What causes Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and what is the best method of treatment? Can iodine help this condition?
Answers
Explanation:
Hashimoto’s disease is an autoimmune disorder that can cause hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid. With this disease, your immune system attacks your thyroid. The thyroid becomes damaged and can’t make enough thyroid hormones.
The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck. Thyroid hormones control how your body uses energy, so they affect nearly every organ in your body—even the way your heart beats. Without enough thyroid hormones, many of your body’s functions slow down.
Answer:
Hashimoto's thyroiditis is a type of autoimmune thyroid disease in which the immune system attacks and changes the texture of the thyroid gland. Hashimoto's thyroiditis stops the gland from making enough thyroid hormones for the body to work the way it should. Therefore often people will need thyroid hormone replacement. Levothyroxine replacement (T4) is used to treat Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, although there are other formulations such as Armour thyroid (which contain both T3 and T4), which is also sometimes used.
One should avoid taking iodine in this situation. If you have evidence of underactive thyroid and are symptomatic, the treatment of choice would be thyroid hormone replacement (T4 replacement).
Answered by Mary Vouyiouklis, MD. Dr. Vouyiouklis is an endocrinologist in the Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism in Cleveland Clinic’s Endocrinology & Metabolism Institute. She is board certified in internal medicine - endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism.