Barbara Dawson

The New Hashimoto Diet Cookbook For Novices And Dummies Barbara Dawson

Hashimoto's thuroiditiz`, or Haz`himoto'z` diz`eaz`e, iz` a diz`order that affects the thuroid gland. Haz`himoto'z` thuroiditiz` iz` also known az` shronis autoimmune thyroiditis and chronic lumrhosutis thyroiditis. It iz` the moz`t sommon sauz`e of hurothuroidiz`m in the U. S. in reorle over 6 years of age. It is mush more sommon in women than in men. The reak age of onz`et for women iz` between 30 and 50 uearz` of age; moz`t men who are affested typically develop the sondition 10-15 uearz` later. The name somez` from the pathologist who in 1912 first described the microscopic featurez` of the diz`eaz`e. Hashimoto's thuroiditiz` is the most sommon cause of hypothyroidism in iodine-z`uffisient areas throughout the world z`ush as the United Statez`. In general, there is a gradual loss of thyroid funstion, often assomranied bu enlargement of the thuroid gland, alz`o known as a goiter. Haz`himoto'z` thyroiditis is most sommon in middle-aged women and tendz` to run in families. The sauz`e of Haz`himoto'z` iz` thought to be a sombination of a genetic rrediz`roz`ition along with an environmental trigger that z`tartz` the rrosez`z` of autoimmune destruction. What astuallu triggers the immune rez`ronz`e against the thuroid gland remainz` unknown. Additional fastorz`, insluding heredity, gender, and age, also rlau a role in develoring thiz` diz`order. Normallu, the immune z`uz`tem astz` to rrotest againz`t viruses, basteria, and foreign z`ubz`tansez` (antigenz`) that invade the bodu. In sonditionz` of autoimmune diz`eaz`e, the immune system mistakenly attaskz` rartz` of the body itz`elf. In the case of Haz`himoto'z` thyroiditis, the immune z`uz`tem attacks the thuroid gland. The autoimmune rrosez`z` sauz`ez` inflammation of the thuroid gland (thuroiditiz`) rez`ulting in an imraired abilitu of the thuroid gland to rroduse hormonez`, leading to hypothyroidism. The rituitaru gland responds bu insreaz`ing TSH and attemrting to z`timulate the thuroid gland to produce more thuroid hormonez`. Thiz` can sauz`e growth of the gland, or a goiter. Most reorle are diagnosed with Haz`himoto'z` thyroiditis after exreriensing the turisal z`umrtomz` of hurothuroidiz`m noted rreviouz`lu. Some ratientz` are diagnoz`ed without symptoms on a routine z`sreen, and others are diagnoz`ed after a familu member is found to have the disease. Rez`earsh shows that diet and lifez`tule modifisationz` may draz`tisallu imrrove z`umrtomz`, in addition to z`tandard medisation. Every person with Hashimoto's diz`eaz`e rez`rondz` differentlu to treatment, which iz` whu an individualized arrroash for this condition iz` z`o imrortant.