What is Hashimoto's disease?
Hashimoto's disease is a condition in which your immune system attacks your thyroid.
Hashimoto's disease is also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis.
Inflammation from Hashimoto's disease often leads to an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism). Hashimoto's disease is the most common cause of hypothyroidism. It primarily affects middle-aged women but can also occur in men and women of any age and in children.
Treatment of Hashimoto's disease with thyroid hormone replacement usually is simple and effective.
Symptoms
You might not notice signs or symptoms of Hashimoto's disease at first, or you may notice a swelling at the front of your throat (goiter).
Hashimoto's disease typically progresses slowly over years and causes chronic thyroid damage, leading to a drop in thyroid hormone levels in your blood. The signs and symptoms are mainly those of an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism).
Signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism include:
- Fatigue and sluggishness
- Increased sensitivity to cold
- Constipation
- Pale, dry skin
- A puffy face
- Brittle nails
- Unexplained weight gain
- Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness
- Joint pain and stiffness
- Muscle weakness
- Excessive or prolonged menstrual bleeding
- Depression
- Memory lapses
Causes
Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune disorder in which your immune system creates antibodies that damage your thyroid gland.
Doctors don't know what causes your immune system to attack your thyroid gland. Some scientists think a virus or bacterium might trigger the response, while others believe a genetic flaw may be involved. A combination of factors — including heredity, sex and age — may determine your likelihood of developing the disorder.
Risk factors
These factors may contribute to your risk of developing Hashimoto's disease:
- Sex. Women are much more likely to get Hashimoto's disease.
- Age. Hashimoto's disease can occur at any age but more commonly occurs during middle age.
- Heredity. You're at higher risk for Hashimoto's disease if others in your family have thyroid or other autoimmune diseases.
- Other autoimmune disease.
- Radiation exposure.
Source:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hashimotos-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20351855
