The most common cause of hypoactive thyroid (hypothyroid) is the Hashimoto disease. It is a well-known condition in which the body produces certain proteins (autoantibody) that harm its own tissues. Those antibodies can also be produced against thyroid glands, damaging the thyroid in time and causing thyroid glands to shrink. The condition is known as Hashimoto disease, and thyroid dysfunction is observed in long term.
Who is affected
Hashimoto is most common among women of middle age group.
Hashimoto Risk Factors
The exact cause of Hashimoto disease is unknown but there are scientific data for association with smoking and stress as important risk factors.
Hashimoto Symptoms
All symptoms of hypoactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) are also present with Hashimoto. Metabolisms of these patients slow down, resulting in rapid weight gain, difficulty in waking up in the morning, fatigue, lethargy, dry skin, hair loss, constipation due to slow bowel movement, difficulty in understanding others due to slow thinking mechanism, wrong decision making, etc.
How is Hashimoto Diagnosed
Blood tests of these patients indicate low T3, T4 values and high TSH value. Additionally, levels of certain proteins that harm thyroid gland (such as anti-TPO) are high in blood.
Treatment of Hashimoto
There is no proven, effective treatment for Hashimoto to this date. The patients are prescribed with thyroid hormone tablets against the deficiency. However, this is not for treatment of the disease but to supplement deficient hormone. Hashimoto disease can rarely be seen in conjunction with other endocrine organ dysfunctions (i.e. B12 deficiency, adrenal deficiency). Hashimoto patients should be monitored by an endocrinologist physician for lifelong.
Employment of surgical procedure is limited for this disease. Certain symptoms, presence of a dominant nodule in thyroid gland exceeding 2cm in size, cancer risk or diagnosis of cancer mandate surgical treatment.
