What is Hashimoto’s disease?

Bianca Preston
Aug 22, 2022
3 min read

Symptoms, possible causes and testing of Hashimoto's disease

The thyroid gland is located in the neck, just above where your collar bones meet in the middle. The thyroid gland makes hormones that control virtually all of the body’s metabolic functions (how the body turns food into energy) and keep it working normally.

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is a type of autoimmune disease — your immune system doesn’t recognize your thyroid cells as your own and attacks it.

Chronic thyroiditis is caused by a reaction of the immune system against the thyroid gland. It often results in reduced thyroid function (hypothyroidism).

The disease begins slowly. It may take months or even years for the condition to be detected and for thyroid hormone levels to become lower than normal. Hashimoto disease is most common in people with a family history of thyroid disease.

Symptoms of Hashimoto disease

I remember when I first started to notice the symptoms that I (only years later...) discovered were related to my Hashimoto's diagnosis. My symptoms started off as little annoyances and within a year I could barely think straight or function as normal.

The severity, type and duration of symptoms are different for every person. Here are a few common symptoms for someone suffering from Hashimoto's:

Fatigue -> Exhaustion
Weight gain
Feeling cold all of the time
Joint and muscle pain
Constipation
Depression
Puffy eyes and/or face
Dry skin and brittle nails
Brain fog, memory problems, difficulty thinking or concentrating
Hair loss, thinning of outer 3rd of eyebrows

There are probably another 200 symptoms that you might experience

How is Hashimoto’s disease diagnosed?

First, your healthcare provider will take your medical history and perform a physical exam and blood tests are also ordered.

These include:

Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test: A high TSH level most commonly means the thyroid gland is not producing enough T4 hormone. This lab is usually most consistent with a diagnosis of hypothyroidism or subclinical hypothyroidism.
Free T4 test: A low T4 level suggests that the person has hypothyroidism.
Thyroid Antibody test: thyroid antibodies testing is the best “early warning” indicator for having Hashimoto’s - insist on testing antibodies when doing a full thyroid panel testing.

The most common imaging test that may be ordered is an ultrasound of your thyroid gland. The ultrasound shows the size and appearance of the thyroid and if there are any nodules or growths in your neck area. Done by an endocrinologist.

When you do any form of testing, keep your results in a safe place for later referencing or progress tracking.

Possible causes of Hashimoto's

In Hashimoto’s disease, the immune system makes antibodies that attack and damage the thyroid tissue. As a result, the thyroid gland becomes inflamed and the ability to make thyroid hormone becomes damaged, eventually leading to hypothyroidism.

But what causes the immune system to react in this way?

Again, there might be one or more of the following present with a person with Hashimoto's:

Leaky gut, Nutrient deficiencies and Food Sensitivities
Bacterial/parasitic/fungal infections
Virus
Genes
An impaired stress response (adrenal dysfunction) and could be physical, mental, environmental
Toxins (pollution, beauty and cleaning products) and an impaired ability to get rid of these toxins
Hormone imbalances (pregnancy)