What You Need To Know About Hashimoto’s Disease And Iodine
Thyroid disorders have become quite a popular topic in the healthcare industry over the last few years.
As more awareness is being placed on this topic, scientists are also taking
What You Need To Know About Hashimoto’s Disease And Iodine
Thyroid disorders have become quite a popular topic in the healthcare industry over the last few years.
As more awareness is being placed on this topic, scientists are also taking an interest to the topic and conducting clinical studies to assist the healthcare industry with providing better treatment options for patients suffering from these conditions.
Hashimoto’s disease is one of the most common disorders that are associated with Thyroid function.
This autoimmune disease is known to cause damage to Thyroid gland tissue, and leads to an underactive Thyroid gland. Iodine is a nutrient that shares quite a complex relationship with Thyroid function, Thyroid disorders and Hashimoto’s disease.
While iodine intake is needed for optimal Thyroid function, it does seem like excessive intake of this nutrient can be detrimental to a patient suffering from Hashimoto’s disease and an underactive Thyroid.
In this post, we’ll dig deeper into the complex relationship that exists between iodine intake, Thyroid function and Hashimoto’s disease.
We’ll discuss how iodine can be both beneficial and dangerous to your Thyroid health, what symptoms may signal the presence of Hashimoto’s disease and an underactive Thyroid, and we’ll also take a look at what exactly it means when the Thyroid’s function becomes impaired due to the development of Hashimoto’s disease.
An Overview Of Hypothyroidism And Hashimoto’s Disease
The Thyroid gland has a shape that most people associate with the shape of a butterfly. This gland is responsible for the production of hormones that assists with regulating metabolism, as well as some other functions in the body.
The hormone production of the Thyroid gland is regulated by Thyroid Stimulating Hormones, which is secreted by the pituitary gland in the brain. Hashimoto’s disease is a condition that has a direct effect on the Thyroid gland and causes an impairment with the function of this gland to develop1.
This disease is an autoimmune condition, which means the immune system sends antibodies mistakenly toward the Thyroid gland. When this occurs, the Thyroid gland’s tissue is attacked as if the tissue is pathogenic of nature.
Inflammation is the result of this reaction, as well as damage to the Thyroid gland.
Symptoms Associated With Hashimoto’s Disease
During the early stages of Hashimoto’s disease, a patient may not experience any obvious symptoms that may signal the fact that their Thyroid gland is being targeted by their immune system.
As inflammation develops and damage is dealt with the Thyroid gland, however, symptoms associated with Hypothyroidism tend to develop. Hypothyroidism is a relatively common condition, with Hashimoto’s disease being one of the primary causes behind the condition.
Patients diagnosed with Hypothyroidism have a Thyroid gland that is unable to produce enough hormones to support overall cellular metabolism in the patient’s body.
There is a number of different symptoms that a patient may start to experience as the level of Thyroid hormones being produced start to become reduced. In the majority of patients, some of the first signs that they are developing Hypothyroidism include an increase in their body weight.
This is because Thyroid hormones play a crucial role in metabolism, including fat distribution and the uptake of food. Most patients who develop Hypothyroidism also tend to experience fatigue on a regular basis, as well as an overall feeling of being exhausted and weak2.
In addition to the above-mentioned symptoms, a patient may also experience a reduction in their sweating, become more sensitive to cold temperatures, experience a shortness of breath following physical activity, and they may notice that their pulse is slower than normal.
High blood pressure levels are also relatively common amongst patients who suffer from Hypothyroidism.
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