Hashimoto’s disease is the result of a swelling on the thyroid located in the front portion of the neck. The swelling leads to a goiter that can cause trouble in swallowing and some other complications. It is caused when the immune system attacks the tissues around the thyroid, this is a hormonal condition as the attack prevents the thyroid for creating new hormones. The causes of this disease include genes, hormones, excess iodine content in the body, and/or exposure to radiation.

The common symptoms include a swelling on the thyroid, fatigue, weakness, depression, weight gain, and joint or muscle pain.

Diagnosis

If you have had a thyroid problem in the past, your doctor will test you for Hashimoto’s disease. He will also test you if you feel tired, constipated, have dry skin or a sore throat. For the exact diagnosis, you will have to take a blood test to measure the levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSD). These tests include:

A hormone test. A blood test is ideal for you to indicate if you have Hashimoto’s disease or not, the test can determine the amount of hormones being produced by your thyroid or your pituitary glands. If the count of the hormones produced by your thyroid is low, you might have Hashimoto’s disease. Subsequently, this will lead to a rise in your TSD as the pituitary gland will force your thyroid gland to produce more hormones.

An antibody test. One of the causes includes involvement of abnormal antibodies, as Hashimoto’s disease is an autoimmune disorder. The blood test tries to identify the growth of antibodies that prevent the thyroid from producing hormones. These antibodies go against thyroid peroxidase.

Treatment

If your doctor does not see a hormone deficiency, it is likely that he will suggest an observation for some days. If the doctor asks you to adopt medication, this might mean that you would have to take them for the rest of your life. Here are some other treatments.

Synthetic Hormones. If there is a hormonal deficiency, you might have to replenish these hormones. This activity generally involves a daily use of synthetic thyroid hormone levothyroxine.

Dosage monitoring. You will have to constantly have your dosage monitored by your doctor as he will have to check to check for the right amount of hormone levothyroxine needed by your body. An excessive amount of it could harm your body while a deficiency will not help in eradicating Hashimoto’s disease.

Hashimoto’s disease, also known as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, is a condition where the immune system in an individual’s body turn against its own tissues. The primary act of the immune system of a person infected by Hashimoto’s disease is to attack the thyroid. This attack usually leads to hyperthyroidism, a condition where the thyroid is unable to produce enough hormones.

The thyroid gland is located in the front portion of your neck and is responsible for making hormones that control your metabolism.

There is no exact cause for Hashimoto’s disease, here are some of the factors that could play a role.

• Genes. Most of the times, this disease is a hereditary disease. If your family has a history of autoimmune diseases or thyroid disease, then you might get a Hashimoto’s disease genetically.
• Hormones. Sexual hormones are a suggestive reason for acquiring the disease as the ratio of women having it against men is 7:1. To add to that, most women have thyroid problems when they are having a baby and even if the problem goes away, 20% of the women have the problems in a year or two after the delivery.
• Excessive iodine. Excessive amount of iodine in your body could also be a cause of Hashimoto’s disease. There could be some drugs that could induce the excess amount of iodine or some food items. Iodine is a trace element that is required by your body to make thyroid hormones. Take note that it can only trigger thyroid among susceptible people.
• Radiation exposure. People exposed to radiation have contracted Hashimoto’s disease and a problem to their thyroid. This has been reported among the people facing the atomic bombs in Japan and the Chernobyl nuclear accident.

Here is a list of symptoms for Hashimoto’s disease:

The symptoms for this disease can be mild in the initial stages and can also take years to develop. The primary sign is a swollen thyroid, called a goiter. If you have a swollen goiter it will make the front of your neck look swollen, this is how you will know about the disease. Along with this, the swelling will also encroach problems with swallowing. Other signs include:

• Weight gain
• Fatigue
• Puffy face
• Muscle pain
• constipation
• Inability to get warm
• Difficulty getting pregnant
• Hair loss or thinning, brittle hair
• Irregular or heavy menstrual periods
• Depression
• Slowed heart rate