What is Hashimoto's Disease
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If you have no clue what is Hashimoto's disease and are looking for some information on it, then you have come to the right place. This disease results into hypothyroidism, which can be life threatening if not treated on time. This autoimmune disease is also called Hashimoto's thyroiditis or chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis. In Hashimoto's disease there is a reaction of antibodies with the proteins in thyroid glands. Due to this the gland starts getting destroyed slowly and makes it unable to release thyroid hormones that the body needs.
Symptoms of Hashimoto's Disease
Usually, people with such problem do not show any particular symptoms. Some people don’t even show any symptoms for many years. However, the first noticeable sign is goiter, which can make the front side of the neck look swollen. You will also feel fullness in the throat or might find it difficult to swallow because of the pain. Some people with such disease create an underactive thyroid. At such point of time, you will not notice any mild symptoms or sometimes no symptoms. However, if you notice the below mentioned symptoms, then you are advised to visit a doctor as chances of Hashimoto's disease are more.
- Feeling cold
- High menstrual flow or irregular periods
- Weight gain
- Constipation
- A slowed heart rate
- Problems getting pregnant
- Pale, puffy face
- Fatigue
- Joint and muscle pain
- Dry, thinning hair
- Depression
The causes of this problem can be due to different conditions. One common cause is the inflammation of thyroid gland, which reduces the thyroid hormone’s secretion.
Hashimoto’s disease is one autoimmune disease, where the immune system instead of fighting the foreign invaders attacks the thyroid gland. This situation can be chronic if not treated on time.
Diagnosis
· To diagnose this problem, a medical history is taken and physical examination is done. In physical examination, some tests are performed which detects the enlargement of the thyroid gland. Doctors will then perform some blood tests for confirming the diagnosis.
· The TSH test is performed for diagnosing this problem. You get more accurate measure of thyroid activity with such test. In this test if the reading of the person is above normal, then he has hypothyroidism.
· The antithyroid peroxidase test is also performed to diagnose if there are any thyroid auto-antibodies present in the body.
Treatment
The treatment for this disease depends on how severely your thyroid is damaged, which can result in hypothyroidism.
· If the problem is not severe and the patient is diagnosed with the disease, then the doctor focuses on reducing the size of the goiter.
· Some doctors instead of treating, monitors the patients for disease progression.
· Hashimoto's disease is also treated with synthetic thyroid hormone. Doctors use synthetic T4 like Synthroid as it remains in the body for long. It also makes sure that a steady supply of thyroid hormone is given throughout the day.
· In olden days, desiccated animal thyroid was prescribed for natural thyroid preparations. However, it is not suggested anymore.
If you don’t treat the disease on time, symptoms and signs will become more severe and thyroid gland may become enlarged. Other than this you will tend to forget things, or you may feel depressed.
If you are still confused on what is Hashimoto's disease, it can be explained as a kind of disorder affecting the thyroid gland. This autoimmune disease can become worst if not treated on time. Make sure that you discuss more on this with your healthcare expert.
About the Author
Dr. Mark Monteiro is graduated from the Hazard University and done his MBA from the he University Of Illinois College Of Medicine. Currently he is working as general physician at Elmhurst Loyola Center for Health. For over 15 years he has been a pioneer in the field of physician health. He has contributed to the treatment of many diseases like- ASTHMA, TUBERCULOSIS, HIV, HEPATITIS AND ITS TREATMENT.
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