What is Hashimoto's Disease?

After several months of symptoms and several weeks of blood tests and (im)patient waiting, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Disease. But what is Hashimoto's? How does one get it? And how is it treated once it's diagnosed?

Symptoms of Hashimoto's Disease

I had never heard of Hashimoto's before my visit to the Endocrinologist. In fact, I had thought my problems were due either to aging or peri-menopause, both things I could do nothing about. I was getting increasingly tired and irritable. I was unable to lose weight around my mid-section. Worst of all, for me, I was having hot flashes that left me in misery throughout the day and night. None of these symptoms are life-threatening. None are even serious enough to warrant a trip to the doctor, especially when the expectation is that she will simply say that these are things that happen when women get older. However, when I started getting so thirsty, constantly, I started to fear Diabetes, which runs in my family.

I visited the doctor and told her about my symptoms. She immediately thought Diabetes was to blame as well, but also suggested I have my thyroid checked. Fasting blood glucose levels were normal, but TSH levels came back high. I was referred to an Endocrinologist. 

At the Endocrinologist I learned of more symptoms that I previously had thought were unrelated. My fingernails, which where once hard and tough, had become brittle. Migraines, which had plagued me for years, were growing stronger. I seemed to be hungry all the time and I was continually constipated. All signs of Hashimoto's Disease. 

Another clear sign was the size and texture of my thyroid. Hashimoto's is an autoimmune disorder that attacks the thyroid, giving it an enlarged, rough texture. I have no idea how a normal person could tell if their thyroid is enlarged or bumpier than it should be, but the Endo felt it immediately, as did the consulting physician. Three blood tests later and the diagnosis was confirmed. Because it is an autoimmune disorder, the blood tests are necessary for a true diagnosis.

Causes and Cures

There is no confirmed cause of Hashimoto's. Some theories are that it is related to hormonal imbalances, maybe caused by pregnancy or the use of infertility treatments. The Endo I visited said that it is often hereditary.

Hashimoto's is combated through medication. Levothyroxine is used to keep the symptoms at bay and to keep the thyroid from deteriorating any further. This little pill is taken once each day for the remainder of the patient's life. Yes, I am now the person who is medicated daily. Added sugars should be removed from the diet and Hashimoto's patients benefit greatly from low-gluten diets as well. Many Hashimoto's patients also have Celiac Disease, which requires a completely gluten-free lifestyle.

If left untreated, Hashimoto's can lead to heart disease, thyroid cancer, and clinical depression. Hashimoto's is very common, but is often left untreated because many people, like me, think their symptoms are signs of aging rather than an underlying, and fixable, problem.