Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune disease that affects the health of our thyroid
The thyroid is an essential gland in the human body. Now, you need to understand that Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune disorder that affects the thyroid gland. Basically, the major work of the thyroid gland is to release hormones that help regulate many functions in the body.
In Hashimoto's, your immune system fails to recognise your thyroid and keeps attacking it. The disease is common among many people worldwide. Also known as Hashimoto's thyroiditis, chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, and chronic autoimmune thyroiditis, this condition may result in a number of disorders. It's very important to see a doctor for a timely and proper diagnosis. To know about the important stages of Hashimoto's, nutritionist Rashi Chowdhary shares a post on Instagram.
Rashi, in the video, says, “80 percent of my clients who have thyroid; have Hashimoto's but they aren't even aware of it. When do they find out? After the first consult in the next 15 days, we do get them to do some blood work and that's when they find out that thyroid, all this while, was actually Hashimoto's.” So, she mentions three stages that might help you understand your condition better.
Rashi states the following three stages of Hashimoto's:
1)In this, your TSH, T3, and T4 will all be normal but your antibodies can be high. How can you determine this? Blood tests. Rashi adds that you should not allow any health expert to call you anxious or hypochondriac. Don't let anyone give you some pills without ruling this one out. If you want, you can also get a thyroid ultrasound done to check this. So, even if your antibodies are fine maybe they show up in a scan.
2) This is known as subclinical hypothyroidism. In this, your TSH will be elevated. The nutritionist states that anything beyond 2 is a problem. Yes, she says that the normal reference ranges from 1 to 5, but if you're beyond 2, take it as a warning sign. In this phase, you may witness anxiety, hair fall, depression, food sensitivities, IBS, and even infertility.
3) By this stage, mostly all levels are chaotic, rather elevated, Rashi adds. In the third stage, your body can't really make thyroid hormones anymore and you're in full-blown autoimmunity. So, she mentions that early detection is extremely important.
As a final note, Rashi suggests, “Taking care of your gut through food, choosing a better lifestyle is, in my opinion, the only way forward if you are looking for the remission of these symptoms.”
We hope these stages by Rashi Chowdhary will help you in understanding the stage of your body. Do consult your doctor right away if you ever feel that there's something wrong with your health.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.