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DESCRIPTION:
Thank you for your interest in the Natural Medicine approach to treating disease and healthy living! Caring Medical is currently a full time Prolotherapy doctor's office, headed by Ross Hauser, MD and we are blessed to fill the needs of patients seeking an alternative to surgery. We are accepting new patients and athletes suffering from chronic pain, sports injuries, and arthritis for treatment with Prolotherapy. Due to this large demand in Prolotherapy, we are not currently accepting new patients for natural medicine conditions, this includes autoimmune conditions, weight loss, menopause, hormones, or cancer. Through the years, we have seen so many lives turn around for the better with some of the methods discussed on this page, and encourage you to seek a Natural Medicine practitioner at www.acam.org.
First described by Sir Robert Graves in the early 19th century, Graves' disease is an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, causing the overproduction of thyroid hormone (thyroxine). Normally, thyroid hormone regulates cell metabolism. A higher metabolism, as in Grave's disease, can lead to myriad health problems.
How does Graves' disease develop?
Normally, the immune system uses naturally occurring antibodies to help protect against viruses, bacteria and foreign substances (antigens) that invade your body. In Graves' disease, the immune system mistakenly attacks the thyroid gland, but instead of destroying the gland, an antibody stimulates the thyroid to make excessive amounts of thyroid hormone.
The thyroid is part of the endocrine system, which is made up of several glands and tissues that produce hormones. These chemical messengers coordinate many of the body's activities, from digestion to metabolism to reproduction. Thyroxine controls the metabolism of cells.
Exactly why the immune system begins to produce these antibodies is unclear. However, doctors believe a combination of factors including heredity, sex and age may determine the likelihood of developing Graves' disease. Studies show, for example, that if one identical twin contracts Graves' disease, the other twin has a 50 percent chance of contracting the disease as well. Also, women are more likely than men to develop the disease. In addition, smokers who develop Graves' disease are more prone to eye problems than nonsmokers with the disease.
What are the symptoms of Graves' disease ?
The symptoms of Graves' disease vary. The common symptoms include weight loss despite increased appetite; faster heart rate, higher blood pressure, and increased nervousness; excessive perspiration; increased sensitivity to heat; more frequent bowel movements; muscle weakness and trembling hands; development of a goiter (enlargement of the thyroid gland, causing a swelling at the base of the neck); bulging eyes; and, in women, a change in frequency or total cessation of menstrual periods.
Conventional medical treatments may help relieve the symptoms of Graves' disease but they do not address the root of the problem. Generally, by undergoing comprehensive natural medicine testing, the reasons the body is producing antibodies against itself can be found. Some of these reasons include sensitivities or allergies to foods, inhalants and chemicals and various infections.
Discover why we believe that natural medicine treatments are the best way to treat Graves' disease.
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