What are the characteristics of the treatment of autoimmune hypothyroidism?

Unfavorable and aggressive environmental factors, stresses and unbalanced nutrition result in impaired functions of the immune system and thyroid gland. The disease that occurs as a result of these processes is called thyroiditis, and since it is accompanied by a decrease in the production of thyroid hormones, it is called autoimmune hypothyroidism.

General information

The thyroid gland is a kind of "conductor" of the entire endocrine system, which produces hormones - thyroxine, triiodothyronine and calcitonin. The development of these hormones occurs under the control of the hypothalamic-pituitary system, and the thyroid hormones themselves are responsible for the growth and development of the body, the maturation and normal work of all organs, for metabolism.

These processes are especially relevant in childhood, as well as during the puberty of adolescents, during pregnancy and the extinction of sexual function, that is, during hormonal changes in the body.

The first described this state in 1912 by a Japanese researcher in the field of medicine and doctor Hashimoto Khakaru, whose name was subsequently named this diagnosis. Until the end of the reason for autoimmune hypothyroidism, it remains unclear, but it is proved that during the disease in the body there are cells of the immune system( lymphocytes) that produce antibodies to thyroid tissue that destroy it.

Disease occurs in 3-4% of the world's population. The Earth is diagnosed usually during the period of hormonal imbalance, when, for natural reasons, the reorganization of the work of all hormonal functions begins. For example, autoimmune hypothyroidism in children is often found during puberty and at a time of intense growth. With age, the number of patients with autoimmune thyroiditis increases and may amount to 50% of the population.

Also in the study of the causes of the disease it was proved that there are factors that can trigger the appearance of the disease. These factors include:

• Heredity( genetic predisposition) and the presence in the family of close people with the same diagnosis.
• Acute or chronic viral infection of the body.
• The presence of a foci of chronic infection in the body( carious teeth, chronic sinusitis, frontal sinus, tonsillitis, bronchitis, otitis).
• Long-term irradiation with radiation.
• Uncontrolled administration of medications containing radioactive iodine.
• Frequent stressful situations and negative emotions.
• Menopause in women.

What is an autoimmune thyroiditis?

Hashimoto's lymphocytic struma can acquire some differences in symptoms and is divided into several types:

• Latent or slow type of autoimmune thyroiditis, which does not cause thyroid dysfunction, and the gland itself increases in size( diffuse increase of 1 degree).The process acquires a chronic course and is sometimes accompanied by signs of thyrotoxicosis or hypothyroidism.
• Hypertrophic form of the disease, in which there is a diffuse or nodal increase in 2-3 degrees and there are all signs of thyrotoxicosis( in the initial stages of the disease) and hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism on the background of autoimmune thyroiditis appears in later stages of the disease, when the replacement of the gland tissue by the connective tissue takes place.
• Atrophic form, in which the size of the thyroid gland is not more than the norm, and even less than it, and the characteristic signs of the disease are signs of hypothyroidism. This form of the disease is considered the most aggressive, as there is a massive destruction of the thyroid tissue.

Symptoms and characteristics of the disease

Depending on the form of the disease, the signs of the disease may be slightly different. So, for example, with the hypertrophic form of the disease, an increase in the production of thyroid hormones first occurs, and the condition is called thyrotoxicosis. The main and frequently occurring symptoms of thyrotoxicosis are:

• Heart rhythm disturbance.
• Increased sweating.
• Tremors in the extremities.
• Bulging of eyeballs or exophthalmos.
• Symptoms of nervous system damage - irritability, tearfulness, sleep disturbance, weakness, fatigue.
• In men, there is a decrease in sexual desire.
• Women - early menopause and menstruation.
• Weight loss or weight gain for no apparent reason.

If at this stage of the disease do not start treatment, then over time the state of hypothyroidism develops, for which the characteristic features are:

• Chronic fatigue syndrome.
• Fast fatigue and weakness.
• In men, there is a decrease in sexual desire, and in women, menstruation is impaired.
• Depression and sleep disturbance.
• Blood pressure jumps.
• Even swelling on face and body.
• Chronic constipation. Fingerness of nails and hair.
• Dryness and flabbiness of the skin.
• Heart rate disturbance.
• Weight gain.

When a disease is autoimmune hypothyroidism, symptoms can develop slowly, over a number of years, and can develop suddenly, within a short time.

Treatment of autoimmune thyroiditis

If an autoimmune hypothyroidism is diagnosed, treatment is aimed at maintaining euthyroidism or the normal amount of thyroid hormones circulating in the blood. Therefore, for different forms of the disease, treatment and replacement therapy begin only after a blood test for the content of hormones in it. The analysis is carried out at least 1 every 6 months.

Treatment of symptoms of hyperthyroidism is symptomatic, that is, medicines eliminate symptoms of the disease. All drugs are prescribed individually, depending on the condition of the patient.

Treatment of symptoms of hypothyroidism is carried out by replacement or hormone therapy. Assign maintenance doses of L-thyroxine, eutirox, triiodothyronine, which should be taken by the patients for life. The dose of drugs is selected, based on the age of the patient and the severity of the disease.

Treatment of autoimmune thyroiditis with folk remedies is not recommended, as it requires a regular examination of the hormonal background. Folk recipes can be used in combination with basic treatment.