The Hashimotos Thyroiditis Research Paper

Hashimotos ThyroiditisHashimoto’s thyroiditis is a condition in which the autoimmune system destroys the body tissues. The body’s autoimmune system turns against the body tissues, specifically the thyroid gland. Commonly, people with this condition are prone to suffering hypothyroidism. This is because the immune system of the body attacks and destroys the thyroid leading to hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid glands fail to produce sufficient hormones that may be required to meet the body’s demands. The thyroid gland, located in the anterior part of the neck, is responsible for generating hormones that regulate metabolism and even heart rate. This highlights the fatality of the Hashimotos disease. Other than hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s disease is attributed to cause various other conditions.There are various risk factors or causes of Hashimotos Thyroiditis. One of the factors is genetics. Families who have any member who suffers from an autoimmune disease or thyroid disease are always at risk of contracting the Hashimotos disease. Therefore, people who contract the disorder always have family members that suffer from thyroid disease or autoimmune disease. Another cause is hormones. Women usually have problems with the thyroid in the first year after conceiving. According to Hannan (2015), although the problem usually disappears after some time, on average, 20% of those women that had thyroid problems after conceiving contract Hashimotos Thyroiditis years later. Additionally, excessive iodine is a cause of the condition. In vulnerable people, excessive iodine, which is required to make thyroid hormones, may act as a risk factor for the disease. Weetman (2021) states that radiation exposure, including the casualties of the atomic bomb and the Chernobyl disaster, has been reported to have contracted the diseases. The disorder is more common in women than men as it affects approximately seven times more, women than men (Mincer and Jialal, 2021). Gender is a risk factor for an autoimmune disorder.There are various signs and symptoms that are manifested by the condition. The disorder’s symptoms may be mild at first or require years to be completely manifested. One of the main symptoms of the condition is goiter which causes the anterior part of the neck to swell (Mathew et al., 2020). Goiter hardens swallowing. According to NIH (2021), other significant symptoms of an affected thyroid due to the Hashimoto’s disease include fatigue, intolerance to cold, gaining weight, dry and thin hair, muscle and joint pains, constipation, heavy menstrual flow in women, difficulty in conception, memory loss, reduced heart rate, and depression.Various diagnostic procedures can be used to diagnose the condition. Various blood tests are administered to test thyroid function. They include the thyroid hormone test (T4 test), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) test, and the thyroid peroxidase antibodies test. Antibodies tests are conducted to determine the presence of thyroid peroxidase antibodies in the blood since most people with the condition have them. TSH test checks for the level of TSH in blood where high levels of TSH indicate hypothyroidism (Ragusa et al., 2019). A T4 test confirms the results of the TSH test. Nursing diagnosis and assessment involves conducting a physical examination to check for vital signs such as goiter, weight gain, reduced heart rate, and constipation. Treatment depends on the extent of damage to the thyroid gland. Medication involves a drug known as Levoxyl, which is a synthetic hormone that replaces the T-4 hormone. It is taken daily. The treatment goal is restoration and maintenance of sufficient production of T4 hormone level and offers an improvement to hypothyroidism (Ragusa et al., 2019). The dosage is monitored depending on age, weight, thyroid production, and underlying medical conditions. To maintain the ability of the body to absorb Levoxyl, it should be taken four hours before consuming soy products, iron supplements, multivitamins, cholesterol medications, aluminum hydroxide found in antacid tablets, calcium supplements, and ulcer medications.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ReferencesHannan, J. (2015). Autoimmune Thyroiditis: A Look into Hashimotos Disease.Mathew, P., Rawla, P.,