Dr. Hakaru Hashimoto, a Japanese doctor, was researching goiter and iodine deficiency. At this time, the goiter and thyroid disease were seriously associated with the lack of iodine in the diet. During the study, Dr. Hashimoto discovered a type of goiter, which is apparently not associated with iodine deficiency. He biopsidil these goiter, and his histopathology results noted lymphocyte infiltration, fibrosis, parenchymal atrophy and eosinophilic changes in acinar cells. He called this special character of a new type of lymphomatous disorder of the thyroid gland "Hashimoto thyroiditis" or lymphocytic thyroiditis.
At that time, Dr. Hashimoto reported his findings in 1912, German was considered a scientific language. In search of a wide audience for his discovery, Dr. Hashimoto published his work in a German magazine. He wanted to make his important work known worldwide and felt that this was the best way to do it. However, it was only many years later that he was enrolled in the first recognized autoimmune state.
Until now, after 101 years, Hashimoto's thyroiditis is still a mystery. The reason for this is the variety of symptoms that patients present.
Side note. Some articles on Hashimoto's thyroiditis show that sometimes patients do not report any symptoms. This is inaccurate and probably related to an inexperienced person accepting a patient’s history. Hashimoto patients have a wide range of symptoms with varying degrees of severity, and the history of the history will reflect these symptoms.
Symptoms of both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are not characteristic of a patient with Hashimoto thyroiditis. The most common symptom is fatigue, but someone with Hashimoto may also be present with a racing heart, feeling “on the verge” or nervousness, as well as brain fog or loss of mental clarity.
Symptoms of hyperthyroidism are evident when the thyroid gland has produced too much of a thyroid hormone called thyroxin. This creates "hyper" signs and symptoms, speeding up the body's metabolism. Typically, these symptoms include inability to gain weight or sudden weight loss, sweating, fast and irregular heart rhythm, nervousness, diarrhea and irritability. Hashimoto causes the release of too much thyroxin when the thyroid gland is under active attack by the body’s own immune system. During an attack, the thyroid gland tissue is destroyed, and any thyroxin in this tissue is released into the body, causing a splash of this hormone into the bloodstream. It is for this reason that a person with Hashimoto thyroiditis may experience temporary episodes of hyperthyroidism, and then the return of symptoms of hypothyroidism.
After the attack is aligned, a less functioning thyroid gland is functioning, capable of producing thyroid hormones, and this is manifested in a slower metabolism. Weight gain, constipation, fatigue, slow heart rate and depression are a few symptoms that reflect this “hypo” or decrease in thyroid hormone levels, otherwise known as hypothyroidism.
Hashimoto is the gradual destruction of the thyroid gland by the body’s own immune system. Often a person suffers with Hashimoto for many years before seeking help. Even then, traditional allopathic treatment is usually aimed only at achieving the level of TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) in the “normal” range. Although this treatment for thyroid hormone replacement hormone (HRT) is necessary from time to time, the problem with autoimmune diseases also needs support, or the thyroid gland will continue to collapse. In addition, for patients taking thyroid replacement hormones, symptoms are often observed.
Another important point is that the person with Hashimoto has an autoimmune problem that may not stop when the thyroid gland attacks. Other organs, including the pancreas and brain, are under threat. It is very important to diagnose this condition as early as possible.
Do not assume that just because your family does not have a family history of thyroid disease, that you are not exposed. Also do not think that the state of the thyroid gland is given to women of middle age. We see more than 20 and 30-year-old women and men with symptoms of the thyroid gland, and many of them have Hashimoto thyroiditis. Often, taking the story of this group, they report their symptoms as they were children or teenagers. This leads us to believe that there are a number of undiagnosed children and adolescents suffering from Hashimoto thyroiditis in the US
With oscillatory hormone levels, depending on how much of the hyper / hypo states are present at the time, it may be difficult for inexperienced practitioners to diagnose a patient with Hashimoto only through basic laboratory tests of the thyroid gland. If Hashimoto's thyroiditis is suspected, a practitioner can order blood tests that measure the amount of antibodies to thyroglobulin (TG) and thyroid peroxidase (TPO). A needle biopsy can also be ordered to eliminate the presence of lymphocytes and macrophages. In most cases, a needle biopsy is not required to diagnose Hashimoto.
Goiter or enlargement of the thyroid gland is sometimes associated with Hashimoto's disease. The goiter can be so large as to disfigure it, or the enlarged size of the thyroid gland can simply make it inconvenient for wearing scarves or neckties. Occasionally, the neck or throat will be aching or tender.
Functional medicine uses a treatment that is well suited for autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD), such as Hashimoto's disease. Causative factors, such as food allergens with cross-activity, are considered both functional medicine and other systems involved outside the immune system.
