Autoimmune thyroiditis: treatment

Autoimmune thyroiditis is a disease of the thyroid gland. It is worth noting that it is more often found in children and in women of sixty years. According to statistics, every tenth woman has this disease.

Autoimmune thyroiditis (or Hashimoto's lymphocytic struma) has several forms. This can be a chronical autoimmune thyroiditis. Treatment should then be carried out throughout life. This form of the disease is characterized by diffuse enlargement of the thyroid gland of the second or third degree. As a rule, in this case, there is no violation of the main functions of the thyroid gland, but hypothyroidism, as well as thyrotoxicosis , may manifest.

The second form of the disease is hypertrophic autoimmune thyroiditis, whose treatment in all cases should be performed under the supervision of an experienced doctor. This form of the disease suggests that the thyroid gland acquires a greater density, it becomes diffuse, its functions are not violated yet, but hypothyroidism and thyrotoxicosis are observed.

Finally, it is worth noting the third stage, the third form of this disease is atrophic autoimmune thyroiditis, whose treatment is the most difficult and long lasting. This form suggests an increase in the thyroid gland, but at the time of examination, its volume may not be increased. If we talk about functionality, then there is hypothyroidism.

Before to be engaged in treatment, it is necessary to find out, what reasons of occurrence of such disease, as an autoimmune thyroiditis. Treatment of it should be done only under the strict guidance of the attending physician, otherwise you can aggravate an already difficult situation.

So, as you know, the immune system in the human body is the most important. Its importance lies in the development of antibodies that help the thyroid gland. When the disease "autoimmune thyroiditis", as a rule, antibodies to thyroglobulin, as well as to thyroid peroxidase, which is also called microsomal antigen, are detected during the examination.

Autoimmune thyroiditis, whose treatment should begin with the first days of its detection, manifests itself in the so-called family forms of the disease. That's why the treatment should be approached very carefully and carefully: it's impossible to delay in any case.

The course of the disease depends on how the autoimmune process will pass . The disease may slow down, but this will happen only if it is prolonged. If antithyroid antibodies appear, they are not enough to damage the thyroid gland. According to many experts, in the pathogenesis of the disease an important role is played by cells that provide immunity at the cellular level. As previously thought, one penetration of antigens into the blood for the development of the disease is not enough. If you talk about subacute thyroiditis, then during its development the release of antigens into the blood constantly occurs, but this is not the primary cause of the development of autoimmune processes.

If you look at the relatives of patients with autoimmune thyroiditis, they can reveal some other diseases, such as toxic goiter, anemia, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, adrenal insufficiency and so on. As a rule, autoimmune thyroiditis, the treatment of which should begin immediately, is not immediately apparent. The diagnosis is made only after carrying out some laboratory tests. An important role is played by genetic predisposition to this disease. In no case should one do self-medication. It is worth immediately contacting a specialist. Of course, sometimes the proposals "autoimmune thyroiditis: treatment with folk remedies" seem to be more attractive, however, this is not a panacea. The disease should be treated only under the supervision of a doctor.