What is Hashimoto’s thyroid?
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is an immune disorder that affects the thyroid. In this disease, the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the thyroid tissue and causes inflammation and gradual destruction of the thyroid tissue. More precisely, antithyroid antibodies attack the thyroid.
Due to this immune attack, the thyroid is not able to produce enough thyroid hormones and this causes hypothyroidism (hypothyroidism). This lack of thyroid hormones can cause symptoms such as fatigue, weight loss, reduced ability to tolerate cold, problems with weight control, depression, constipation, and changes in skin and hair.
The most important thing about Hashimoto’s disease is that it often starts in a semi-hidden form (subclinical) and its symptoms are not obvious until the thyroid is severely destroyed. In other words, many people may have Hashimoto’s disease for years but have no specific symptoms for a long time.
Hashimoto’s disease is usually controlled with thyroid medication to compensate for the lack of thyroid hormones. In rare cases, if the thyroid is severely damaged and serious complications occur, alternative treatment such as surgery (thyroidectomy) may be needed.
Considering that Hashimoto’s disease requires constant care and medical supervision, if you or someone in your family suffers from this disease or experiences symptoms of hypothyroidism, it is better to consult a thyroid specialist to get an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan. Follow the appropriate one.
What are the 5 stages of Hashimoto’s thyroid?
Hashimoto’s thyroid disease develops gradually and can be diagnosed in 5 different stages:
Step 1: Genetic predisposition
In the initial stage, the person has a genetic predisposition to Hashimoto’s, but is not exposed to the necessary stimuli, so they have normal TSH and T4 / T3 hormones.
They will have no thyroid antibodies and no changes in their thyroid gland. Alternatively, this can be called stage 0, as there are no signs of the disease at this stage.
If you have thyroid disease, this stage may be the stage that your relatives and children are currently in. Or if you have a family member with thyroid disease, you may be at this stage. This stage is the best time for prevention.
Step 2: Immune cell infiltration of the thyroid gland
Hashimoto’s is characterized by an overabundance of lymphocytes (white blood cells) in the thyroid gland. In small amounts, these immune cells play an important role in cleansing, but when there are too many of them in an organ, it means there is a problem. It’s thought that the immune cells may be there with good intentions at first — to clean up dead and diseased thyroid cells — but in some cases, they start attacking healthy thyroid tissue as well.
In the early stage of Hashimoto’s, a person will usually have high thyroid antibodies. Up to 80-90% may show an increase in thyroid antibodies in the blood, at which time it is tested for thyroglobulin and thyroid peroxidase antibodies, respectively.
However, some people may never have thyroid antibodies in their blood, but certainly, after a thyroid ultrasound or biopsy, changes in the gland consistent with Hashimoto’s will be revealed.
This stage may occur decades before it harms you and before a change in thyroid hormone levels can be detected in a blood test, at which point TSH, Free T3, and Free T4 levels will be normal.
Even at this stage, people may experience symptoms such as anxiety, fatigue, miscarriage/infertility, mood swings, weight gain or weight loss as their body struggles to maintain its thyroid levels, which can be exhausting and deplete of nutrients and performance. Be normal to the body.
In addition, at this stage, the function of the intestinal wall is almost completely disrupted.
Unfortunately, at this stage, most patients with Hashimoto’s go undiagnosed by conventional medicine. When they are at this stage, they are usually told to wait and may even be referred to psychiatrists or prescribed antidepressants for “mood symptoms”.
This stage is ideal for lifestyle changes and a radical solution approach to prevent disease progression and damage to the thyroid gland, as inflammation in your body has begun at this stage.
In an overview, you need to identify your triggers and strengthen your body by addressing other things:
- Food sensitivities
- Depletion of nutrients
- Intestinal permeability
- Poisons
- Adrenal dysfunction
- Chronic infections
Stage 3: Subclinical hypothyroidism
The third stage of Hashimoto’s is known as subclinical hypothyroidism.
At this stage, the level of TSH may be slightly increased in the blood test (3-10 mU / L), and the level of free T3 and free T4 is normal. A person’s thyroid antibodies may be even higher than stage 2, because elevated TSH can increase inflammation of the thyroid gland. However, some people will still be antibody negative.
In the world of conventional medicine, this stage is controversial in terms of treatment. Doctors may take a “wait and watch” approach, but if nothing is done, it is at this point that a person begins to experience more symptoms that eventually lead to overt hypothyroidism.
Stage 4: Overt hypothyroidism
At this stage, thyroid gland failure has started. The thyroid gland will be destroyed to the point where it will no longer be able to produce its own thyroid hormone.
A person will have high TSH, with low levels of T3 and T4. Thyroid antibodies may be even higher than before. This is the most common stage when a person is diagnosed, as this is when a person usually has a significant amount of thyroid symptoms.
This is also the stage when a person needs thyroid medication to prevent serious health consequences. Even conventional doctors recommend thyroid medication at this stage.
Lifestyle changes and a root cause approach are critical at this stage, as you will likely have many symptoms. Since you’ve probably had an inflammatory process in your body for almost a decade at this point, you’ll need the most aggressive treatment.
In stage 4, regeneration of normal tissue will be very challenging, but fortunately, there are new options that can speed up thyroid tissue repair.
Stage 5: Progression to other autoimmune disorders
Having Hashimoto’s puts a person at higher risk for developing other autoimmune diseases such as celiac disease, psoriasis, Sjogren’s, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and many others.
This is a progression of the autoimmune response – as the immune system remains unbalanced, it may find additional glands and body tissues to attack, such as the small intestine in celiac disease, the salivary and tear glands in Sjogren’s, and the joints in rheumatoid arthritis.
At this point, the person is probably being treated with thyroid medication, so if they are receiving the ideal treatment, their TSH, T3, and T4 numbers should be in the good range. But unfortunately, thyroid medication and removal of the thyroid gland do nothing to stop the progression of the disease.
If a person’s hormones are not well controlled with medications, if they have a large thyroid gland, out-of-control antibodies, Graves’ disease, thyroid nodules, or thyroid cancer, or if they are unable to have balanced thyroid hormones, surgical removal of the thyroid gland may be recommended. Removing the thyroid gland removes the thyroid antibodies, but unfortunately does not stop the progression of autoimmunity.
In addition, people who have had their thyroid gland removed (or who have undergone radioactive iodine treatment) may suffer side effects from these procedures and must take thyroid medication for the rest of their lives.
That said, it is still possible to reverse autoimmunity and significantly reduce and eliminate the symptoms of other autoimmune conditions.
What are the symptoms of Hashimoto’s disease?
The symptoms of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis may vary according to the stage and severity of the disease. In the early stages, people may have no symptoms or experience mild symptoms. But as the disease worsens, the auxiliary symptoms become clearer. Some common symptoms of Hashimoto’s thyroid disease include:
Hypothyroidism:
- Constant feeling of tiredness and low energy.
- Weight gain or difficulty in weight control.
- Colds and cold intolerance.
- Problems with concentration and memory.
- Dry and brittle hair.
- Dry and itchy skin.
- Changes in periods and infertility in women.
Increase in thyroid volume:
In the early stages of the disease, the increase in thyroid volume may not be felt by the person.
In more advanced stages, an enlarged thyroid can cause swelling and pressure in the neck area, which may cause breathing or swallowing problems.
There are other symptoms that include:
depression and anxiety.
Digestive problems such as constipation.
Changes in heart rate (ventricular or tachycardia).
It should be noted that the symptoms of Hashimoto’s thyroid may overlap with the symptoms of many other thyroid and non-thyroid diseases. For accurate diagnosis and proper treatment, consultation with a thyroid specialist is essential. He or she may perform blood tests to check thyroid hormone levels and the presence of antithyroid antibodies, and based on the results, determine an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.
References
(thyroidpharmacist.com)
The Five Stages of Hashimoto’s – Smitha Nair M.D. (smithanairmd.com)
How Does Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis Progress And What’s My Outlook? (healthmatch.io)
