What is Hashimotos Thyroiditis?

Are you gaining weight? Do you have neck swelling?. This article will explain what is Hashimoto's Thyroiditis? Causes of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis? and what is the best homeopathic treatment for Hashimotos Thyroiditis.

Hashimoto’s disease is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system starts attacking its own thyroid cells. Normally our immune system is designed to defend against eternal bacterias, viruses, etc. However, due to some stress, this immune system becomes defective and it considers our own body’s thyroid gland as an enemy and starts attacking it by producing antibodies against the thyroid gland. This is called as autoimmune thyroiditis or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

In the initial stage of the disease, it causes inflammation of the thyroid gland which causes excess production of the thyroid hormone. This expresses itself in the form of an overactive thyroid also called as Hyperthyroidism. After some time due to the destruction of the thyroid gland, it becomes underactive and it stops producing enough thyroid hormone, which is expressed in the form of Hypothyroidism. This is very typical of Hashimotos thyroiditis to express first in the initial stage in the form of hyperthyroidism and then later take the form of hypothyroidism.

Cause of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

There is no specific cause for Hashimoto's thyroiditis. However certain categories of people are more prone to Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

• Sex. Women are much more likely to get Hashimoto's disease.
• Age. Hashimoto's disease can occur at any age but more commonly occurs during middle age and around their fifties.
• Heredity. You're at higher risk for Hashimoto's disease if others in your family have thyroid or other autoimmune diseases.
• Other autoimmune diseases. Having another autoimmune disease like:
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Hemolytic or pernicious anemia
  • Myasthenia gravis
  • Type 1 diabetes
  • Addisons disease
  • Lupus
  • Celiac Diseases
  • Sjogren’s Syndrome
• Radiation exposure. People exposed to excessive levels of environmental radiation are more prone to Hashimoto's disease.

Signs and Symptoms of Hashimotos Thyroiditis

Initially, there might be a swelling in the neck (goiter) with slight pain and tenderness around the region of the thyroid gland. And the symptoms will initially look like of hyperthyroidism. Later it expresses the symptoms of Hypothyroidism.

• Enlarged goiter
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue and sluggishness
• Unexplained weight gain
• Increased sensitivity to cold
• Constipation
• Pale, dry skin
• A puffy face
• Brittle nails
• Hair loss
• Enlargement of the tongue
• Muscle aches, tenderness, and stiffness
• Joint pain and stiffness
• Muscle weakness
• Excessive or prolonged menstrual bleeding
• Depression
• Memory lapses

Prevalence

This is quite common affecting females more than men and 5 out of 100 females are affected with Hashimotos Thyroiditis.