# What Is Thyroid Disease? Key Facts Every Patient Should Know

By Dr. Benedicte Lerche · Thyroid Health

> Thyroid disease is one of the most widespread and most undertreated conditions in the world. Here is what every patient should know about diagnosis, treatment, and the pro-metabolic approach.

Women are five to eight times more likely than men to have thyroid problems, and one woman in eight will develop a thyroid disorder during her lifetime. The most common form of thyroid disease is low thyroid function, also called hypothyroidism. In the USA, drugs for treating low thyroid function are the most prescribed form of medication.

## How To Find The Best Thyroid Treatment?

With such a widespread disease, one should think that finding a good treatment for hypothyroidism would be easy. However, I have experienced the opposite is true.

Many doctors are not trained properly in the diagnosis of low thyroid function. Often a case of hypothyroidism is overlooked, as doctors focus only on [thyroid blood tests](/blog/thyroid-blood-tests), and if you are within the normal range, your symptoms are dismissed as psychological rather than being seen as symptoms of hypothyroidism.

The normal range for thyroid blood tests has been made very broad, which unfortunately means that many people who are in reality suffering from symptoms of low thyroid function are not being diagnosed as such. You can learn more about the problems with thyroid blood tests in my book [Test Your Thyroid Function](/books/test-your-thyroid-function) and my [Thyroid Optimization™](/courses/thyroid-optimization) course.

## Can You Recover From Hypothyroidism?

When I was 20 years old I had symptoms of hypothyroidism. I suffered from fatigue, digestive problems, skin problems, and hormonal disturbance. I tried many different treatments — both conventional and more alternative — however, nothing really worked. I was very lucky to come in contact with an American biologist [Dr. Ray Peat](/blog/who-is-dr-ray-peat), and with his help and guidance, I overcame my hypothyroidism and hormonal imbalances.

## What Is Dr. Ray Peat's Thyroid Healing Method?

Dr. Ray Peat is a leading expert on thyroid function and its role in health. For more than 40 years Dr. Ray Peat researched the interaction of diet, hormones, ageing, and disease. His key notion is that the gap between the body's resources and the demands placed on it from the environment creates disease. Thus harmful degenerative processes occur instead of repair and healing when there is low thyroid function and a lack of cellular energy.

The difference between Dr. Ray Peat's health method and the other health methods I tried is that his method looks holistically at the body, taking diet, supplements, hormonal support, and [thyroid medication](/blog/thyroid-medication) into account in a synergistic way. Dr. Ray Peat's health methods are built on a deep understanding of the body on the biochemical level.

Through my work at BiochemNordic, I seek to raise awareness about the symptoms of thyroid disease and encourage those who are already receiving medical help to turn to additional natural thyroid treatment methods. My book [How to Use Thyroid Medication](/books/how-to-use-thyroid-medication) and my [Thyroid Optimization™](/courses/thyroid-optimization) course provide the most complete guide to this approach.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Why is thyroid disease so often missed or undertreated?

Many doctors are not trained probably in the diagnosis of low thyroid function. Often [a case of hypothyroidism](/books/test-your-thyroid-function) is overlooked, as the doctors focus only on thyroid blood tests, and if you are within the normal range on the blood test, your symptoms are dismissed as physiological, rather than being seen as [symptoms of hypothyroidism](/books/test-your-thyroid-function).

### How common is hypothyroidism?

Women are five to eight times more likely than men to have thyroid problems and one woman in eight will develop a thyroid disorder during her lifetime. The most common form of thyroid disease is low thyroid function also called hypothyroidism. In the USA drugs for treating low thyroid function is the most prescribed form of medication.

### What makes Dr. Ray Peat's approach different from conventional treatment?

The difference between Dr. Ray Peat’s health method and the other health methods I have tried is that Dr. Ray Peat’s method looks holistically at the body, taking both diet, supplement, hormonal support, and thyroid medication into account in a synergistic way. Dr. Ray Peat’s health methods are built on a deep understanding of the body on the biochemical level.

BiochemNordic’s [online thyroid treatment services](/courses/metabolic-food-mastery) help you heal your thyroid using the natural health principles of Dr. Ray Peat. The services are not just another quick fix, they are all built on a deep understanding of how the cells of your body function on the biochemical level.

## Related articles

-   [Who Is Dr. Ray Peat?](/blog/who-is-dr-ray-peat)
-   [Normal Thyroid Labs But Still Low Thyroid Symptoms?](/blog/thyroid-blood-tests)
-   [How to Choose the Right Thyroid Medication: T3, T4, and Natural Options Explained](/blog/thyroid-medication)

**Tags:** hypothyroidism, thyroid disease, thyroid awareness, thyroid symptoms

Source: https://biochemnordic.com/blog/thyroid-disease-awareness