Hypothyroidism

Lesson 2: Common Thyroid Dysfunctions and Related Conditions

Autoimmune Disorders: Part 1

Thyroid disorders often fall under the umbrella of autoimmune disorders. There are over 80 autoimmune diseases. Many of them are chronic; they involve just about every organ system in the body.

They are mainly endocrine diseases. In all autoimmune diseases, the body’s immune system becomes compromised. The cells of the afflicted organs go against the grain. They begin attacking themselves.

We will discuss a few autoimmune conditions in this section. They are:

Lupus,

Multiple Sclerosis,

Crohn’s Disease,

Type I, or Insulin-dependent Diabetes,

Addison’s Disease,

Rheumatoid Arthritis,

Pernicious Anemia,

Scleroderma,

and Sjorgen’s Syndrome.

Sometimes, a person develops a thyroid condition on top of one of these disorders; at other times, the thyroid problem is a precursor of further autoimmune troubles.

Not everyone with a thyroid dysfunction will develop these autoimmune conditions and vice versa. However, there is sufficient overlap between conditions and symptoms for us to discuss autoimmune disorders here.

There are two other autoimmune conditions which we will discuss in the next section because they are more difficult to define and their connection to thyroid diseases may be stronger. These conditions are Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, as it is internationally known.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, (SLE). This disease is most common form of Lupus. Lupus is chronic and inflammatory. It can affect many organ systems including the skin, joints and internal organs.

Some symptoms of SLE include: fever, fatigue, malaise (a generalized state of not feeling well), “butterfly” skin rash, sensitivity to sunlight and joint pain or swelling.

Lupus can range from mildly symptomatic to severely debilitating. It is chronic but treatment options work well and the prognosis for those with Lupus is generally very good.

For more information on Lupus, check out The Lupus Foundation of America at http://www.lupus.org/.

Multiple Sclerosis. This disease affects the central nervous system (brain, spinal cord and spinal nerves). The disease damages the myelin, or the protective tissue surrounding the nerves. Repeated bouts of inflammation create scar tissue, or sclerosis, along the covering of the nerve cells. This results in impaired transmission of messages between the brain and the nerve pathways.

Symptoms of MS include: weakness, tremor, or paralysis of one or more of the extremities, numbness, tingling, decreased coordination, loss of balance and/or vision.

For more details on this disease, I suggest that you check out the website of the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America, or MSAA at http://www.msaa.org.

Crohn’s Disease. Crohn’s Disease is a chronic disorder causing inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI), or digestive, tract. It most commonly affects the area known as the ileum, the area where the small and large intestine meet.

Symptoms include: abdominal pain, weight loss, fever, diarrhea, foul-smelling stools and clubbing of the fingers and toes.

You can learn more about Crohn’s Disease at the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) web site located at http://www.ccfa.org/.

Diabetes Mellitus, or Type I Diabetes. There are several types of diabetes. Type I Diabetes used to be more commonly referred to as juvenile, or insulin-dependent, diabetes. The type-I diabetic’s body does not produce insulin. Insulin is a necessary pancreatic hormone that controls the body’s response to sugar, turning into usable fuel.

Symptoms of this disease include: excessive thirst and/or urination, initial weight loss despite an increase in appetite, fatigue, and nausea.

There are many sites which contain information on Diabetes. I recommend that you start with the ADA’s (American Diabetes Association) site located at http://www.diabetes.org.

Addison’s Disease. Addison’s disease is a hormonal deficiency, either in part or on the whole, of the substances produced in the adrenal cortex (the interior region of the adrenal gland, which is located in the kidneys). The hormones produced by the adrenal cortex are very important. They control the body’s response to inflammation, stimulate the liver to raise the blood sugar and regulate the amount of water in the body, among other things.

Symptoms include: extreme weakness and muscle fatigue, chronic diarrhea, slow, sluggish, lethargic movement, changes in blood pressure or heart rate and salt cravings.

You can get more information about Addison’s disease from a variety of medical journals. I used “Addison’s disease: The Facts You Need to Know” from the NADF (National Adrenal Diseases Foundation). The link is http://www.medhelp.org/nadf/nadf3.htm.

Rheumatoid Arthritis, or RA. RA is an inflammatory disease that primarily affects the joints and the surrounding tissues, which is called the synovium. This causes pain, stiffness, warmth, redness and swelling.

The onset of the disease is gradual. The arthritis is symmetrical, meaning it generally occurs on both sides of the body equally. Symptoms include: inflammation of joints, swelling, pain, and difficulty moving, among other things.

Check out the Arthritis Foundation’s website for more information on Rheumatoid Arthritis and how it relates to osteo- and other arthritic conditions. http://www.arthritis.org/conditions/Dise...

Pernicious Anemia. Pernicious Anemia is a blood disorder that occurs when the body does not absorb enough vitamin B12 from the digestive tract. This results in inadequate production of red blood cells (RBCs).

Since B12 is needed by nerve and blood cells to function properly, this deficiency can cause a variety of symptoms such as: fatigue, shortness of breath, tingling sensations diarrhea and difficulty waking.

You can find out about Pernicious Anemia in a variety of sites dealing with blood disorders. I used the University of Maryland Medical School’s site at: http://www.umm.edu/blood/aneper.htm.

Scleroderma. Scleroderma is also known as CREST Syndrome or Progressive Systemic Sclerosis. The word progressive is discouraged because research has shown that this autoimmune disease is NOT progressive. It affects the connective tissues.

Scleroderma symptoms seem to be produced by excessive collagen deposits in the internal organs, most notably the heart, lung and kidneys. Internal symptoms include: reflux or heartburn, difficulty swallowing, shortness of breath, diarrhea and constipation. Externally, the skin can become hard, the face can appear tight and mask-like, hands and forearms get shiny and there are ulcerations on fingertips or toes.

The Scleroderma Foundation has a lot more information about this non-contagious, non-cancerous condition at http://www.scleroderma.org/.

Sjorgen’s Syndrome. In this autoimmune disease, the body attacks its own moisture producing glands. It is characterized by decreased tearing, dry mouth and dry mucous membranes.

Symptoms, in addition to excessive dryness, include: swollen glands, joint pain and/or swelling, difficulty swallowing, hoarseness and the loss of the sense of taste.

For more information about this disease, check out the Sjorgen’s Syndrome Foundation at http://www.sjogrens.com.

So, how does these conditions relate to thyroid conditions?

Well, they relate in a few ways. First, symptoms of thyroid dysfunction and those of each of these conditions often overlap. Fatigue, weakness and malaise (a generalized, unwell feeling) are usually the most common. Second, these disorders all deal with the immune system attacking itself in one way or another. They are autoimmune, as are many thyroid conditions. Finally, many of these disorders are present in people with thyroid conditions for one reason or another.

If a person has an autoimmune disease, he or she is more likely to develop a thyroid condition. The reverse is also true. Most of these conditions affect women and are genetic, which is also true for thyroid diseases (but we’ll get to that in a later lesson!).

Okay. That’s about it for this section. If you’d like to do more reading on any of these diseases, skip to the bibliography section of the lesson or follow the links included herein.

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Hypothyroidism

Lesson 2: Common Thyroid Dysfunctions and Related Conditions

Autoimmune Disorders: Part 1

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