Is Hashimoto's disease serious?

Hashimoto's disease is a common chronic disease that is mainly related to the human thyroid and lymph. It is also called Baculoblastic thyroiditis. This disease is often caused by the combined effects of genetic factors and acquired environmental factors. If it occurs in the same family as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, it is a genetic factor. Environmental factors are generally reflected in the diet. Long-term consumption of iodine-deficient salt can easily lead to thyroid disease. So is Hashimoto's disease serious? Let's take a look at what harm it can cause:

1. Hashimoto's disease can cause a series of thyroid diseases, such as hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, etc. For those who develop the disease after childbirth, it is mostly thyroiditis. When the thyroid gland is damaged to a certain extent, the harm of Hashimoto's disease can be combined with pernicious anemia. The symptoms of these complications vary depending on the physical condition. At the same time, when the disease develops to a certain extent, some harm will occur in other systems of the body, such as intellectual impairment, fatigue and other harms.

2. Hashimoto's disease is a common clinical disease. The incidence rate of Hashimoto's disease is high, and the disease progresses slowly and is not easy to detect. It is often ignored by patients, delaying treatment and causing greater pain to patients and their families. Hashimoto's thyroiditis can cause hypothyroidism and symptoms of hypothyroidism, including general weakness, fatigue, abdominal distension, slow movements, cold expression, reluctance to talk, hoarse voice, rough skin, and sparse hair loss. In severe cases, it can also cause suffocation, induce thyroid tumors, and endanger the patient's life.

3. Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune disease. High levels of autoantibodies against thyroid tissue can be detected in the patient's blood. Hashimoto's disease develops relatively slowly. In the early stages, thyroid function is normal, but hyperthyroidism may occur during the course of the disease. From the above introduction, we understand that if Hashimoto's disease is not treated in time, the harm caused is relatively large.

4. The main symptom of Hashimoto's disease is thyroid enlargement, which is mostly diffuse and a few may be localized, nodular and hard. Some patients present with swelling of the face and limbs. As the disease progresses, hypothyroidism and fluid-induced edema may occur. Hashimoto's disease is more common in women, manifesting as nodular goiter, which has a slow onset and is often discovered accidentally. It is about 2 to 3 times the size of a normal thyroid gland, with a smooth surface and a tough and elastic texture like skin. Obvious nodules are rare, and there is no tenderness or adhesion to the surrounding area. It can move with swallowing. In the late stage of Hashimoto's disease, a few patients may experience severe local compression symptoms.

5. Hashimoto's disease develops slowly, and sometimes the goiter does not seem to change significantly for several years. Initially, thyroid function is normal. Hyperthyroidism may sometimes occur during the course of the disease, followed by normal function, hypothyroidism, and then normal again. The process is similar to subacute thyroiditis, but is not accompanied by pain, fever, etc., so this condition is called painless thyroiditis, and the onset after delivery is called postpartum thyroiditis. However, when the thyroid gland is damaged to a certain extent, many patients gradually develop hypothyroidism, and a few develop myxedema. Hashimoto's disease can sometimes be complicated by pernicious anemia, due to the presence of autoantibodies to gastric parietal cells in patients with Hashimoto's disease.