Autoimmune thyroiditis is a thyroid disease in which its cells are destroyed by the body’s own immunity. The disease is also very often called Hashimoto’s disease – in honor of the doctor who first discovered his symptoms. Very often, autoimmune thyroiditis leads to hypothyroidism, characterized by a condition in which the thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones. In this regard, the patient may experience other health problems, since a sufficient amount of hormones is primarily necessary for the normal functioning of the cardiovascular system and metabolism. 

Causes of Autoimmune Thyroiditis

Presumably, the disease has many different causes.

Genetic factor. According to many scientists, autoimmune thyroiditis is a genetic disease, but this fact has not been proven and there is no consensus on this. According to the modern version, the gene factor refers to one of several factors that cause autoimmune thyroiditis. Therefore, people who have had this disease among relatives should pay attention to the state of the thyroid gland.

Hormonal factor. This factor is based on the fact that in women this disease is much more common than in men, which may be due to sex hormones. In addition, in women, problems with the thyroid gland occur very often during pregnancy, and in 20% it ends with the appearance of autoimmune thyroiditis.

Radiation exposure. The predisposing factors for the occurrence of autoimmune thyroiditis are the various radiation radiation to which a person is exposed from a nuclear reactor, an atomic explosion or in the treatment of cancer.

See also: Diet for diabetes  

Excess iodine. Many scientists are inclined to the version that autoimmune thyroiditis occurs in humans against the background of increased consumption of iodine-containing drugs, especially if other factors accompany this.

Symptoms of autoimmune thyroiditis

In most cases, autoimmune thyroiditis begins asymptomatic, or with mild thyroid dysfunction. In some cases, the disease is diagnosed only a few years after the onset of development, when serious disorders occur.

The first sign of the disease is an enlarged goiter, which is not only a cosmetic defect, but can also cause difficulty in swallowing food. The bulk of the symptoms are usually the same as with hypothyroidism:

problems with conceiving a child;

• menstrual irregularities;
• problems with hair, skin and mucous membranes;
• the appearance of excess weight (obesity);
• constipation
• puffiness of the face and neck;
• impaired thermoregulation;
• frequent muscle pain;
• slow heart rate;
• depression and others.

Autoimmune thyroiditis treatment

Fully cure autoimmune thyroiditis, like diabetes, is not possible. However, when providing medical care, this disease does not shorten the life of the patient. In the absence of thyroid disorders, you can do without treatment at all, being only under the supervision of a doctor. The intake of modern drugs allows maintaining the hormone level optimal for the body, which allows maintaining normal cardiac activity and metabolic processes. If necessary, a doctor can prescribe such therapy, focusing on many factors: test results, age and gender of the patient, his weight, presence and type of concomitant diseases, as well as taking other medications.