What is Hashimoto's disease? Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune disorder that can cause hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid. Rarely, the disease can cause hyperthyroidism, or overactive thyroid.
Hypothyroidism is linked to fatigue, weight gain, depression, and constipation. In reviewing the symptoms of a thyroid condition, you can see how they could be mistaken for emotional issues, depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder.
Conditions or problems that can lead to hypothyroidism include: Autoimmune disease. The most common cause of hypothyroidism is an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto's disease. Autoimmune diseases happen when the immune system makes antibodies that attack healthy tissues.
Thyroid disorders may cause the early onset of menopause (before age 40 or in the early 40s). Some symptoms of overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) may also be mistaken for early menopause. These include lack of menstruation, hot flashes, inability to sleep (insomnia), and mood swings.
An individual may have normal TSH levels but still not be utilizing thyroid stimulating hormone correctly, leading to a thyroid imbalance. Your doctor should also be looking at your other values such as T3 and T4 levels. These can provide more information about how well your thyroid is actually functioning.
Symptoms include dull facial expressions, tiredness, and weight gain. Blood tests can help diagnose this condition. They can measure the amount of thyroid hormone and thyroid-stimulating hormones in your blood. The goal of treatment is to return your levels of thyroid hormone back to normal.
Low vitamin D levels are associated with autoimmune hypothyroidism. Healthcare initiatives such as mass vitamin D deficiency screening among at-risk population could significantly decrease the risk for hypothyroidism in the long-term.
However, many people still experience thyroid related symptoms even when their labs have “normalized”. This is typically because the root cause of thyroid dysfunction has not been identified. Think about this! 90% of Hypothyroid cases are a result of an autoimmune “self-attack” referred to as Hashimoto's (2).
Experts do agree that hypothyroidism can be missed by doctors and patients because the symptoms can be commonplace. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms include: Increased sensitivity to cold. Constipation.
Symptoms of thyroid disease and lupus can be confused given that they both have nonspecific features, including fatigue, weight change, dry hair, and skin manifestations. In 1961, the first associations between thyroid abnormalities and lupus were described 4.
While symptoms can vary, there are many reported signs of a Hashimoto's flare-up, including: Fatigue. Cold intolerance. Constipation.
How are lupus and Hashimotos diseases diagnosed? Since the symptoms are so alike, it can be difficult to distinguish between lupus and Hashimoto's disease unless you have a characteristic sign, such as a butterfly rash or notable family history.
Antibody tests
To determine if Hashimoto's disease is the cause of hypothyroidism, your health care provider will order an antibody test. The intended purpose of an antibody is to flag disease-causing foreign agents that need to be destroyed by other actors in the immune system.
Although they can have similar features, Hashimoto's and hypothyroidism are two different conditions. Hashimoto's disease and hypothyroidism often occur together. But not everyone with Hashimoto's will develop hypothyroidism, and not all cases of hypothyroidism are due to Hashimoto's.
The most severe form of hypothyroidism is myxedema, a medical emergency. Hypothyroidism can be caused by a problem with the thyroid itself (primary), or by the malfunction of the pituitary gland or hypothalamus (secondary).
Symptoms of Rash Due to Thyroid Disease
This itchy rash can occur on the neck, chest, back, face, and buttocks.
Common side effects of levothyroxine include heat intolerance, a fast heart rate, and diarrhea. More serious levothyroxine side effects are also possible.
Final Answer: Diabetes is not associated with the deficiency of thyroid hormone in the body.
You may feel nervous, moody, weak, or tired. Your hands may shake, your heart may beat fast, or you may have problems breathing. You may be sweaty or have warm, red, itchy skin. You may have more bowel movements than usual.
An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) is usually treated by taking daily hormone replacement tablets called levothyroxine.