Welcome to the latest in our series of informational blogs about various autoimmune conditions.  To find out about autoimmune conditions in overview please have a look at a previous post of the subject (https://patienttalk.org/?p=939).   We are also hoping that this blog will provide a forum for people with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis to be able to share their story.  Hopefully it can become a resource to provide support and encouragement for others.

Thyroiditis, by the way, refers to a swelling/inflammation of the thyroid. This can lead to either under or over production of thyroid hormones.  Thyroid hormones have a significant effect of the body’s function and can include:-

• controlling your  body’s growth and its metabolism
• heart rate and body temperature
• and the ability to convert food to energy

It is worth noting that there are various different kinds of thyroiditis of which Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is just one.  Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is where the human body’s immune system attacks the thyroid i.e. an autoimmune condition.  This in turn leads to the swelling of the gland and the development of goitre.  Goitre is where the swelling of the thyroid leads to an abnormal lump in the throat.  Please note that 1 in 20 cases of goitre are related to thyroid cancers so please contact your doctor is you have any concerns.

In Hashimoto’s the damage to the thyroid takes place slowly but will lead to hypothyroidism.  Hypothyroidism is where the levels of thyroid hormones in the blood are too low.  The people who develop Hashimoto’s will present the symptoms of an underactive thyroid.  These can include:-

• Depression
• Fatigue or tiredness
• Putting on weight
• Constipation
• Dry skin

To date doctors are not 100% sure of the causes of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Whilst there is no cure per se there are treatments which replace the thyroid hormones.  However in a number of cases patients have proved to be allergic to the treatments. As we said at the beginning of the blog we are very interested in hearing the stories of people with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.  If you do have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis it would be great if you could share your story with us in the comments box below. You may care to think about some of the following questions:-
a)      What were your first symptoms of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis?
b)      How did your Hashimoto’s thyroiditis progress and over what period?
c)       How were you diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis?
d)      What treatments did you receive and how effective were they?

Please feel free to include anything else you think may be of interest.  For example do you have any other autoimmune conditions?  We are sure what you have to share will be of great interest to our readers. Many thanks in advance.