Hashimoto symptoms – find out how to recognize the disease

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Hashimoto’s disease is the most common thyroid disorder and occurs in about 5% of people. adult women and in about 1 percent. men. It is also the most common cause of hypothyroidism. The disease most often affects adults, but it can also appear in children and adolescents. Hashimoto’s is chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis. It is an autoimmune disease.

Hashimoto symptoms – disease characteristics

Hashimoto’s disease is an inflammation of the thyroid gland also called chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis. Hashimoto’s disease is also known as lymphocytic goiter, autoimmune thyroiditis, Hashimoto’s toxicosis, lymphocytic goiter or chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis. Hashimoto’s disease is the most common type of thyroiditis, and it is also referred to as the most common cause of hypothyroidism. Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disease and is very often associated with immunological diseases.

A hallmark of Hashimoto’s disease there is a diffuse lymphatic infiltration within the thyroid gland. In the course of this disease, there is fibrosis and atrophy of the thyroid parenchyma, as well as other changes in the cells of this gland.

Hashimoto’s as an autoimmune disease leads to the gradual destruction of the thyroid gland, and thus a significant decrease in the hormones important for the body produced by it. Autoimmune diseases are characterized by the fact that the immune system attacks the body’s own cells and tissues instead of viruses or bacteria. In Hashimoto’s disease, the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, gradually leading to thyroid dysfunction.

What is worth knowing about autoimmune diseases? Check: Autoimmune diseases

Hashimoto symptoms and thyroid function

The symptoms of Hashimoto’s disease are caused by changes in the thyroid gland. What exactly is the thyroid gland? Many people struggling with hashimoto symptoms explain that they have a thyroid gland. Each of us has a thyroid gland, some of its dysfunctions lead to unpleasant ailments within the body and psyche of the patient.

The thyroid gland is a gland that resembles a butterfly. This gland is located at the base of the neck and its most important task is the production of two main hormones, i.e. triiodothyronine T3 and thyroxine T4. When released into the blood, these hormones reach virtually every cell in the body. T3 and T4 are responsible for the proper functioning of the body in many respects.

First of all, triiodothyronine and thyroxine affect the proper metabolism, proper body temperature, heart function, respiration, the functioning of the nervous system, muscle strength, regular menstrual cycles and the correct level of cholesterol.

If the levels of T3 and T4 in the blood are normal, then the body is functioning properly, if there are disturbances in the levels of these hormones, the patient begins to show symptoms of a malfunctioning thyroid gland. How does it happend? Well, the proper functioning of the thyroid gland is controlled by the pituitary gland, which releases the thyroid stimulating hormone, or TSH.

When the pituitary gland detects a decrease in the production of thyroid hormones, it begins to release more TSH in order to stimulate its work. Conversely, when the levels of T3 and T4 are elevated, the pituitary gland releases less TSH. Therefore, in basic diagnostics of thyroid diseases a blood TSH test is performed first. This test allows you to diagnose whether there are disturbances in the work of the thyroid gland and the production of triiodothyronine and thyroxine.

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What diseases are there in the thyroid gland? Read: What does the thyroid gland suffer from?

Hashimoto symptoms and hypothyroidism

In many cases, you can meet the claim that Hashimoto’s is the same disease as hypothyroidism. This is not a correct assumption. For both treatment and prevention, it is very important to distinguish Hashimoto’s from hypothyroidism. It is difficult because both conditions are closely related and, additionally, they often occur simultaneously.

The most important conclusion to distinguish between these two conditions is that Hashimoto’s disease can lead to hypothyroidism, but hypothyroidism never leads to hashimoto’s.

Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disease, while hypothyroidism results from a deficiency of thyroid hormones. As already mentioned, hypothyroidism can be caused by Hashimoto’s disease, but it is not the only cause. Common causes of hypothyroidism include surgical removal of the thyroid gland, drug-induced thyroid insufficiency, and secondary hypothyroidism, which is a result of hypopituitarism.

Learn more about the thyroid gland in this article: If your thyroid could speak, what would it say?

Hashimoto symptoms – causes of the disease

In 1912, a Japanese surgeon, Dr. Hakaru Hashimoto, described four cases of this disease, and it was his name that gave the disease its name. Chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis is an autoimmune disease. The body produces antibodies that attack the thyroid gland. Under normal circumstances, your body protects your body against infections. Non-painful thyroiditis takes years to develop and destroys the thyroid gland, which reduces the production of hormones.

Hashimoto’s disease is quite common – 5% suffer from it. women and 1 percent. men. Hashimoto’s disease is the most common cause of hypothyroidism, the most common thyroid disorder. Hashimoto’s is very common along with other autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, vitiligo, lupus, psoriasis or adrenal insufficiency. It is worth noting that women suffer from hashimoto’s eight times more often than men.

So far, researchers have not been able to define unequivocal cause of hashimoto. The available publications show that the emergence of the disease occurs as a result of an interaction between genetic susceptibility factors or various environmental factors. It is also assumed that Hashimoto’s disease may be caused by a bacterial or viral infection that would cross-react with the thyroid antigen. Diagnosing hashimoto’s may be preceded by a long-term search for the causes of allergies and other systemic autoimmune diseases.

What is TSH and how to interpret the results of this hormone test? Check: Low TSH – what is the hormone, symptoms, hyperthyroidism

When do the first symptoms of hashimoto’s occur?

Hashimoto’s disease most often begins to appear in adult patients. The first recognizable symptoms usually appear between the ages of 20 and 40. However, recent years have shown that Hashimoto’s disease can be diagnosed in younger people, including adolescents.

Hashimoto’s is a chronic disease that progresses very slowly. In many cases, at the very beginning it may develop very gently and asymptomatically. In that case, any Abnormalities in the work of the thyroid gland can be diagnosed only on the basis of the performed tests of the concentration of hormones in the blood.

As the disease progresses, most patients develop fully symptomatic hypothyroidism, which cannot be overlooked. Therefore, the hashimoto is very often diagnosed at a very advanced stage, when the thyroid gland is severely damaged and requires intensive treatment.

Which doctor should I see if I have thyroid problems? Check: Thyroid doctor – endocrinologist or thyroidologist?

The most common symptoms of hashimoto’s

This disease is very diverse. Symptoms can range from the thyroid gland to too few hormones. It can often be the case that the thyroid gland may be enlarged and that nodules may appear on the thyroid as the disease progresses. There may also be pain in the area of ​​the thyroid gland.

In addition, the main symptoms of Hashimoto’s disease are fatigue, feeling cold, depression, memory impairment, weight gain, constipation, dry hair and skin, and menstrual disorders.

The symptoms worsen slowly as the disease progresses. As the condition develops, symptoms may vary in severity. The longer the hypothyroidism lasts and the more severe it is, the more bothersome the symptoms are. Severe hypothyroidism can also cause heart disease and even infertility. After an initial interview with the patient and laboratory tests, the doctor states the disease.

Sometimes an ultrasound is also helpful in examinations. The symptoms of Hashimoto’s disease often make everyday functioning difficult, for example frequent changes of mood and irritability may make it difficult to communicate with loved ones.

What is thyroid goitre and why does it arise? Read on: Thyroid goiter – causes, types, symptoms and treatment

Hashimoto symptoms – how is the disease going?

Knowing how the immune system works is very important in understanding the specifics of Hashimoto’s disease. As mentioned, Hashimoto’s disease develops gradually. Initially, as a result of an abnormal response of the immune system, B lymphocytes turn into plasma cells. These cells produce antibodies to thyroglobulin and thyreoperoxidase.

Thyroglobulin is a protein in which the main thyroid hormones, i.e. thyroxine and triiodothyronine, are stored. Thyreoperoxidase, on the other hand, is an enzyme that is involved in the production of thyroxine. In addition, T lymphocytes play an important role in the course of the disease, as they destroy the follicular cells of the thyroid gland.

The changes caused by an autoimmune attack occur gradually, therefore the disease is very often asymptomatic at the very beginning. At first glance, the thyroid gland is of the correct size, hormone levels are normal, the patient does not notice any symptoms, and the only alarming sign is the presence of anti-thyroid antibodies.

It is not uncommon for the initial result of the destruction of the thyroid gland to be overactive. This is a temporary state, as eventually the patient usually struggles with hypothyroidism.

What are the most common hormonal disorders? Check: Hormonal disorders – what are their symptoms and how to prevent them?

Hashimoto symptoms – essential diagnostics

The diagnosis of Hashimoto’s disease is largely based on the performance of appropriate diagnostic tests. Thyroid diagnostics should be comprehensive and include several relevant studies, including:

1. TSH concentration test – is one of the most important laboratory tests that is performed on the basis of a blood sample. The purpose of this test is to check the level of TSH in your blood. If the level of this hormone is higher than the norm, there is a probability of hypothyroidism. The norms and ranges of TSH are not universal and most often it is the endocrinologist who determines the correct concentration of this hormone for his patient. The proposed dose of the drug also depends on the concentration of this hormone, and it is modified depending on subsequent test results;
2. ft4 study – this is a test that is performed when an increased level of TSH is found. This test consists in determining the concentration of the free fraction of thyroxine. The increase in FT4 concentration is accompanied by hyperthyroidism, and the decrease of this hormone – with hypothyroidism;
3. anti-TPO test – consists in determining the level of autoantibodies directed against thyroid antigens. The presence of anti-TPO is found in over 95% of patients with Hashimoto’s disease, therefore this test is considered one of the most important in the diagnosis of the disease;
4. anti-TG test– consists in the determination of anti-thyroglobulin antibodies.
5. ultrasound of the thyroid gland – in Hashimoto’s disease, the ultrasound result varies according to the severity of the disease. Initially, only the thyroid gland is enlarged. Along with the course of the disease, ultrasound examination shows heterogeneity in the structure of the thyroid parenchyma with a decrease in its echogenicity. Numerous fibrosis can be observed on the thyroid gland.
6. thyroid scintigraphy – is a complementary test to the thyroid ultrasound examination. Scintigraphy helps to distinguish Hashimoto’s disease from Graves’ disease;
7. thyroid biopsy – it is not a characteristic test in the diagnosis of Hashimoto’s. However, if an ultrasound scan reveals nodules on the thyroid gland, your doctor will likely order a thyroid biopsy. During the biopsy, material is collected for histopathological examination. It is worth mentioning that hashimoto’s increases the risk of thyroid cancer, so even the smallest nodules require additional diagnostics.

Hashimoto diagnostics are not a one-off. The above tests should be repeated, and their frequency is determined by the attending physician.

When to do an ultrasound of the thyroid gland and how to interpret the results? Read: Thyroid ultrasound – how to interpret the results?

If symptoms of Hashimoto’s disease appear, it is worth performing a complete laboratory diagnosis. A comprehensive panel of research in this direction is available here:

Hashimoto symptoms and mental health

Hashimoto’s symptoms concern not only the physical health of the patient, but also greatly affect the health and psychological comfort of the sick person. In patients diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease, mental ailments have also been reported, including:

1. depression;
2. low self-esteem, which is most often caused by weight gain, hair loss and dry and damaged skin;
3. insomnia or other sleep problems;
4. difficulty concentrating or remembering;
5. mood swings;
6. decreased activity or hyperactivity.

The symptoms mentioned above are characteristic of an underactive thyroid gland. Therefore, it is worth noting that they resolve when treatment is effective and the hypothyroidism is regulated. In many cases, however, patients decide to participate in therapy, which helps them to cope with malaise and increasing mental problems.

What mental symptoms may occur with thyroid disorders? Check: Does hypothyroidism have psychological symptoms?

Hashimoto symptoms – treatment of the disease

It is a disease for which there is no effective cure. Therapy focuses on treating hypothyroidism. So the patient has to take the missing hormones. Levothyroxine is a synthetically produced substance, it is identical to the hormone produced by the thyroid gland and has the same effect.

There are many drugs with levothyroxine available in Poland, which may differ slightly in their effects. This type of medication is best taken regularly – at the same time of the day, preferably in the morning and on an empty stomach. The doctor always determines the dose of the drug individually with each patient. If necessary, the dosage of the drug during treatment may be changed.

What is worth knowing about drugs that are used to treat thyroid disorders? Check it out: Thyroid Drugs – What Side Effects Can They Have?

Hashimoto symptoms and proper diet

Treatment of Hashimoto’s disease is largely related to a properly selected diet. A menu of people struggling with hashimoto’s symptoms should be rich in nutrients and compounds that will support the synthesis of thyroid hormones. In addition, in the case of hashimoto, patients very often complain of being overweight, so it is important to control the calories consumed.

The diet of people with Hashimoto’s disease it should be rich in wholesome proteins, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, iodine and selenium. When planning your meals, you should avoid excessive consumption of those products that contain goiter substances. These are substances that bind with iodine, making it difficult for this compound to attach to the particles of thyroid hormones. Foods to be limited are green and black tea, peanuts, soybeans and red peppers. On the other hand, vegetables such as cabbage, Brussels sprouts and broccoli should be eaten cooked, because heat treatment reduces the content of goiter.

You can read more about the principles of the diet for people with Hashimoto’s disease here: Diet and hashimoto. Learn the five most important rules

We encourage you to listen to the latest episode of the RESET podcast. This time we devote it to emotions.

Often times, a particular sight, sound or smell brings to mind a similar situation that we have already experienced. What opportunities does this give us? How does our body react to such an emotion? You will hear about this and many other aspects related to emotions below.

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