It is an autoimmune condition. Immune system cells attack the thyroid gland, causing inflammation and, in most cases, eventual destruction of the gland. This reduces the thyroid's ability to make hormones.
Hypothyroidism is when your thyroid doesn't produce enough thyroid hormones. So, generally speaking, hypothyroidism is not an autoimmune disease. However, stress, chronic inflammation, a lousy diet, and toxic exposure can cause your immune system to go rogue and attack healthy cells, including your thyroid.
Your doctor will order blood tests to check your thyroid hormone levels. The tests also look for something called thyroperoxidase antibodies. You also might have an ultrasound so your doctor can look at your thyroid, especially if your blood test results aren't clear.
Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune disorder that can cause hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid. Rarely, the disease can cause hyperthyroidism, or overactive thyroid. Thyroid hormones control how your body uses energy, so they affect nearly every organ in your body—even the way your heart beats.
Immune system
This damages the thyroid, which means it's not able to make enough of the hormone thyroxine, leading to the symptoms of an underactive thyroid. A condition called Hashimoto's disease is the most common type of autoimmune reaction that causes an underactive thyroid.
The two major causes of thyroid disorders are nutrient deficiency and autoimmune disease. Iodine is a crucial nutrient for thyroid function. Thyroid hormone is rich in iodine, and deficiency of iodine can cause both hypothyroidism and goiter (a swelling of the thyroid gland) (5).
If an underactive thyroid isn't treated, it can lead to complications, including heart disease, goitre, pregnancy problems and a life-threatening condition called myxoedema coma (although this is very rare).
The most common forms of autoimmune thyroid disorders are chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, or Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, which presents with symptoms of an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) and Graves' disease, which presents with symptoms of an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism).
Autoantibody Tests
Testing for antithyroid antibodies (TPOAb, TRAb, and TgAb) may be helpful for the diagnosis, monitoring, and prognosis of autoimmune thyroid disease when the clinical picture is unclear.
The thyroid and immune system have an interactive relationship. This means that thyroid issues can affect the immune system, and immune system issues can affect the thyroid. Hyperthyroidism often occurs due to an autoimmune disease, but regardless of its cause, it may affect immune function.
With thyroid fatigue, you may feel like you can't get through a day without a nap. You may sleep more than usual but still feel completely exhausted. You may not even have the energy to exercise. At times, you may fall asleep during the day or very quickly at night.
Thyroid disorders can have a noticeable impact on your energy level and mood. Hypothyroidism tends to make people feel tired, sluggish, and depressed. Hyperthyroidism can cause anxiety, problems sleeping, restlessness, and irritability.
For instance, hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary- adrenal axis of stress results in increased levels of cortisol in the bloodstream causing downregulation of the thyroid hormones and hypothyroidism (Tsigos & Chrousos 2002).
Cruciferous vegetables – Vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, kale and Brussels sprouts can inhibit the production of thyroid hormone. This is especially common in those who have an iodine deficiency. Digesting these vegetables can block the ability to absorb iodine, which is needed for normal thyroid function.
Thyroid gland
The thyroid produces hormones that help regulate many functions in the body. An autoimmune disorder is an illness caused by the immune system attacking healthy tissues. In Hashimoto's disease, immune-system cells lead to the death of the thyroid's hormone-producing cells.
The typical normal range for TSH is 0.5–4.5 or 5.0 milli-international units per liter (mIU/L), but this can vary depending on the laboratory that's doing the testing. However, there's some controversy concerning what's actually normal. 7 Some experts believe that 2.5 or 3.0 mIU/L should be the top end of the range.
Hypothyroidism can affect the heart and circulatory system in several ways. Lower production of thyroid hormone slows your heart rate. Hypothyroidism also makes the arteries less elastic, and blood pressure rises in order to circulate blood around the body.
Autoimmune thyroid diseases consist of two subgroups: autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) and Graves' disease. The AIT is the most common human autoimmune disease.
A swollen fingertip, curved nail, and thickening skin above a nail are often signs of thyroid disease.
The difference between an underactive and an overactive thyroid is: An underactive thyroid can be easily treated with hormone replacement (thyroxine) with no side effects. An overactive thyroid is a potentially fatal health condition if left undiagnosed and untreated.
General joint and muscle pains are common when hypothyroidism is not sufficiently treated, and your dosage of thyroid hormone needs to be increased. Joint and muscle weakness and pain, especially in the arms and legs, can be evidence that you need an increased dose of antithyroid drugs for your hyperthyroidism.
Hypothyroidism is more common in older persons than younger individuals, especially among women, principally due to the rising incidence and prevalence of autoimmune thyroiditis. Furthermore, the incidence of hypothyroidism steadily increases with advancing age (Figure 1).
The pituitary gland “tells” the thyroid gland whether to release more or less hormones into the bloodstream. Also, a certain amount of thyroid hormones are attached to transport proteins in the blood. If the body needs more hormones, T3 and T4 can be released from the proteins in the blood and do their job.
An overactive thyroid can affect anyone, but it's about 10 times more common in women than men, and typically happens between 20 and 40 years of age.