The Treatment of Modern Western - Biblio.nhat-nam.ru

32HASHIMOTO’S THYROIDITISHashimoto’s disease is a form of autoimmune thyroiditisleading to hypothyroidism. It is also called lymphadenoidgoiter, chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, struma lymphomatosa,and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. It is a slowly developing,persistent inflammation of the thyroid resulting indecreased function of the gland. Although this conditionmay occur at any age, it is most common among middleagedwomen. Its incidence is 1 out of 10,000. Risk factors,besides being a woman, include having a family history ofthyroid disease. This condition is frequently associated withother autoimmune endocrine disorders, such as diabetesmellitus, Addison’s disease, Grave’s disease, hypoparathyroidism,hypopituitarism, and vitiligo Its symptoms includeintolerance to cold, weight gain, fatigue, constipation, andan enlarged neck or the presence of goiter. Other symptomswhich may be associated with this condition include jointstiffness and facial edema.The Western medical diagnosis of this condition is primarilybased on laboratory tests for determining thyroid function,such as T4, T3 resin uptake, serum TSH, and T3.Thyroid antibodies are frequently present, such as antithyroidmicrosomal antibody and antithyroglobulin antibody.This disease may also alter the results of the following tests:radioactive iodine uptake, blood differential, and antimitochondralantibody. Because its onset is slow and its symptomsmay be caused by a number of other conditions, thisdisease is often not detected. If the thyroid is not or is onlyslightly enlarged and there is no sign of thyroid deficiency,Western treatment may only consist of regular monitoringand observation which obviously does nothing to alleviatethe patient’s symptoms. Thyroid hormone replacement therapywith levothyrosine may be given if there is a large goiteror if the hormone is deficient. If thyroiditis is severe, corticosteriodsmay be prescribed short-term to allay the inflammation.CHINESE DISEASE CATEGORIZATION: Goiter inChinese medicine is categorized as ying liu, ying, and ying qi.Fatigue is pi juan or xu lao, vacuity taxation, obesity is feipang, constipation is bian bi, joint stiffness is bi zheng,impediment condition, and facial edema is mian fu.DISEASE CAUSES: Former heaven natural endowmentinsufficiency, unregulated eating and drinking, unregulatedstirring and stillness, i.e., activity and rest, internal damageby the seven affects, and agingDISEASE MECHANISMS: In women, the blood rules.Because blood is either lost or consumed via menstruation,gestation, and/or lactation and the spleen is the source ofblood engenderment and transformation, women are moreprone to spleen vacuity than men. By the mid-30s, thespleen is becoming vacuous and weak in most Westernwomen. This tendency is compounded by over-eating sugarsand sweets, sodden wheat foods, i.e., pastas and breads, andchilled, uncooked foods and drinks, too much thinking,worry, and anxiety, too much fatigue, and too little exercise.It may also be compounded by over-use of antibiotics. Inaddition, unfulfilled desires and/or anger may lead to liverdepression, and a depressed liver may invade the spleen furtherweakening it. Because the spleen is the latter heavensource of qi engenderment and transformation, qi vacuitymay lead to fatigue. Because yang is nothing other than a lotof qi, spleen qi vacuity may lead to yang vacuity, with yangvacuity resulting in fear of cold. Since the spleen governs themovement and transformation of water fluids in the body,spleen vacuity may lead to facial edema. If dampness collectsand accumulates, it may congeal into phlegm, causingphlegm nodulation and goiter in the neck and obesity ingeneral. Yang vacuity may lead to a defensive qi vacuity witheasy entrance of wind, cold, and/or damp evils. If these evilslodge in the channels and network vessels obstructing the