Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is a disease that on average affects one in five people. (Wikipedia) This paper will cover the history of this disease, health issues it causes, symptoms, and possible treatments.
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, also called chronic thyroiditis, (www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article.000371.htm) was first recognized in Germany in 1912. Hakaru Hashimoto, hence the name of the disease, was the person who first discovered this disease as an “independent illness”. (Wikipedia)
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is a disease that affects the thyroid. This disease is caused by inflammation of the thyroid gland. It is an autoimmune disease that causes the body to begin attacking your thyroid as if it is an invader in your body. Although it is not known why necessarily this occurs, it is believed that this disease can be hereditary in nature. (www.wikipedia.com) The condition itself, begins destroying the thyroid which can lead to hypothyroidism. It is the most common cause of hypothyroidism. Also, this disease occurs more often in middle-aged women than men. (www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article.000371.htm) The disease itself does not cause symptoms. Once the thyroid has been compromised enough to produce symptoms from hypothyroidism, the person may begin to realize there is an issue.
Symptoms of hypothyroidism in its early stages can be extreme tiredness, constipation, weight gain, and dry skin. (http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/120937-overview) A person may also have an enlarged thyroid which is called a goiter. This can be diagnosed when the thyroid is palpitated at a doctor’s visit. Sometimes, this may be when a person first realizes there is an issue and may be the trigger for a physician to run ...
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... hashimoto’s thyroiditis and studies on exactly what happens to cause the immune system to respond in attack to the thyroid. (http://www.autoimmunemom.com/hashimotos-thyroid/hashimotos-thyroid-latest-research-studies-for-improving-symptoms.html)
From a personal perspective as someone who has Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, I can say that my diagnosis took many years to discover. Although I had many of the symptoms associated with this disease, the symptoms are so relatable to other conditions, and it wasn’t diagnosed until several years after it began. Since diagnosis and treatment, my symptoms have subsided and I do live a very normal life that is uninterrupted by this disease. Other than a daily pill and periodic lab tests, my life has not changed except total relief that I now know what was wrong, why I wasn’t feeling well, and was able to do something about it.
First I will be discussing about the thyroid gland, so the thyroid gland is a gland in the neck that secretes hormones. These hormones regulate growth and development, and metabolism. The main hormone secreted is Thyroxine. So when a person like Margie is diagnosed with hypothyroidism it means the thyroid gland does not secrete enough hormones. As many females get over the age of 50, they are more at risk of developing hypothyroidism. The symptoms
The last time Typhus was recorded was by the British Troops during World War II. They had forty two cases of Typhus in 1942 and that was one year after the allied forces arrived. Then the year after that there was five hundred and eighty two cases of Typhus...
Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disease that was discovered by Robert Graves in 1835. Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system attacks the thyroid gland and causes hyperthyroidism. Graves’ disease occurs when the antibodies like thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin and thyrotropin receptor antibodies (TRAbs) attack the thyroid gland as if it were a foreign object or a virus of some sort. This disease is the most common type of hyperthyroidism. Attacking the thyroid gland in such a manner makes it excessively overproduce the hormone thyroxine which controls the body’s metabolic rate. Heightened activity of the thyroid can increase the body’s metabolism by 60% to 100%. (Weeks 34-35).
Today in America thyroid disease is becoming a much larger issue and the worse part of this problem is that many people are not yet diagnosed. This is due to the lack of education and awareness about thyroid disease. There are many different types of diseases but the one that I am passionate about is hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid is when the thyroid is no longer able to produce triiodothyronine, also known as T3 and thyroxine, also referred to as T4. Some of the symptoms include unexpected weight gain, tiredness, depression, or slow movements and thoughts. Most of the time many people notice the way that their bodies act on what they are feeling to their physicians. Many Americans struggle with this disease that
James Parkinson. It’s not certain how long the disease has existed but its probably been around
“Immune Response: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia.” National Library of Medicine - National Institutes of Health. Web. 18 Dec. 2011. .
If you have too little of thyroid hormones, it is called hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism symptoms include feeling tired, gaining weight, and grogginess. The amount of the hormone released from the thyroid gland is regulated by the pituitary glan...
When I think about the moments leading up to my diagnosis I remember feeling weak, confused, shaky and sleepy. I did not notice that I had began sleeping throughout the day. My body was craving soft drinks like soda and juice but not food. Days would go by and I eventually fell into a deep slumber that I found myself only waking up from to use the bathroom. I knew something was wrong and that if I did not get to a hospital it would get worse. Nothing could have prepared me for the life changing diagnosis I would receive.
This is because the tissue swells around the eyes and suffer from hyperthyroidism, muscular weakness, and rapid pulse and develop a reddish, painless skin rash. People who show signs and symptoms usually are either mild or severe. It all depends on the activity level of the thyroid. The disease affects the immune system itself and no other places. Symptoms usually develop over a 3-month period. The carrier usually is not aware that they have Graves’ disease. They usually find out when the symptoms are severe. The common signs are weight loss, tremors, feeling of being hot, and palpitations. (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.org). The less common sign that can occur as well. They are over activity of the intestines, which leads to frequent bowl movements. Sometimes the breakdown of protein in muscles can lead to extreme weakness, which causes trouble breathing and limited endurance. (The Thyroid Book). The thought of having Graves’ disease can be disturbing. Mood swings and thinking impairment can be difficult to handle. Crying spells, depression and feeling down are common. The patient’s personality can be different and will change. This could make work difficult and hard to keep. Generally, a person with Graves’ disease will have a thyroid that is enlarged but will not have any pain from it. This is called a goiter and can be seen in the neck most of the time. Sometime you cannot see the goiter but by feeling and examining the neck, it can be detected.
The thyroid gland is found in the front of the neck and produces two main hormones. The hormones are called thuroxine (T4) and Triiodothyronine (T3). Together these hormones regulate the body’s metabolism by increasing energy use in cells, regulate growth and development, help to maintain body temperature and aid in oxygen consumption. These two hormones are regulated by hormones produced by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. The hypothalamus senses changes in body’s metabolic rate and releases a hormone known as thyropin-releasing hormone (TRH). This hormone then flows through connecting vessels to the pituitary gland which signals it to release another hormone. This hormone is known as thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). TSH then makes its way to the bloodstream until it reaches the thyroid where it is then signaled to activate T3 and T4 production [1]. This mechanism is controlled by a negative feedback loop meaning that when there is a sufficient amount of thyroid hormones in the blood stream, this will signal back to stop production of thyroid stimulating hormones. Complications occur when the thyroid hormones keep increasing even though there is already a sufficient amount of T3 and T4 in the blood stream. This process of over expression of thryroid hormones is known as hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism is a general term that includes any disease that has a consequence of an overabundance of thyroid hormones. Hyperthyroidism is a general term but there are many variant diseases that are in the hyperthyroidism category. These diseases include diffuse toxic goiter, Basedow’s disease, thyrotoxicosis, Parry’s and Graves’ disease.
I, myself, have suffered from hypothyroidism since I was 21 years old, and depression during my high school years. This disorder came to us by surprise since nobody in the family has a history of thyroid disorder. The age the disorder came about was probably the most shocking part that left even the doctor questioning the blood tests. But in the end, it was something that was going on inside of me that needed medical attention before it became it worse and symptoms would be more apparent. Such diagnosis has lead me to make certain decisions in my life such as exercising and eating the right
At the age of twelve, I was diagnosed with Type One Diabetes. I remember the whole event of my diagnosis. At first, I thought that it was fun to have, because I had no understanding of what diabetes meant. People found out at school, and It gave me a lot of attention. As time progressed, I realized that I would have to eventually give myself shots. It gave me a wake up call. I eventually figured out that I would not be able to get rid of diabetes, because it is permanent. It was not a game, it was real life. I couldn't just turn off the video game and have it be done. Diabetes caused me to grow up really fast compared to most of my friends. I gave myself my first shot at the age of 12 and a half. I had to test my own blood sugar four times
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Among these disorders are hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Hypothyroidism is a disorder in which one is diagnosed for having and underactive thyroid. The probability for women over the age of sixty to develop an underactive thyroid is higher than those of other individuals. If left untreated it can potentially lead to obesity, joint pain, heart disease, and other health complications. On the contrary, hyperthyroidism is a disorder in which a person is diagnosed for having an overactive thyroid. This can cause nervousness and anxiety, hyperactivity, unexplained weight loss, and swelling of the thyroid gland which causes a noticeable lump to form on throat (known as a
My health is of great importance to me. I firmly believe that having good health is imperative for a happy life. Having bad health can wreck havoc in one’s daily life. I know from personal experience because it has been happening to me these past few weeks. I’m thankfully, recovering as time passes, but I can contribute most of the misery I went through due to lack of sleep. I’ve only experienced these awful symptoms for about a short amount of time, but it’s probably the worst torment I’ve ever experienced in my life to this date. I feel so much happier now because my symptoms are improving. Having good health makes life much more bearable, and now I’m able to do my daily activities with much more ease. Taking care of my body is probably the best thing I can do for myself because it will keep me happy in both the short term, and long term.