Autoimmune thyroiditis is one of the most common diseases in Russia, especially in areas remote from the sea. But not every person is aware that his thyroid gland does not work at full strength: this can be detected only by passing a special laboratory analysis. And therapists give direction to this analysis not so often, without seeing this as necessary. The fact is that the symptomatic picture of the disease is so vague that even an experienced doctor in the first place will suggest the presence of other, non-endocrine pathologies.
AIT - what is it?
When our immune system begins to attack the cells of our own body, this process is called autoimmune. A certain virus enters the body, which penetrates into the cell and remains there, and the antibodies of our immunity do not have to "get" the virus out of the cell in order to destroy it, in the arsenal of their capabilities only destroy the cell with the "enemy".
Viruses enter the thyroid gland very often. The organ located on the front of the neck serves as a specific filter for the air we breathe, so all pathogens enter the thyroid tissue. Of course, not everyone will immediately become ill with thyroiditis, this requires a hereditary predisposition, but given how many people already have this pathology, you can be sure that almost everyone has a relative with this autoimmune disease.
When immunity cells attack an organ as a target, they damage it, after which it is scarred - it is gradually covered with replacement tissue, as is the case with a disease called autoimmune thyroiditis. The worst thing you can expect is that the organ will heal completely and stop producing hormones. Fortunately, all these hormones are already in the synthetic version in the form of tablets that will need to be taken as part of replacement therapy.
Symptoms
When a person hears the name of the diagnosis, which sounds impressive, it seems to him that the disease is very dangerous. And he begins to search for information on the topic "Autoimmune thyroiditis." The worst thing to expect is the symptoms of the disease, as some people think, because they, at first glance, really make you strain. But it is important to remember that for most people the diagnosis is a complete surprise, that is, they did not even suspect that they were ill with something. Therefore, the symptoms of AIT, of course, are, and their list is wide, but living a full life with them is quite realistic.
And this is the main problem of such a pathology as autoimmune thyroiditis. The worst thing is that the symptoms of the disease can be expected indefinitely, and they will not appear until the thyroid function has completely disappeared.
It does not make sense to list all the symptoms, because the thyroid gland produces homons that are involved in absolutely all body systems. When an organ is damaged, the amount of hormone in the blood becomes smaller and all organs suffer. But only those systems that were initially problematic clearly signal this.
If a person has a weak nervous system, AIT will reward him with asthenia, irritability and drowsiness, a person with a weak digestive system will suffer from constipation and diarrhea and so on.
Therefore, when it comes to the diagnosis of “autoimmune thyroiditis,” the worst thing to expect is that clinical manifestations will not make it possible to quickly make a diagnosis by contacting the right doctor. In most cases, a person will rationalize all the symptoms, explaining them by the peculiarity of temperament or external factors.
Diagnostics
When a person gets an appointment with an endocrinologist, the question of diagnosis is only two laboratory blood tests:
- Firstly, it is blood for the content of the thyroid hormone in the blood (T4) and the pituitary hormone (TSH), which interacts with the thyroid gland, and the production of these hormones is always interconnected: if TSH decreases, T4 rises and vice versa.
- Secondly, it is an analysis for the presence of antibodies to thyroid tissue cells.
If the tests detect both the presence of antibodies and an increase in TSH, the diagnosis of autoimmune thyroiditis is made. The worst thing to expect is that the diagnosis has led to a final diagnosis, and now it will be necessary to be treated for life, unless, of course, science invents other methods to replace replacement therapy.
Treatment
When the thyroid gland does not produce enough hormone, the only treatment is to give it in pill form. For this, there are drugs on the pharmaceutical market:
The drugs are available in different dosages: 25, 50, 75, 100, 150 mcg. The doctor prescribes treatment with the smallest dosage, gradually increasing and determining the dose that a person will drink continuously throughout his life. Therefore, with a diagnosis of autoimmune thyroiditis, the worst thing to expect is the need to take the drug on an empty stomach every morning, regardless of the circumstances. But in fact, patients quickly get used to it.
Dosage adjustment
Of course, the dosage determined once will not last a lifetime, since the organ (thyroid gland) continues to break down under the influence of antibodies and will produce less and less natural hormone. In addition, factors such as weight and even climate change can affect hormone levels.
Therefore, at least once every six months it is necessary to take an analysis that determines the amount of TSH and T4 in order to understand whether it is necessary to increase the dosage of the drug or reduce it. In any case, the dose change should not exceed 25 mcg in 14 days. With the right treatment, a person will not experience any unpleasant symptoms of a disease such as autoimmune thyroiditis. The worst thing to expect: treatment will require regular blood donation, which means visiting the clinic and patience in the queues at the treatment room.
Prevention
If someone from close relatives suffers from AIT disease, it is likely to get sick too, especially often the pathology is transmitted from mother to daughter. It is impossible to completely eliminate the risk of the disease, but it is real to maximally delay the time of the onset of the pathology development process. To do this, you need to take iodine preparations, for example "Iodomarin," according to the instructions. Endocrinologists claim that taking iodine and regular rest on the seashore can increase the level of thyroid defenses against antibodies and adjust the immune system.
In addition, it is important to avoid factors that can become provocateurs of the development of the disease:
- work or living in an ecologically unfavorable region is contraindicated, for example, a person who is at high risk of contracting AIT should not get a job at a gas station;
- it is important to avoid stresses, not only emotional, but also physical, such as climate change;
- It is important to protect yourself from colds that make the immune system aggressive, and especially to monitor the absence of foci of chronic infection in the nasopharynx.
In such simple ways, you can rid yourself of the risk of getting sick with a pathology such as autoimmune thyroiditis. The worst thing to expect: prevention can seem frivolous to a person, because it includes a list of simple recommendations for a healthy lifestyle. And in this case, a person, not following the recommendations, is likely to encounter the disease.
Weight gain
According to most patients who have been diagnosed with autoimmune thyroiditis, the worst thing to expect is manifestations in the form of weight gain, which will be uncontrollable and rapid, because the doctor suggests drinking hormones!
In fact, the metabolism of thyroid hormone deficiency really slows down, and a person can gain weight. But substitution therapy drugs normalize the level of the hormone, therefore, with the right dosage, the metabolism in a person with AIT is the same as in any other person. In order to protect yourself from weight gain, it is enough to simply “boost” the metabolism, eating often, in small portions.
There is a share of the probability of gaining excess weight not due to fat mass, but due to the accumulation of lymph. Therefore, endocrinologists advise their patients to monitor the amount of fluid consumed. You need to drink 1.2-2 liters of fluid per day, and the habit of drinking tea is not from thirst, but you will have to give up boredom. And this with the diagnosis of “autoimmune thyroiditis” is the worst thing to expect from the sphere of prohibitions, because otherwise the life of a person with AIT is no different from the life of a healthy person.
AIT and pregnancy
Today, very young girls are increasingly diagnosed with AIT, although earlier, according to statistics, the disease was detected at the age of 40-45. But absolutely all diseases, not only endocrine pathologies, are “getting younger”.
Often young girls think that with a diagnosis of "autoimmune thyroiditis" the worst thing to expect is infertility. But this idea is fundamentally wrong, because with compensated AIT-euthyroidism, a woman is quite fertile and can have children. True, before that she will have to visit the family planning office, report on her illness, so that the doctor advises her on how to change the dosage of the replacement therapy drug from the first weeks of pregnancy.
AIT and life expectancy
Most people think when they are given absolutely any diagnosis, including “autoimmune thyroiditis,” the worst thing to expect is a shortened life. In fact, the thyroid hormone in many countries is recommended to be taken after a certain age even without a diagnosed AIT to prolong life and preserve youth.