, drink 150 ml of liquid. This folk method is also suitable for external use – you can make compresses, lubricate the gland area.
4. Insist 2 tbsp. l. sweet clover in 200 ml of boiling water for 1 hour. Consume 100 ml at a time, 3 times a day before meals.
5. Boil 1 tbsp. l. St. John’s wort in 200 g of water (cook for 5 minutes). Insist half an hour. Drink ½ glass three times a day. Or alcohol infusion: 1 part St. John’s wort to 5 parts of vodka (leave for 7 days), drink 1 tsp. three times a day.

With goiter

1. Grind ½ kg of red onion in a meat grinder, place in cheesecloth and attach to the neck. Fasten and insulate, leave for 2 hours. Course – twice a week, 8 times in total.
2. For 200 g of boiling water, take 1 tbsp. l. chamomile flowers. Boil for 10 minutes, leave for 4 hours. Drink half a glass after meals.
3. For 200 g of water, take 1 tbsp. l. red rowan berries, cook for 10 minutes. Infuse the broth for half an hour, take 100 ml three times a day.
4. Drink 50 ml of freshly squeezed juice from arnica berries three times a day before main meals (30 minutes).
5. For 200 g of boiling water, take 2 tbsp. l. berries, leave for 2 hours. Drink 100 ml 3-4 times a day. The course lasts up to 30 days, then a break for 1-2 months is required.

Important! If you are using traditional medicine in combination with drug treatment, radioiodine therapy or planning a surgery , be sure to notify your doctor about the medications you are taking!     

Treatment of the thyroid gland with radioactive iodine

Radioactive iodine treatment is used as an alternative treatment. It can be used for diagnoses and situations such as:

• cancer (papillary and follicular); 
• hyperthyroidism, which has arisen against the background of benign formations;
• thyrotoxicosis, which has arisen as a complication of hyperthyroidism;
• diffuse toxic goiter;
• high risk of complications after surgery;
• previous operations on the gland.

The essence of the method lies in the destruction of the gland tissue (healthy and damaged cells) under the influence of radiation. As a result of the influence of radioactive iodine, hypothyroidism develops (in this case, this is the expected result of therapy), after which a course of substitution treatment is carried out. The action is irreversible, its result can be seen several months after treatment.  

Beta rays of low penetration ability do not threaten the tissues adjacent to the gland.

Preparing for treatment

• medications taken are canceled no later than 4 days before the start of treatment;
• a drug absorption test is performed by the body;
• pregnancy is excluded (relevant for women of reproductive age);
• the transition to the dietary menu is carried out (2 weeks in advance).

Possible negative consequences

• dry mouth;
• edema;
• pain in the location of the salivary glands, in the neck and tongue;
• nausea, vomiting;
• sore throat;
• violation of taste;
• increased fatigue;
• pain in muscle tissues, joints;
• dry eyes;
• depression;
• exacerbation of chronic pathologies.

The procedure is not performed while the child is being carried. During lactation, breastfeeding is stopped for the duration of treatment (a week after the session). The patient requires outpatient monitoring until the stabilization of hormone production. In rare cases, the procedure is repeated.

Thyroid medications

Depending on the disease, its stage and how it proceeds, doctors prescribe medications for the thyroid gland. Most of them are used to replenish the lack of iodine in the body. As a rule, these are medicines based on liothyronine , potassium iodide, levothyroxine . We have collected for you popular drugs, their advantages, disadvantages and contraindications:  

Name	Active substance	Benefits	disadvantages	Contraindications
Endocrinol	Flavonoids , saponins, vitamin E. Consists of plant materials – cinquefoil, stellate, palm and linseed oils.	Rapid stabilization of the hormonal profile, increasing skin elasticity, improving metabolic processes in the body.	For the result, it is recommended to combine with the gel. With prolonged use, allergic manifestations are possible.	Age up to 12 years, pregnancy, lactation, atypical immune response to dietary supplements , severe gastrointestinal pathologies.
Iodine asset	Iodcasein	Effective prevention of iodine deficiency. The drug makes up for the lack of a substance in the body.	In case of an overdose, symptoms of excess iodine are observed: sore throat, nausea, vomiting.	Allergies, excess iodine in the body.
Iodine balance	Potassium iodide	It is used to eliminate goiter caused by iodine deficiency. Prevents relapse after the end of hormone therapy or surgery. Effective for diffuse euthyroid goiter (age category – from birth to middle age).	It is forbidden for therapy with radioactive iodine and for suspected or diagnosed malignant tumors.	Dühring’s dermatitis (herpetiform type), thyrotoxicosis, nodular goiter, toxic adenoma, allergy.
Yodomarin	Potassium iodide	Quickly replenishes the lack of iodine in the body. Approved for therapy and prophylaxis in pregnant and lactating women. Suitable for relapse prevention.	Incompatible with some drugs – containing lithium, potassium-sparing diuretics.	Hyperthyroidism, intolerance to the components of the drug, toxic adenoma.
Potassium iodide	Potassium iodide	Prevents recurrence of goiter after surgery. It is used for the prevention and treatment of endemic goiter.	It is permissible for pregnant women to use only in the 1st trimester at a dosage not exceeding 30 mcg. Penetrates into breast milk, during therapy, lactation must be interrupted. May cause allergic reactions, sleep disturbances, diarrhea, sweating, tachycardia and irritability.	Allergy to the components of the drug, latent and pronounced hyperthyroidism, Duhring’s disease, toxic adenoma, renal failure.
Thyroidin	A hormonal preparation obtained from natural raw materials – the thyroid gland of animals (thyroxine and triiodothyronine ).	Differs in fast action, fights atherosclerosis – lowers cholesterol levels. Effective for cretinism, a sharp deterioration in the thyroid gland, oncological formations and obesity, complicated by hypothyroidism.	May cause an attack of angina pectoris, allergies, tachycardia. In case of an overdose, symptoms of intoxication occur – sweating, heart palpitations, increased excitability.	General depletion of the body. Diabetes. Allergic reaction, severe coronary insufficiency, thyrotoxicosis, Addison’s disease .
Mercazolil	Thiamazole	Effective in the treatment of toxic diffuse goiter, Plummer’s disease , thyrotoxic crisis. It is used at the stage of preparation for surgery for thyrotoxicosis and in preparation for radioiodine therapy and the latency period.	It is able to provoke the development of a large number of side effects: liver dysfunction , joint pain, drug-type hypothyroidism, leukopenia, goitrogenic effect, allergies, joint pain, baldness. It is prescribed with caution with cardiac glycosides.	Do not use for nodular forms of goiter, during pregnancy and lactation, leukopenia, allergies to the components of the drug.

Treatment with drugs of any group can be started only after consultation with a specialist and a proper examination! Self-medication and ignoring the problem can cause complications, active progression of pathology and undesirable effects after uncontrolled intake of drugs.

Treatment of the thyroid gland in women

Thyroid pathologies can affect reproductive function in women, so it is especially important to pay attention to the characteristic symptoms of the disease as early as possible, and promptly start treatment with medications or folk remedies.

Traditional methods will help restore disturbed metabolic processes, eliminate unpleasant symptoms, and restore the menstrual cycle.

Treatment of the thyroid gland in men

Therapy for thyroid diseases in men does not differ significantly from the treatment of other categories of patients, but there are differences in symptoms and complications:

1. Hypothyroidism is accompanied by erectile dysfunction.
2. Thyrotoxicosis is characterized by the following symptoms: decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction, thickening of the front of the legs and the back of the feet. Complications arise in the form of osteoporosis, fragility of bone tissue. Cases of heart attack are increasing.

The rest of the symptoms do not differ, the therapy has no peculiarities, except that thyrotoxicosis is more severe in men, and more often requires a longer treatment with a combination of medicines and folk remedies.

Treatment of the thyroid gland in children

For the treatment of the thyroid gland in children, it is important to accurately classify the disease – the causes of its occurrence play a large role in the choice of therapeutic measures.  

1. Congenital hypothyroidism (cretinism) occurs in 1 in 4000 newborns and, in the absence of timely therapy, can cause irreversible changes in various body systems and especially seriously affect the brain. The detection of pathology at the age of 1-1.5 months can significantly improve the situation and preserve the functioning of organs. Intelligence depends on how early action is taken. If the course of treatment is started after 1-1.5 months of the child’s life, the consequences will be irreversible. 
2. Acquired hypothyroidism can be suspected of a deterioration in the physical and mental condition of the child. In the absence of timely treatment, there is a violation of all organ systems, mental retardation, and death is possible.
3. Thyrotoxicosis occurs at the age of 3-12 years. Often combined with Cushing’s , Albright ‘s syndromes , acromegaly, and early sexual development. The disease in newborns is extremely rare and most often goes away without any therapeutic measures during the first months of life.
4. Thyroiditis is a group of inflammatory diseases, accounting for 1-2% of all cases of thyroid disease. Requires antibiotic-based treatment.

In order to treat children, it is extremely important to diagnose the disease as soon as possible. Only correctly selected therapy can get rid of the disease and associated changes that provoke serious metabolic disorders and the child’s nervous system.