What causes Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and what is the best method of treatment? Can iodine help this condition?
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Hashimoto's thyroiditis is a condition caused by inflammation of the thyroid gland. It is an autoimmune disease, which means that the body inappropriately attacks the thyroid gland - as if it was foreign tissue. The underlying cause of the autoimmune process remains unknown. Hashimoto's thyroiditis tends to occur in families. It can be associated with other autoimmune conditions such as type 1 diabetes or celiac disease. Hashimoto's thyroiditis is 5 to 10 times more common in women than in men and most often starts in adulthood. Blood drawn from people with Hashimoto's thyroiditis typically reveals an increased number of antibodies against thyroid-specific proteins, including thyroperoxidase and thyroglobulin. T- lymphocytes, a type of cell involved in the inflammation process, invade the thyroid gland cause silent, painless inflammation that destroys it; ultimately, the individual produces little or no thyroid hormone and becomes hypothyroid.----------------?The treatment of choice for Hashimoto's thyroiditis is typically synthetic T4 or thyroxine (levothyroxine) along with homoeopathic medicine THYROIDINUM- 3X (Schwabe Gernam) by chewing 2 tabs twice daily so as to keep the dosage of Levothyroxine under check. The medication must be taken indefinitely, and successful treatment alleviates the symptoms and signs of hypothyroidism. Without medication, there is very little chance the thyroid would be able to maintain hormone levels within the normal range, and symptoms and signs of hypothyroidism would occur or worsen. The dosage of levothyroxine may need to be modified after checking TSH levels once yearly. When iodine has been added to table salt, the rates of autoimmune thyroid disease have risen.---------------- This is because increased iodine intake, especially in supplement form, can increase the autoimmune attack on the thyroid. Iodine reduces the activity of an enzyme called thyroid peroxidase (TPO). TPO is required for proper thyroid hormone production.------------On the other hand, restricting intake of iodine can reverse hypothyroidism. In one study, 78% of patients with Hashimoto?s regained normal thyroid function with iodine restriction alone.------- It appears that iodine may only pose a problem for people with Hashimoto?s and other autoimmune thyroid diseases in the presence of concurrent selenium deficiency.------------------
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