Hashimoto's Thyroiditis: Circulatory Disease

Hashimoto's Thyroiditis: Circulatory Disease

Thyroiditis is the inflammation of the thyroid gland. It has many causes, Hashimoto's thyroiditis being the most common of them. There are also Subacute Thyroiditis and

"Silent" thyroiditis, which occur less frequently than Hashimoto's. Abnormal blood antibodies and white blood cells attacking and damaging thyroid cells cause this Auto Immune disorder. This is normally considered a chronic inflammatory disorder of the thyroid gland. In the end the sufferer ends up with a greatly diminished amount or complete absence of thyroid cells, which results in the condition of hypothyroidism.

Normally sufferers of Hashimoto's are women of almost every age range. Mild pressure in the thyroid gland and tiredness are normally the first recognizable symptoms. Muscle weakness, weight gain and other endocrine disorder are more symptoms. A goitre, which is firm, slightly irregular, and sometimes slightly tender, occurs in the early stages creating pain in about 10% of cases.

High levels of antibodies in the blood that work against the patient's own thyroid proteins indicate the possible presence of Hashimoto's thyroiditis. A thyroid biopsy where a needle is inserted into the thyroid gland and some cells removed and smeared onto a glass slide will definitively diagnose the patient. Women over 50 years of age should be screened by a TSH test; a high TSH will be found in 10-15% and will almost invariably be due to Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

The normal treatment of Hashimoto's thyroiditis is dependent

upon the physician but is normally thyroid hormone replacement called thyroxine when the condition is confirmed, even if the thyroid is functioning normally. The same dosage amount is prescribed for hypothyroidism although initially larger doses are utilized to shrink the goitre. The goitre may remain for several years before completely disappearing. The goitre will shrink over a period of 6 to 18 months in most patients. When the gland has shrunk, the thyroid will not function normally creating the need for thyroxine treatment for life. Patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis should be seen by their family doctors at least once a year to check that the dose of thyroxine is correct and that the goitre has decreased in size.