The Basics of Hashimoto

THE BASICS
     Hashimoto's disease is a condition in which your immune system attacks your thyroid. Hashimoto is also called chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis or autoimmune thyroiditis. Either name it still is an autoimmune disease. With an autoimmune disease it causes your body’s immune system to attacks your body’s own cells and organs. With a normal healthy functioning immune system it protects the body from infection by identifying and destroying any bacteria, viruses, and other harmful foreign elements.

With Hashimoto’s the immune system attacks the thyroid gland on which causes inflammation and interferes on how it produces thyroid hormones. Hashimoto usually leads to reducing thyroid function, or commonly known as hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is a disorder that occurs when the thyroid doesn’t make enough hormones for what is needed for the body. Our thyroid hormones control metabolism, the way the body uses its energy and affect practically every organ in the body. With not the right amount of thyroid hormone much of our body’s functions slow down.

* Hashimoto is NOT curable. Once you have it, it's with you for life. HOWEVER, I do believe it is manageable over time with a combination of numerous tactics and in some cases medication as well.  

SYMPTOMS
For most of us with Hashimoto's we have no symptoms at first. The actual symptoms present themselves later on down the road. Not all with Hashimoto's disease develops hypothyroidism but for a lot that do, the hypothyroidism may be mild or without symptoms, especially early in its course. With progression to hypothyroidism, most may have one or more of the following symptoms:
Fatigue
Weight gain
Cold tolerances
Joint and muscle pain
Constipation
Dry and or thinning hair
Heavy or irregular menstrual cycles
Infertility problems
Depression
Memory issues
A slow heart rate
*These are only the common symptoms
   Hashimoto is more common in women but is found in men as well. However, even the disease also occurs in adolescents, it generally appears between 30-50 years of age. 
    The one thing with autoimmune diseases is, if you have one you are more likely to develop Hashimoto. This also goes for those with Hashimoto's , you are likely to develop another autoimmune disease. Here are some of the more common autoimmune diseases: rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, celiac disease, scleroderma, inflammatory bowel disease, Addison's disease, Graves' disease, Sjögren's syndrome, and Type 1 diabetes.
DIAGNOSING
Getting diagnosed is a process of clinical examinations, tests and sometimes procedures. 
Checking for:
~TSH & T4 (blood tests)
~Enlarged thyroid (goiter)
~High levels of antibodies thyroglobulin (TG) and thyroid peroxidase (TPO) -(blood tests)
~Fine needle aspiration or biopsy of the thyroid
~Ultrasound
    In my own experience the antibodies tests TG and TPO were the best confirmation of my diagnosis. Your TSH & T4 levels may still be in the normal range according to labs & MD's even though all your symptoms are there, which was true in my case.

I hope this basic overview was helpful about Hashimoto; symptoms and diagnosis.

Coming soon: My own personal experience with; diagnosing, symptoms, struggles, how I treat/manage it. 

(((HUGS))), Prayer& Well Wishes,
Janine