Hashimoto’s thyroiditis

Hashimoto's thyroiditis is an autoimmune condition that is a common cause of hypothyroidism.
In Hashimoto's thyroiditis, the body mounts an immune reaction against its own thyroid gland tissue, leading to inflammation of the gland (thyroiditis).
Thyroid gland is an endocrine gland. It secretes triiodothyronine (T3) and its prohormone, thyroxine (T4).
These hormones act on the basic metabolic rate, protein synthesis etc.

1. HASHIMOTO’S THYROIDITIS SIJO.A

2. INTRODUCTION Hashimoto's thyroiditis is an autoimmune condition that is a common cause of hypothyroidism. In Hashimoto's thyroiditis, the body mounts an immune reaction against its own thyroid gland tissue, leading to inflammation of the gland (thyroiditis). Thyroid gland is an endocrine gland. It secretes triiodothyronine ( T 3 ) and its prohormone, thyroxine ( T 4 ). These hormones act on the basic metabolic rate, protein synthesis etc.

3. CAUSES It is an autoimmune disease, which means that the body inappropriately attacks the thyroid gland - as if it was foreign tissue. The underlying cause of the autoimmune process remains unknown. Tends to occur in families. Hashimoto's thyroiditis is 5 to 10 times more common in women than in men and most often starts in adulthood. Blood drawn from people with Hashimoto's thyroiditis typically reveals an increased number of antibodies against thyroid-specific proteins, including thyroperoxidase and thyroglobulin.

4. T lymphocytes, a type of cell involved in the inflammation process, invade the thyroid gland cause silent, painless inflammation that destroys it. ultimately, the individual produces little or no thyroid hormone and becomes hypothyroid.

5. Normal thyroid diseased thyroid

6. SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS Symptoms and signs of Hashimoto's thyroiditis resemble those of hypothyroidism generally and are often subtle. They are not specific (which means they can mimic the symptoms of many other conditions) and are often attributed to aging. Symptoms generally become more obvious as the condition worsens. The majority of these complaints are related to a metabolic slowing of the body.

7. Common symptoms and signs of Hashimoto's thyroiditis include: Fatigue Depression Modest weight gain Cold intolerance Excessive sleepiness Dry, coarse hair Constipation Dry skin Muscle cramps

8. Increased cholesterol levels Decreased concentration Vague aches and pain Swelling of legs As hypothyroidism becomes more severe, there may be: puffiness around the eyes, a slowing of the heart rate, a drop in body temperature, and heart failure.

9. In its most profound form, severe hypothyroidism may lead to a life-threatening coma (myxedema coma). This condition requires hospitalization and immediate treatment with thyroid hormone. Untreated hypothyroidism can lead to: an enlarged heart( cardiomyopathy ), worsening heart failure, and an accumulation of fluid around the lungs (pleural effusion ) or heart ( pericardial effusion ).

10. People with Hashimoto's thyroiditis often initially experience a hyperthyroid phase (too much thyroid hormone), called hashitoxicosis , as thyroid hormone leaks out of the damaged gland as it is destroyed. Other symptoms include: Swelling of thyroid gland Difficulty in swallowing solids and/or liquids.

11. DIAGNOSIS To diagnose Hashimoto's thyroiditis, a physician should assess: symptoms and complaints commonly seen in hypothyroidism, carefully examine the neck to look for enlargement of the thyroid gland, and take a detailed history of family members. Blood tests are essential to diagnose Hashimoto's thyroiditis . With chronic hypothyroidism, the thyroid hormone levels fall, and the level of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) becomes high.

12. The most useful assay for determining thyroid status is measurement of TSH in the blood. The increase in TSH can actually precede the fall of thyroid hormone to low levels by months or years. So the first sign of hypothyroidism may be an elevated TSH level even when levels of thyroid hormones are normal. The blood work mentioned above confirms the diagnosis of hypothyroidism, but does not point to an underlying cause.

13. The combination of the patient's clinical history, antibody screening, and a thyroid scan can help diagnose the precise underlying thyroid problem. The blood tests also usually include an analysis of antibodies (anti-thyroperoxidase antibodies) to aid diagnosis. If the anti-TPO antibodies are elevated at all, the diagnosis is made.

14. TREATMENT There is no known cure for Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Thyroid hormone medication can replace the hormones the thyroid made before the inflammation started. Replacing one or both of these hormones can alleviate the symptoms caused by the absolute or relative lack of hormones as a consequence of Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The treatment of choice for Hashimoto's thyroiditis is typically synthetic T4 or thyroxine ( levothyroxine ). Brand names for this medication include Synthroid , Levothroid and Levoxyl . The dosage of levothyroxine may need to be modified after checking TSH levels once yearly.

15. Hashimoto's thyroiditis is an autoimmune condition in which the body perceives its own tissue as foreign. There is no known way to prevent this condition.

16. FACTS Hashimoto's thyroiditis is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the United States. The condition was named after Dr. Hakaru Hashimoto, the doctor who described it in 1912. Hashimoto's thyroiditis is caused by an autoimmune process that causes inflammation of the thyroid gland.