Tag: Autoimmune diseases

The symptoms of Hashimoto’s disease. What should be of concern?

Hashimoto’s disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the thyroid gland that can cause a variety of symptoms such as fatigue, cold, dry, and flaky skin, reduced libido, and erection problems. Symptoms usually result from changes in the gland and increasing hypofunction.

Hakaru Hashimoto’s disease is a chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, which is part of the group of autoimmune diseases, including autoimmune diseases. The immune system recognizes thyroid proteins as hostile and begins to destroy them, impairing the activity of the enzyme responsible for the synthesis of thyroid hormones.

The thyroid is an important organ that produces and stores hormones, which are necessary for the development of the nervous system, sexual maturation, metabolism, bone growth, regulation of body temperature, and the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Antibodies that cause Hashimoto’s disease destroy the thyroid gland and prevent the production of hormones, which results in chronic inflammation and hypothyroidism. It affects 1–6% of adults and children, mostly women, up to 10 times more often than men.

Symptoms of Hashimoto’s disease

Hashimoto’s disease can be hidden or worsen slowly, but in people with hyperthyroidism, it progresses more rapidly. The main symptoms are hypothyroidism and hormone deficiency.

  • tiredness and drowsiness,
  • feeling cold all the time
  • mood swings,
  • problems with concentration and memory,
  • depression,
  • dry skin, brittle nails, hair,
  • constipation or diarrhoea, 
  • gaining weight (to check your correct weight,  use the BMI calculator ),
  • weight gain,
  • menstrual disorders,
  • decreased libido,
  • erection problems,
  • sterility,
  • low blood pressure
  • slowing down the heart rate.

Hashimoto’s disease is usually asymptomatic, but with the decrease in thyroxine and triiodothyronine levels, the symptoms become more and more troublesome.

If you notice any changes in the neck region, such as an increase in its circumference, a palpable lump, or pain, you should always see a doctor. Weight gain despite following a calorie-reduction plan, persistent fatigue, feeling chilly, flaky skin, and menstrual disorders are additional symptoms that need to be taken seriously.

Hashimoto’s disease can cause serious health problems, such as heart disease, infertility, and neurological complications, but it is usually detected only through thyroid hormone tests.

Unusual symptoms of Hashimoto’s disease

Hashimoto’s disease can manifest itself with unusual symptoms, the sources of which patients often look for long and unsuccessfully. This, for example:

  • muscle pains,
  • muscle cramps,
  • muscle weakness,
  • skin tingling,
  • aggressive behavior,
  • psychiatric symptoms: dementia, psychoses,
  • delayed puberty in children,
  • growth arrest. 

In such cases, it is worth checking your thyroid hormone levels, although it is not the first thing we would think of with the above symptoms. 

A localized form of Hashimoto’s disease

Hashimoto’s disease can manifest in terms of changes in the size of the thyroid gland, with hyperthyroidism with gland enlargement and difficulty swallowing, a feeling of pressure in the neck, coughing or shortness of breath. When the gland becomes hard, cohesive, uneven, but not painful to the touch, the destroyed thyroid disappears, as evidenced by the ultrasound examination. Thyroid nodules may also appear.

Blood tests for Hashimoto’s disease reveal its symptoms

The symptoms of Hashimoto’s disease are also abnormal laboratory test results. The blood test may show:

  • elevated TSH (but decreased TSH in hyperthyroidism),
  • decreased or normal levels of thyroid hormones FT3 and FT4,
  • high anti-TPO  and/or elevated anti-Tg,
  • high cholesterol,
  • anemia ,
  • increased blood glucose level,
  • increased activity of aspartate aminotransferase,
  • low sodium or high calcium levels.

Fortunately, usually, in the course of Hashimoto’s disease, no additional abnormalities are observed. There are primarily changes in the concentration of thyroid hormones and antibodies.


Causes of Hashimoto’s disease

The causes of Hashimoto’s disease, like those of other autoimmune disorders, are unknown. Since the disease’s description in 1920, the body of knowledge regarding its etiology has remained static. Hashimoto’s disease has been linked to the following risk factors:

  • someone else had it in the family,
  • the patient has another autoimmune disease, e.g. rheumatoid arthritis ,
  • there is a weakened immunity, especially during stressful periods,
  • severe infections have occurred,
  • occurs in women after childbirth.

Diagnosis of Hashimoto’s disease (tests)

Consult an endocrinologist if you think you might have a thyroid issue. Depending on the results of the tests, the specialist will decide if Hashimoto’s disease is present. Standard thyroid exams include:

  • TSH designation (check: TSH norms ),
  • marking FT3 and FT4,
  • thyroid ultrasound ,
  • antithyroid antibodies.

Thyrotropic hormone (TSH) is secreted by the pituitary gland and its concentration rises when the thyroid gland produces too little hormone. In Hashimoto’s disease, TSH levels are elevated and FT3 and FT4 are below normal. Antithyroid antibodies (anti-TPO) should also be tested. An ultrasound will show the size of the gland, changes in its structure, post-inflammatory thyroid nodules or adhesions. If the results are inconclusive, the doctor will refer the patient for additional tests and recommend a fine needle biopsy. Depending on the degree of thyroid damage, he will recommend appropriate treatment.

Autoimmune Diseases , Why the Body Fights Itself?

Autoimmune diseases are becoming more common. Doctors are now learning more about how and why they develop.

The causes of autoimmune diseases are diverse. Doctors assume that there is not a single pathogen, but many triggers that come together.

  • Genetic predisposition is frequently decisive. There are known familial accumulations in rheumatism, Crohn’s disease, and multiple sclerosis..
  • In addition to genetic factors, lifestyle also influences health. This includes nutrition above all else, as the intestinal flora has a substantial effect on the immune system.
  • In addition to genetic predisposition and lifestyle factors, particularly diet, environmental factors are suspected of overstraining the immune system. Studies from around the world indicate that chemical substances can trigger autoimmune diseases. 

Poisons as a trigger for autoimmune diseases

Specifically, the following relationships are known:

  • People who come into contact with silicone dust or mineral oil at work could develop rheumatoid arthritis as a result.
  • Additives in cosmetics could cause systemic lupus with redness.
  • Plasticizers in plastic could trigger Hashimoto’s thyroid disease. 
  • Vitamin D deficiency due to insufficient sun exposure can also increase the risk of an autoimmune disease, as can certain infections.

Those who are affected, on the other hand, do not notice the effects for years or decades. Because the first antibodies directed against yourself can form years or decades before the autoimmune disease manifests itself.

Autoimmune diseases often break out in particularly eventful phases of life.

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is a common condition that affects 20-50 year olds. It is caused by stress, and it is important to avoid or reduce negative stress as much as possible. 

Patients can do a lot: they should try to live as stress-free as possible, resist excessive external pressure, and perhaps plan their lives more structuredly. Many patients suffer from sleep disorders. It is critical to have good sleep hygiene and to follow certain rituals, such as not sitting in bright light for too long in the evening. Relaxation techniques such as yoga and meditation can also be beneficial.

Negative stress is a sure factor influencing disease flare-ups.

Lupus, also known as inflammatory rheumatism, is a common autoimmune disease that affects young women. According to the Mainz-based rheumatologist and autoimmune expert, this is frequently done before high school, when stress levels rise. This negative stress causes relapses. Experts use the term neuro-bio-psycho-immunology to describe how the interaction of mental and physical factors influences whether and how the disease can be stabilized.

Autoimmune diseases cannot be cured, but many can be treated effectively.

Typically, autoimmune diseases manifest as flares. Inflammation cannot be avoided. The illnesses are long-term and fatal. Many of these conditions can now be effectively treated: cortisol slows down the typical inflammatory processes, and painkillers containing anti-rheumatic and anti-inflammatory active ingredients alleviate symptoms or pain.

Some autoimmune diseases seem untreatable. Scleroderma, for instance.

Sometimes only an immune reset helps.

This therapy tries to destroy the immunological memory in order to stop the autoimmune disease. A backup is created, and two days of chemotherapy stimulate the bone marrow to form more stem cells. Five days of high-dose chemotherapy with a mixture of cell division inhibitors and antibodies reset the immune system to zero. On the last day, the frozen stem cells are thawed and returned to the bone marrow, with the goal of dividing again and building a new blood system.

The immune reset is very risky; you can also die doing it.

Stem cell therapy has been successful in the treatment of multiple sclerosis patients in the USA, with more than three quarters of the patients surviving in the first four years without a relapse. In Germany, stem cell therapy has only been permitted in cases of hardship for autoimmune diseases if no medication is helping. 

High sugar consumption deprives people of vitamins and minerals.

High sugar consumption

This was revealed in a medical study –

People who consume large amounts of sugar for long periods of time can develop autoimmune diseases.

This was revealed in a medical study conducted in Germany.

Autoimmune diseases are those in which the immune system attacks the body’s own healthy cells, which can lead to various complications such as type 1 diabetes and chronic inflammation.

Research from the Julius Maximilians University  of Wurzburg(JMU)  sheds light on the mechanism that causes autoimmune diseases.

Research has shown that immune cells need large amounts of sugar in order to function properly.

The research focused on a group of immune system cells that were not well known.

It was a type 17 group of tea helper cells that played a key role in the inflammatory process.

According to researchers, the new discovery could help shape autoimmune therapy.

The results of the study were published in the medical journal “Cell Metabolism”.


Earlier , in March 2020, research from the University of Leuven in Sweden found that high sugar consumption could increase the risk of diabetes, obesity, coronary heart disease, dental problems and many other diseases.

The study looked at the relationship between the use of sugar in food and beverages and the nutrients (vitamins and minerals).

Research reports in the past have shown that high sugar intake results in people consuming more fat and sugar-rich foods and less healthy foods.

The study looked at the extent to which high sugar consumption deprives people of vitamins and minerals.

The results of the study were published in the medical journal Nutrition and Metabolism.

An earlier study by the University of California, Berkeley, found that excessive consumption of sugar is actually a symptom of a number of diseases that can affect you at some point in your life.

Research has shown that if the amount of sugar in the diet is high, it is absorbed in the intestines after entering the body, from where it travels to the liver.

In fact, the liver is the only organ in the body that can use this sugar for various purposes.

However, when the amount of sugar is too high, the liver loses its ability to use it, after which it has no choice but to convert this extra ingredient into liver fat.

The research further states that the data show that when the liver converts sugar into fat, it indicates that insulin resistance has been developed.

This condition can progress to metabolic syndrome, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, pancreatic problems, complications in the arteries, cancer, dementia and heart disease, etc., while the risk of liver disease is different.

The study found that 40% of people of normal weight suffer from a single metabolic syndrome, while 80% of obese people suffer from these diseases.

Earlier, in 2016, another study from the University of California showed that just a small amount of sugar for just nine days can dramatically improve health.

Research has shown that reducing sugar intake reduces the risk of metabolic syndrome, which has been linked to life-threatening illnesses.

Research has shown that reducing sugar intake lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels, improves liver function and lowers insulin levels by up to a third.

The levels of fat, protein, carbohydrates and calories in the volunteers’ diets remained the same during the study, but their sugar intake was reduced from 28% to 10% and their health deteriorated significantly in a short period of time.