Do you feel tired all the time? Have you gained weight? Do you experience joint pains? Have you had bouts of depression? Fatigue, weight gain, joint pain, and depression are some of the classic symptoms of an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto's disease. It is also called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, chronic autoimmune lymphocytic thyroiditis, or autoimmune thyroiditis. It is an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid gland.
The thyroid is a small gland at the base of your neck. It secretes hormones that control many activities in your body, including how fast your heart beats and how fast you burn calories. In people with Hashimoto's disease, white blood cells and antibodies mistakenly attack the cells of the thyroid. This creates damage to the thyroid gland. Hashimoto's disease can often lead to hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism, is a condition wherein the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormones which can heavily impair bodily functions. In severe cases, it can cause metabolism to slow down, and that leads to weight gain, fatigue, and other symptoms.
Hashimoto’s disease is 4 to 10 times more common in women than men. Doctors do not know the reason behind this yet, but some scientists suspect genetic factors may be involved as Hashimoto’s disease often runs in families. Having other autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, celiac disease, type 1 diabetes, pernicious anemia (vitamin B12 deficiency anemia), or lupus, also puts you at risk of getting Hashimoto's disease.
The first sign to look out for is an enlarged thyroid or a goiter. This can create a feeling of fullness in your throat, though it is usually not painful. Overtime damage to the thyroid may cause the gland to shrink and the goiter to disappear. Other symptoms of Hashimoto's disease include:
- Fatigue
- Feeling sluggish
- Slow or irregular heart rate
- Cold intolerance or increased sensitivity to cold
- Constipation
- Pale and dry skin
- A puffy face
- Brittle nails
- Hoarse voice
- Thinning hair or hair loss (alopecia)
- Enlargement of the tongue
- Unexplained weight gain despite having no change in your diet
- High cholesterol
- Muscle aches (myalgia)
- Joint pain (arthralgia)
- Muscle weakness
- Heavy menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia)
- Irregular menstruation (oligomenorrhea)
- Fertility problems
- Depression
- Lapses in memory ("brain fog")
- Low sex drive
- Growth delay in children
If you have these symptoms and suspect that you have Hashimoto’s disease, it is best to see your doctor right away to get a diagnosis and a treatment plan. The danger of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, if left untreated, is that it can cause complications, some of which can be severe. These can include:
- Infertility - can disrupt the production of hormones that regulate the menstrual cycle and trigger ovulation.
- Heart disorders - can instigate increases in "bad" LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, leading to the hardening of arteries (atherosclerosis) and increasing the risk of heart attacks and stroke.
- Pregnancy complications - doubles the risk of complications for both mother and baby
- Hashimoto's Encephalopathy - a rare complication in which the swelling of the brain can cause profound and debilitating neurological symptoms.
- Myxedema - a severe form of hypothyroidism in which metabolism slows to a point where you can fall into a coma and potentially die.
Talk to your doctor if you experience any combination of the classic signs. Early diagnosis and treatment will improve your wellbeing.
Latte Halo may help
Latte Halo is a blend of medicinal mushrooms, turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg and black pepper.
Medicinal mushrooms may help to calm and stabilise the overactive immune responses as well as improving your gut, whilst turmeric and cinnamon assist as an anti-inflammatory.
