What is Hashimoto’s disease?
Hashimoto’s disease is an autoimmune disorder that impacts the thyroid gland. The butterfly-shaped thyroid gland is situated below Adam’s apple. Many of the body’s functions are controlled by hormones, which are made by the thyroid.
An autoimmune disorder is a type of disease that happens when healthy tissues are attacked by the immune system. In Hashimoto’s disease, cells from the immune system kill the cells in the thyroid that make hormone production. Most of the time, the disease causes hormone production to decrease (hypothyroidism).
Anyone can get Hashimoto’s disease, but middle-aged women are most likely to get it. Hashimoto’s disease is also called chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, chronic autoimmune thyroiditis, and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.
The signs and symptoms of Hashimoto
Hashimoto’s symptoms might be minor or develop slowly. A goitre, which is an enlarged thyroid, is often the first sign of the disease. If you have a goitre, the front of your neck might look swollen. If you have a big goitre, it may be hard to swallow. Other signs that you may have Hashimoto’s and an underactive thyroid are included as:
- Fatigue
- Heightened cold sensitivity
- Constipation
- Skin problems
- A swollen face
- Hoarseness
- Inflammation of the muscles
- Increase blood cholesterol
- Pain, soreness, and stiffness in the muscles
- Joint discomfort, stiffness, or oedema
- Menstrual cycles that be heavier or less regular than usual
- Thinning out
- Slowed heart rate
- Depression
- Impaired memory
- Enlarged thyroid gland (goitre)
- Weight gain
Causes of Hashimoto’s
Hashimoto’s illness is an autoimmune disease that attacks the body’s own cells and organs. Usually, the immune system keeps the body healthy and protects from infections caused by bacteria, viruses, and other harmful substances.
In Hashimoto’s disease, the immune system makes antibodies that affect the thyroid tissue by attacking it. Because of this, the thyroid gland gets inflamed and loses its ability to make thyroid hormones, which can lead to thyroid problems in the long term.
Therefore other things can also affect some of the them included:
1. Genes:
If you have Hashimoto’s disease then sometimes cause due to family members who have thyroid disease or other autoimmune conditions. Therefore, it can be genetic which affects you.
2. Hormones:
Hashimoto’s affects seven times as many women as men, It also indicates that sex hormones have an impact. Some women suffer thyroid issues a year after giving birth. Even though the problem usually goes away, up to 20% of these women develop Hashimoto’s condition years later.
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis treatment
If you have Hashimoto’s disease, you need thyroid hormone therapy because the proper dosage maintains the certain symptoms caused by a lack of thyroid hormone. If the thyroid is working as normal, you don’t need thyroid hormone therapy because it doesn’t change how well the thyroid antibodies work.
The doctor will treat hypothyroidism caused by Hashimoto’s disease is prescribing a tablet of levothyroxine. It is important to take them every day as the doctor tells you to.
Since the body is sensitive to even small changes in thyroid hormone levels, the doctor will need to make very precise changes to your hormone dose based on blood testing.
- If the dose is too low, the thyroid gland may continue to grow, and the symptoms of hypothyroidism will continue.
- If the dose is too high, it can cause symptoms of hyperthyroidism.
Even though you may feel better within a week, it may take longer for the thyroid medicine to have its full effect. For example, skin conditions can take up to 3–6 months to go away. Because hypothyroidism caused by Hashimoto’s disease is usually permanent, most people need treatment for the rest of their lives. So, this treatment may need to have doses changed from time to time.
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