Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

By JustMommies

Hashimoto's Thyroiditis is the most common form of hypothyroidism, or under active thyroid. Hashimoto's Thyroiditis is believed to be an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease occurs when for unknown reasons the body begins to attack itself. In Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, the person will develop antibodies that will destroy healthy thyroid tissue.

What are the symptoms of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis?
One of the most noticeable symptoms of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis is goiter. Goiter is an enlargement of the thyroid gland. As the thyroid begins to produce less hormones it attempts to compensate and the thyroid gland enlarges. The thyroid gland is found in the area of the neck. Therefore, goiter will be appear as an enlarged bulging area in the neck.

Other symptoms of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis include dry skin, brittle nails, muscle stiffness, and fatigue. Women may experience problems with their menstrual cycle. Because thyroid hormones play a part in metabolism, the decrease in hormones will slow the person's metabolism. She may notice a decrease in appetite, weight gain, and constipation.

What causes Hashimoto's Thyroiditis?
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis is a type of autoimmune disease. It is unknown why autoimmune diseases occur, but there is believed to be a hereditary component. Although not completely understood, the tendency for Hashimoto's Thyroiditis to run in families has been noted. Having an existing autoimmune disease, such as diabetes mellitus, puts a person at greater risk for developing Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.

How will my doctor know if I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis?
Hypothyroidism has a gradual onset with the symptoms developing over an extended period of time. Your doctor will determine whether you have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis by taking a thorough medical history including any history of autoimmune disease in yourself or any other family member, documenting onset of symptoms and observing symptoms, and running lab work or other diagnostic tests. She will check your thyroid hormone levels, in particular TH, T4, and TSH. In hypothyroidism, there will be a decrease in TH and T4 and an increase in TSH may be seen.

Treatment for Hashimoto's Thyroiditis
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis is treated with an oral medication such as Synthroid or Levoxyl. This medication most likely will need to be taken for the rest of one's life. Symptoms should resolve with medication. Thyroid medications may need to be adjusted periodically. They may interfere with other medications such as insulin or cardiac medications so it is important to discuss this and all medications with any of your treating doctors and your pharmacist.

Additional Resources

American Thyroid Association

Thyroid Foundation of America

Thyroid Foundation of Canada

0
No votes yet
 

0 comments

Most recent

Sign in to leave a comment!

Today on JustMommies

Pilgrims Unit Study

In this unit study you will learn about the Pilgrims' voyage from England to America on the Mayflower.

Cloth Diapering Basics: Beginner’s Guide to Cloth Diapering

If you are thinking about starting your baby off with cloth diapers, you may have lots of questions on how to get started.

Fertility Boosting Herbs

Long before modern medicine developed the drugs and high-tech procedures we’re all familiar with today, practitioners treated many ailments with herbal remedies, including infertility.

Castor Oil to Induce labor

So you've reached 40 weeks of pregnancy and baby has not arrived. You had hoped to go in labor on your own and the idea of a medical induction does not appeal to you.