Hypothyroidism

Lesson 2: Common Thyroid Dysfunctions and Related Conditions

Autoimmune Thyroid Disorders and Thyroid Cancer

Now that we’ve reached this section, you may be wondering if there is a method to my madness. I know there hasn’t been a lot of discussion of the thyroid in the last few sections, and, up until now, not much, if at all of hypothyroidism.

All I can tell you is that there is a reason why I’m explaining it this way. In the past few sections, we’ve gone over autoimmune diseases of varying types. I hope the prevailing theme you’ve learned (besides that they are very frustrating and often debilitating diseases) is that all autoimmune diseases are named as such because they all demonstrate the immune system attacking the body in some way or another.

Autoimmune thyroid conditions, which are the bulk of this section’s topic, are diseases in which the thyroid gland attacks its own hormones in one way or another.

The most common autoimmune thyroid conditions are: Graves Disease, and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. These syndromes are the autoimmune version of Hyperthyroidism and Hypothyroidism respectively.

(If you were paying attention a few lessons back, you’d know basically what that means. Remember: Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid doesn’t have or make enough of its own hormones, and Hyperthyroidism happens when there’s too much hormone in circulation.)

Autoimmune, or Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, as it is more commonly called is a chronic inflammation of the thyroid that usually results in low thyroid function, or hypothyroidism. In this condition, antibodies attack the thyroid gland. The cause of this disease is not very well known, although it probably has a genetic component.

Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis’ most common symptom is a goiter, which is an enlargement of the thyroid gland which may or may not cause a bulge in the neck. Other symptoms include: fatigue, muscle weakness, weight gain and other endocrine or autoimmune disorders like the ones we’ve discussed in the previous two sections.

Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis often goes undiagnosed or undetected. It occurs mostly in women and can flare up after a significant hormonal change, such as a pregnancy or menopause. Many times, the condition, which is basically benign, if left untreated, will develop into full-scale hypothyroidism.

Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis is not the only autoimmune thyroid disease. The other may be better known. It is called Graves Disease. Graves Disease occurs when there is a defect in the immune system which causes immunoglobins (also known as antibodies) to stimulate and attack the thyroid gland. The result is an overproduction of thyroid hormone, or hyperthyroidism.

The symptoms of Graves Disease include, but are not limited to:

• fatigue and or restlessness,
• rapid, unintentional weight loss,
• Tachyardia (rapid heart beat),
• increased appetite,
• muscle weakness,
• heat intolerance,
• and erratic behavior.

Graves disease is more common in women than men. There is also a genetic predisposition to the disorder. Infections, stress and pregnancy may play a part in a person’s development of Graves Disease. After the initial period of hyperthyroidism, Graves Disease is not difficult to treat or manage.

Note: Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule. If you or someone you love have or suspect that you have this condition, please seek the advice of a qualified medical professional.

Now, this concludes our autoimmune portion of the course. Whew! Wait! We are not done with this section yet.

Why not? That’s because not all thyroid conditions are autoimmune. I feel I would be sharply remiss if I did not discuss a few other thyroid conditions before we moved onto the next lesson, where we will begin our thorough dissection of hypothyroidism.

These conditions are thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer. Thyroid nodules are lumps that can occur in an otherwise healthy and normal thyroid gland. These lumps often occur on the outer edge of the thyroid gland so they can be felt as a lump in the throat.

Usually, thyroid nodules are nothing to worry about. However, they should be tested. In some cases, they can put pressure on other structures of the neck and/or occur as a result of the thyroid producing too much thyroid hormone.

In other cases, however rare, a nodule could be cancerous. Thyroid cancer has a relatively high survival rate with early detection and proper treatment.

Regardless of whether the nodule is benign or malignant (cancerous), a person with one will probably undergo some combination of thyroid hormone testing, thyroid scans and ultrasounds, biopsy, and/or surgery, if necessary.

Of course, there is a lot more information to be had about these thyroid conditions. I would strongly suggest that you see the bibliography in the next section.

You may move onto the next lesson after you complete this lesson’s test.

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