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Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis is a condition that is also known as Chronic Lymphocytic Thyroiditis. It is characterized as the thyroid being attacked by the immune system.<\/p>\nHashimoto’s Thyroiditis is a condition that is also known as Chronic Lymphocytic Thyroiditis. It is characterized as the thyroid being attacked by the immune system.<\/p>\n
The disease was first described in 1912, by its namesake Hakaru Hashimoto. According to EndocrineWeb, around 14 million people are currently affected by the disease. This number is indicative of sufferers in the US alone.<\/p>\n
Hashimoto’s disease causes the thyroid to become inflamed, which ultimately makes it underactive leading to hypothyroidism. According to information provided by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis commonly affects more women than men as the former is 8 times more likely to suffer. However, it can also affect men of any age including children.<\/p>\n
Studies by the ISRN Endocrinology indicate that this disease is prevalent in 1-3 percent of the world\u2019s population. Early diagnosis has increased due to better search efforts amongst patient’s families, as it may be hereditary.<\/p>\n
For better understanding, here are 10 important facts regarding the disease, that could prove useful.<\/p>\n
The destructive nature of Hashimoto\u2019s thyroiditis is the reason many scientists are constant in finding out the exact cause, besides the current evidence of predisposition. There appears to be a clear understanding of what the disease is, namely the destructive damage of the thyroid blood vessels, cells, and tissues of the lymphocytes. Ironically the lymphocytes are actually the immune cells, which are designed to protect the body from foreign substances such as harmful bacteria and viruses.<\/p>\n
However, with this disease, in particular, they slowly erode these vial thyroid cells, and often when detected it has reached a critical stage. In the most extreme cases, this attack can result in a goiter, which is essentially an infected thyroid<\/a> that has become enlarged and inflamed.<\/p>\n Some scientists speculate that the cause is from an infection, a virus that is destabilizing the body and others claim that genetics may be at play as well. This is the reason why some patient’s family history is taken into account.<\/p>\n This condition has many symptoms that are obvious, therefore, visible and others that can be classed as invisible.<\/p>\n Depression<\/a>, aching and weakened muscles, pain in the joints as well as a lapse in memory, can be classified as invisible, or ignorable, symptoms.<\/p>\n The more visible tell-tale signs are often, weight gain, swollen throat and tongue, dry hair and skin, menstrual bleeding that takes longer than usual, and constipation. It could be hard for individuals to notice some of these tell-tale signs because they can all occur due to either environmental or personal issues.<\/p>\n Some of them don’t necessarily signal a red flag as they may appear seemingly mild and harmless, for example, dry skin and constipation. Dry skin is not necessarily considered a medical sign for an underlying condition, so may be taken lightly. Conditions like depression are often harder to detect as most people ignore the signs and chalk them down to the stress and exhaustion of daily living.<\/p>\n There are many catalysts to hypothyroidism<\/a>, some of which include, abnormal pituitary gland and an imbalance in the iodine levels. Hashimoto’s disease is, however, the leading cause of a thyroid that is underactive or not functioning properly. It is estimated that roughly 14 million Americans who suffer from thyroiditis linked it specifically to Hashimoto’s disease.<\/p>\n This gland’s major function is to ensure the efficient function of the metabolism, body temperature, and heart rate. The two specific hormones within this gland that are designated to each part are triiodothyronine – T3, and thyroxine – T4. With such important functions to perform, the emphasis lies on having a healthy thyroid.<\/p>\n Should it become underactive, it will make the metabolism function much slower than it should be, resulting in major complications throughout the whole system. It is important that as soon as an individual starts experiencing the symptoms associated with the condition, they act and get help.<\/p>\n The medical trend that seems to appear with Hashimoto\u2019s Thyroiditis and other autoimmune disease is that they tend to hereditary. Often, a family member who is afflicted with this type of disease can trace it back to through their family tree.<\/p>\n The most severe being goiter<\/a>. As the symptoms can easily be disguised or overlooked as daily ailments, it can go unnoticed for a long time. Most often people go to the doctors, feeling fatigued and assume that it is due to their heavy work schedule.<\/p>\n It is only through testing that the real problem, such as Hashimoto\u2019s Thyroiditis can be found. Studies of Wick and Hu of ’93 and of Bottaccioli of ’95 on “obese strain of chicken”, a breed of chickens that spontaneously develop autoimmune thyroiditis, have shown both the genetic basis, demonstrating two gene families responsible for the abnormal autoreactivity of the immune system and the inherent predisposition of the thyroid gland in response to stress.<\/p>\n For individuals suffering the painful inflammation of atrophic gastritis, understand the dilapidating nature of any infectious and autoimmune <\/a>disease. This disease is known for its painful symptoms and digestive problems. Often it results in deficiencies of vital vitamin B12 which is vital for the absorption of iron.<\/p>\n This, in turn, results in an iron deficiency, which is the leading cause of anemia. Without proper iron, the body is not able to produce hemoglobin, which is responsible for oxygenating the cells. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis has been statistically proven to accompany atrophic gastritis, as the body\u2019s immune functions are dilapidated making sufferers more susceptible.<\/p>\n This relation with the gastric disorder in the thyrogastric syndrome component has been found in close to 40 percent of patients. Treatment will often start with proton pump inhibitors to assist in getting atrophic gastritis under control before thyroid replacement therapy is attempted. This is to elevate the bodies iron levels so as to assist the T3 and T4 used in the treatment of Hashimoto\u2019s thyroiditis<\/p>\n An article in the Cancer Center website states that there is a direct correlation between Hashimoto\u2019s thyroiditis and papillary carcinoma or thyroid cancer. In fact, the statement is that they go \u2018hand-in-hand\u2019 as according to Dr. Laurence Altshuler, of Tulsa Hospital, the trend is that when a patient is found to have papillary thyroid cancer, chances are very high they will also have Hashimoto\u2019s disease. He further stated, \u201cWhen thyroid cancers are removed at the time of surgery, the cellular changes of Hashimoto\u2019s disease is often seen surrounding the thyroid cancer,\u201d<\/p>\n The detection comes easier when an enlarged thyroid is found, and further testing can confirm the existence of the disease. The rising problem in the US is that hypothyroidism<\/a> affects a higher number of women than men. As the rates of the disease increase so do the rates of thyroid cancer. The American Thyroid Association found that thyroid cancer is one of the fastest-growing cancers, especially in women patients.<\/p>\n As with any prerequisite to determining the nature of symptoms, medical testing is a standard requirement. This is to get an exact diagnosis and applicable stage of Hashimoto\u2019s thyroiditis and to understand the exact levels of the TSH thyroid hormone.<\/p>\n Two types of tests are often performed, namely, an antibody test and hormone test. In both these tests, blood is drawn in order to be tested. The antibody test, as the name suggests, tests for abnormal antibodies, resulting from the autoimmune disorder of the disease.<\/p>\n A comparison is done to establish the presence of antibodies near or around the thyroid<\/a> producing gland (peroxidase). With the hormone test, the pituitary gland and thyroid hormones are tested. Lower thyroid hormone levels are often indicative of an underactive thyroid. Higher TSH levels indicate a hyperactive pituitary gland.<\/p>\n Jointly these can indicate the presence of Hashimoto\u2019s thyroiditis. The speed of testing is facilitated by the use of sensitive TSH testing, making it easier to diagnose the problem often before the symptoms even start.<\/p>\n The prognosis for this Hashimoto\u2019s Thyroiditis is very good. Treatment through thyroid replacement therapy is the most common form of eradication for this disease. The idea is to replace the missing T3 and T4 hormones, this is supplied through medication such as Levothyroxine<\/a>, which is to be taken orally.<\/p>\n Naturally, there is no bog-standard method for as the severity and progression will determine the dosage and duration. During the initial stages, after testing to determine the exact levels of deficiency, medication dosage is variable. Under and overdosage prescriptions could both result in some intense health problems, for example, slow heart rhythm. In most cases, the problems of absorption inhibiting, caused by other drugs like antacids have to be avoided.<\/p>\n Nutrition and dietary changes are also a great way to assist in the treatment process. Researchers from The Department of Otolaryngology, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto found that organ-specific autoantibodies (eg, anti-thyroid antibodies) disappear after about 3 to 6 months of a gluten-free diet.<\/p>\n Some individuals can stand to opt for more natural interventions for dealing with the disease. Often times most people find this to be the optimal solution in dealing with the painful discomfort caused by Hashimoto\u2019s thyroiditis. Dr. Walter Ardig\u00f2 says: \u201cautoimmune thyroid response responds well to myotherapy.<\/p>\n In this case, the most suitable mushrooms could be Agaricus Blazei, Reishi, Cordyceps, and Coriolus (2-3 of these) which, taken gradually and regularly, within a few months, give very promising results, while in some cases these are deemed inconclusive.<\/p>\n Also, selenium deficiency has been studied by Dr. G\u00e4rtner R and other research for J Clin Endocrinol Metab in 2002, which can greatly affect the well-being of the thyroid gland.<\/p>\n Selenium<\/a> is a formidable antioxidant found in peanuts, beans, corn, parmesan, lentils, pistachios, and Brazilian walnut oil. The Chinese acupuncture has so far produced excellent results in cases of hyperthyroidism and medium hypothyroidism, on thyroiditis and on autoimmune ones, such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. On average 3-5 sessions are used for hyperthyroidism and 5-7 for hypothyroidism.<\/p>\n The first stage is where the thyroid appears normal and has no issues yet. Though it is said that those who may have a genetic link, there may be some active abnormal cells that can be detected in serologic tests. In the second stage, the antibodies associated with the thyroid can now be seen and they become greater in number. Stage three is where Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis develops and the level of antibodies continues to rise, this is also where some of the symptoms become more noticeable.<\/p>\n This stage is also referred to as the subclinical thyroid dysfunction stage. Stage four is where the disease can now be diagnosed, individuals who have left the symptoms to progress to this level could develop: clinical hypothyroidism. Stage five is where it can be said that an individual has complete hypothyroidism<\/a> due to Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. It is at this time when intervention through thyroid replacement therapy can begin.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n\r\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/besthealth.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Depression.jpg\")
2. Some of the Symptoms Are Visible And Some Aren’t<\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/besthealth.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Thyroid-Malfunction.jpg\")
3. The Catalyst To Thyroid Malfunction<\/strong><\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/besthealth.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Genetics.jpg\")
4. Genetic Predisposition<\/strong><\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/besthealth.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Anaemia.jpg\")
5. A Counterpart of Thyrogastric Syndrome<\/strong><\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/besthealth.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Thyroid-cancer-nodules.jpg\")
6. Linked To Thyroid Cancer<\/strong><\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/besthealth.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Testing-is-fast_hashimoto.jpg\"){kind=spacer}
7. Testing is Fast<\/strong><\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/besthealth.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Levothyroxine_8.jpg\")
8. It Can Be Treated<\/strong><\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/besthealth.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Myotherapy.jpg\")
9. Myotherapy and Nutritional Therapy<\/strong><\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/besthealth.guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Stage-5-of-Progression.jpg\")
10. There are 5 stages of Progression<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>