Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, abbreviated HT for short, is also known as Chronic Lymphatic Thyroiditis. It is an autoimmune disorder, which means it occurs when immune cells attack healthy tissue instead of protecting it. There are also antibodies produced that are directed against the thyroid gland and lead to chronic inflammation. It is not yet known why some people produce these antibodies, although this condition is linked to families.
When your thyroid comes under attack from malfunctioning immune cells, it impairs your thyroids ability to make and supply sufficient amounts of the thyroid hormones. These hormones provoke growth and development, and are responsible for various bodily functions such as menstrual regulation, body temperature, …show more content…
Symptoms vary from person to person, from mild to severe. Symptoms are not instantly identifiable such as having a runny nose, sore throat and cough where one can quickly associate the symptoms with something they have experienced before such as a cold. Common symptoms of a thyroid disorder are:
Figure 2 Shows the 69 most commonly reported symptoms related to Hypothyroidism (pmagilebootcamp.net)
A patient may begin with giving a detailed family history, as well as choosing a physician who is familiar with the observation and correlation of symptoms mentioned above to hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is base diagnosis for symptoms, and a thyroid disorder, where as Hashimoto’s diagnosis is the underlying cause. The physician should then examine the feel and appearance of the neck, and thyroid. An ultrasound of the thyroid and surrounding lymph nodes may also be performed. Blood tests are the most essential and are pertinent to the diagnosis of HT (medicinenet.com, 2016). Specific blood tests are used to determine the function of the thyroid. The thyroid hormones T3, and T4 levels are checked by blood, and could remain normal where as the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is elevated. TSH is stimulated from the pituitary gland. When T3 and T4 levels drop, the pituitary gland responds and produces more TSH to try and compensate for the loss. This blood result will show chronic thyroid disease, is the first indication of hypothyroidism (medicinenet.com, 2016). These diagnoses will more than likely result in a referral to an Endocrinologist for further testing, since as mentioned above hypothyroidism needs an underlying cause
When your thyroid comes under attack from malfunctioning immune cells, it impairs your thyroids ability to make and supply sufficient amounts of the thyroid hormones. These hormones provoke growth and development, and are responsible for various bodily functions such as menstrual regulation, body temperature, …show more content…
Symptoms vary from person to person, from mild to severe. Symptoms are not instantly identifiable such as having a runny nose, sore throat and cough where one can quickly associate the symptoms with something they have experienced before such as a cold. Common symptoms of a thyroid disorder are:
Figure 2 Shows the 69 most commonly reported symptoms related to Hypothyroidism (pmagilebootcamp.net)
A patient may begin with giving a detailed family history, as well as choosing a physician who is familiar with the observation and correlation of symptoms mentioned above to hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is base diagnosis for symptoms, and a thyroid disorder, where as Hashimoto’s diagnosis is the underlying cause. The physician should then examine the feel and appearance of the neck, and thyroid. An ultrasound of the thyroid and surrounding lymph nodes may also be performed. Blood tests are the most essential and are pertinent to the diagnosis of HT (medicinenet.com, 2016). Specific blood tests are used to determine the function of the thyroid. The thyroid hormones T3, and T4 levels are checked by blood, and could remain normal where as the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is elevated. TSH is stimulated from the pituitary gland. When T3 and T4 levels drop, the pituitary gland responds and produces more TSH to try and compensate for the loss. This blood result will show chronic thyroid disease, is the first indication of hypothyroidism (medicinenet.com, 2016). These diagnoses will more than likely result in a referral to an Endocrinologist for further testing, since as mentioned above hypothyroidism needs an underlying cause