Hashimoto-thyreoditis

Thyroid diseases include Hashimoto's thyroiditis. It also goes by the following names: Hashimoto's disease, autoimmune hypothyroidism, thyroiditis. It is a disease in which inflammation of the thyroid gland causes an alteration in the function of the thyroid gland. The disease is often hidden at first, and only other complaints (e.g. period problems) draw the attention of the doctor.

Onset: the disease is autoimmune in origin, so its pathogenesis is not clear. The word "autoimmune" means when your body launches an immune response against a structure normally found in the body (in this case, the thyroid gland).

The development of Hashimoto's thyroiditis can be divided into four parts:

  1. Overactive stage: also known as hyperfunctioning stage. Hyperthyroidism occurs because the autoimmune response causes the body to destroy thyroid cells. So fewer cells start producing hormones more intensively.
  2. Underactive stage: in the hypofunctional stage, cells die to the extent that they can no longer produce enough hormones.
  3. Regeneration stage: the body is trying to regenerate.
  4. Final stage: if the regeneration stage is successful, a euthyroid state may develop. This means that the thyroid gland returns to normal function. If the regeneration stage is unsuccessful, an underactive state will occur. The majority of patients experience this.

Symptoms include:

  • hair loss
  • fatique
  • irritability
  • weight gain
  • concentration difficulties

Diagnosis: primarily by blood test. In addition to the usually monitored levels (TSH, fT4, fT3), it is important to test for anti-TPO in the blood. Anti-TPO stands for antibody to thyroid peroxidase (a marker of autoimmune processes). Diagnosis can also be made by ultrasound or biopsy (tissue sampling).

Treatment: if the inflammation is already underway, it is usually unstoppable (inflammation can be detected by anti-TPO levels). Inflammation will eventually lead to the death of the thyroid gland (although in the initial phase, overactive thyroid glands are often seen). The end result is underactivity, which can be treated with hormone replacement, as in hypothyroidism. As a chronic disease, it can be controlled with appropriate treatment and can be lived as a symptom-free, fulfilling life.