| When your immune system starts to work against | | | | patient with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. These are the |
| your own tissues, what you have is a condition called | | | | measurement of the concentrations of thyroid |
| an autoimmune disease. The first autoimmune disease | | | | hormone present in circulation. Total thyroxine, free |
| to be classified as such is Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or | | | | thyroxine, and triiodothyronine are commonly used to |
| Hashimoto’s disease. What is Hashimoto’s | | | | screen for thyroid disorders. |
| Thyroiditis? | | | | Total thyroxine is the amount of thyroxine released in |
| Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is an autoimmune disease | | | | the bloodstream, both bound and free. Thyroxine is |
| wherein the T-cells produced by the immune system | | | | commonly found bound to a protein called |
| to fight against what the immune system perceives as | | | | thyroxine-binding globulin or TBG. Unless it is bound to |
| foreign — and therefore, a threat — starts to | | | | TBG, thyroxine can exert its effect on the tissues of |
| attack the cells of the thyroid gland itself. This causes | | | | the body. Triiodothyronine is the other hormone |
| irritation and swelling of the thyroid gland, rendering it | | | | produced by the thyroid gland and can cause an |
| unable to produce the hormones necessary to | | | | effect on the tissues faster than thyroxine. Most of |
| maintain the body’s metabolism. | | | | the thyroxine released from the thyroid gland is |
| Hashimoto’s thyroiditis was named after the | | | | eventually converted to triiodothyronine. |
| Japanese physician Hashimoto Hakaru, who first | | | | If your doctor finds your thyroid hormone levels to be |
| described the disorder in a German publication in 1912. | | | | lower than usual, he might suspect you have |
| Since then, it has become one of the most common | | | | Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and request several more |
| causes of hypothyroidism in areas with sufficient iodine | | | | blood tests to confirm it. These tests include tests for |
| sources. | | | | autoantibodies that attack your thyroid gland like |
| Symptoms — What to Look Out For | | | | antibodies against thyroglobulin and thyroid peroxidase. |
| Most of the symptoms of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is | | | | Most people with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis have high |
| associated with the low concentrations of thyroid | | | | levels of these antibodies. |
| hormone in circulation in the blood. These symptoms | | | | Other tests include fine needle aspiration biopsy, |
| include fatigue and extreme somnolence, constipation, | | | | nuclear medicine scans, and ultrasound of the thyroid |
| mental sluggishness, decreased cardiac output, | | | | gland. Patient’s with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis often |
| intolerance to cold, and sometimes, a slight gain in | | | | show lymphocytes and macrophages in FNA biopsies. |
| weight. There could also be failure of the trophic | | | | Treatment — How Do You Recover From |
| functions of the body as evidenced by scaly skin, | | | | Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis |
| depressed hair growth, and the development of a | | | | Patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis may be |
| husky voice. | | | | treated with small amounts of thyroid hormone to |
| There could also be development of a swelling of the | | | | make up for the lack of the hormone. In cases when |
| thyroid gland known as a goiter. Due to the low levels | | | | the goiter poses a problem in swallowing or breathing |
| of thyroid hormone, your pituitary gland keeps | | | | or is getting to be a cosmetic disaster, levothyroxine |
| secreting thyroid-stimulating hormone or TSH to | | | | may be given to shrink the thyroid. If this intervention |
| stimulate the thyroid gland to activity. Because of this | | | | does not work, surgery may be recommended. |
| constant stimulation and the thyroid gland’s inability | | | | When your own immune system starts to work |
| to secrete thyroid hormone, the thyroid glands starts to | | | | against you, there is very little treatment that could |
| swell instead. | | | | ensure complete recovery. However, some studies |
| Diagnosis — How Your Doctor Knows You Have | | | | show that treatment with levothyroxine may |
| Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis | | | | significantly reduce the lymphocytes and macrophages |
| There are several blood tests that may hint at a | | | | responsible for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. |