Hashimoto's thyroiditis sometimes begins during pregnancy. Middle age. Most cases happen between 40 to 60 years of age. But it has been seen in younger people.
Although the disease may occur in teens or young women, it more often develops in women ages 30 to 50. Your chance of developing Hashimoto's disease increases if other family members have the disease.
It may take months or even years for the condition to be detected and for thyroid hormone levels to become lower than normal. Hashimoto disease is most common in people with a family history of thyroid disease. In rare cases, the disease may be related to other hormone problems caused by the immune system.
If Hashimoto's is left untreated, complications can be life-threatening. Because the hormones produced by the thyroid are so vital to the body's functions, untreated Hashimoto's can lead to serious and even life-threatening complications.
Hashimoto's disease tends to worsen with age because it is progressive. The disease generally progresses slowly over many years and can cause progressive damage to the thyroid glands. Additionally, it is expected that those with Hashimoto's disease will eventually get hypothyroidism, though this is not always the case.
The end-stage of Hashimoto's is when your thyroid has become so damaged that you no longer have enough thyroid hormones and have to go on medication.
While there is no cure for Hashimoto's disease, hypothyroidism can be treated. You may need lifelong thyroid hormone replacement treatment with a medicine called levothyroxine. You will need to have your thyroid hormone levels checked regularly so that your doctor can adjust the treatment dose if necessary.
Symptoms may include an enlarged thyroid gland (goiter), tiredness, weight gain, and muscle weakness. You don't need treatment if your thyroid hormone levels are normal. If you have an underactive thyroid, medicine can help.
Too much iodine in the diet may function as a trigger among people already at risk for Hashimoto's disease. Radiation exposure. People exposed to excessive levels of environmental radiation are more prone to Hashimoto's disease.
Goiter (enlargement of your thyroid) is one of the first signs of Hashimoto's disease that will show on your face. Depending on how big it is, the enlarged thyroid can make your neck look swollen and interfere with your swallowing and breathing.
It's possible to have Hashimoto's thyroiditis for years without experiencing a single sign or symptom. But if you have symptoms, they will be associated with the disorder's two primary complications—goiter and hypothyroidism. Not all individuals will develop these complications.
Some children are born with it — this is called congenital hypothyroidism. Others develop it later, usually late in childhood or as teens.
Hashimoto's symptoms may be mild at first or take years to develop. The first sign of the disease is often an enlarged thyroid, called a goiter. The goiter may cause the front of your neck to look swollen. A large goiter may make swallowing difficult.
Researchers aren't entirely sure what causes Hashimoto's disease, but they suggest that stress may be an environmental trigger. Studies show that psychological and physiologic stressors affect the immune system, which may contribute to the development of autoimmune conditions.
Anti-thyroid antibodies (ATA) tests, such as the microsomal antibody test (also known as thyroid peroxidase antibody test) and the anti-thyroglobulin antibody test, are commonly used to detect the presence of Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
The diagnosis is often challenging and may take time until later in the disease process. The most common laboratory findings demonstrate an elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and low levels of free thyroxine (fT4), coupled with increased antithyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies.
Can you drink coffee? In people with Hashimoto's disease, the timing of drinking coffee is extremely important (avoid caffeinated beverages until about 2 hours after taking the medication, and certainly do not sip the medication with coffee!). If the intervals are abided, moderate amounts of coffee are acceptable.
With Hashimoto's thyroiditis, you may have times where you lack energy, making it challenging to get up and start moving. But, since exercise can help manage your symptoms, regularly exercising plays an essential role in your Hashimoto's disease and hypothyroidism management plan.
Hashimoto's disease is not listed specifically as a disability.
However, when choosing a supplement, patients with Hashimoto's disease should be careful of iodine content, as iodine excess can increase the risk of developing thyroid disorders as much as its deficiency.
Hashimoto's encephalopathy is a rare complication in which the swelling of the brain can cause profound and debilitating neurological symptoms. The condition only affects around two of every 100,000 people each year and usually between the ages of 41 and 44.