Thyroiditis
Hashimoto's thyroiditis
Hashimoto's thyroiditis is an autoimmune condition. This means your immune system mistakenly attacks your thyroid gland, causing it to gradually swell and become damaged.
As the thyroid gland is slowly destroyed over time, it is unable to produce sufficient amounts of thyroid hormone. The medical term for low levels of thyroid hormone in the bloodis hypothyroidism .
Thisleadsto symptoms of an underactive thyroid gland , which are very general and can include:
- fatigue
- weight gain
- constipation
- dry skin
- depression
The swollen thyroid gland may also cause a lump to form in your throat, known as a goitre .
It may take months or even years for the condition to be detected, because the disease progresses very slowly.
The cause ofHashimoto's thyroiditisis not understood, but it sometimes appears to run in families, suggestingyour genes may make you more likely to develop the condition.
Hashimoto's thyroiditis is also associated with other autoimmune conditions, such as Addison's disease and type 1 diabetes . Itis usually seen in women aged 30 to 50.
Hashimoto's thyroiditis cannot be cured, sothe low levels of thyroid hormone are usually permanent. However, the symptoms are often easily treatedwith the thyroid hormone replacement medication levothyroxine, which is usually taken for life.
Surgery is only rarely needed, for instance if your goitre is particularly uncomfortable or there are suspicions of cancer.
Read about treating an underactive thyroid gland and treatinggoitre .
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018
Introduction
Thyroiditis is the medical term for inflammation (swelling) of the thyroid gland, which can either cause abnormally low or high levels of thyroid hormones in the blood.
Hashimoto's thyroiditis
Hashimoto's thyroiditis is an autoimmune condition. This means your immune system mistakenly attacks your thyroid gland, causing it to gradually swell and become damaged. As the thyroid gland is slow
De Quervain's (subacute) thyroiditis
De Quervain's thyroiditis (sometimes called subacute thyroiditis) is a painful swelling of the thyroid gland that is thought to be triggered by a viral infection, such as mumps or the flu . It's mo
Post-partum thyroiditis
Like Hashimoto's thyroiditis, post-partum thyroiditis is an autoimmune condition, but it only happens in women who have recently given birth. In post-partum thyroiditis, your immune system attacks yo
Silent (painless) thyroiditis
Silent thyroiditis is very similar to post-partum thyroiditis. It is also an autoimmune condition, but is not related to giving birth and can occur in both men and women. Like postpartum thyroiditis,
Drug-induced thyroiditis
Thyroiditis can also be triggered bymedications includinginterferon,amiodarone, lithiumand a class of drugs to treat certain cancers (which include sunitinib), if thesemedicinesdamage the thyroid glan
Radiation-induced thyroiditis
Radioactive iodine treatment for an overactive thyroid gland or radiotherapy for certain cancers can also damage the thyroid gland, leading to symptoms of an overactive thyroid gland or symptoms of
Acute or infectious thyroiditis
Acute or infectious thyroiditis is usually triggered by a bacterial infection. It is rare and is associated with either a weakened immune system or, in children, with a problem in the development of t
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