Hashimoto’s disease is an autoimmune condition and the most common cause of hypothyroidism in industrialized countries with about 2% of women affected. The progression from the normal thyroid function to the hypothyroid state in Hashimoto’s is a matter of time. About a quarter of Hashimoto’s patients who have a normal thyroid function develop hypothyroidism within the next 10 years. It is not yet clearly understood whether the high thyroid antibodies present in Hashimoto’s disease patients … [Read more...]
Gut repair in Hashimoto’s disease
January 30, 2011 By
As you already know from the post gut health and thyroid autoimmunity, low thyroid hormones make it difficult to heal the gut. At the same time, an inflamed intestine and leaky gut syndrome contribute to thyroid diseases such as hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. In the process of restoring the integrity of the immune system, addressing the gut issues is often the first and most important step in taking control over an autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto’s. Get tested It is … [Read more...]
Gut health and thyroid autoimmunity
January 24, 2011 By
Good bacteria perform a range of essential and health critical functions that support thyroid, digestive and immune systems. The intestinal lining is an important immune barrier that is responsible for more than 60% of the immune defence. Imbalances in digestion and intestinal flora causes the immune system to malfunction and can trigger autoimmune diseases including Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. What dietary factors cause immune system imbalance? The part of the immune system situated in the … [Read more...]
Does gluten make you sick?
January 15, 2011 By
Celiac disease or gluten sensitive enteropathy is a permanent intolerance of dietary gluten. Hashimoto's and celiac disease are closely connected due to common genetic predisposition and increased autoimmunity that can be triggered by gluten. Recent research suggests that Hashimoto's patients have some sort of gluten intolerance or full-blow celiac disease. Until recently, the celiac disease was considered to be rare mainly because many of its patients have very subtle or no symptoms and … [Read more...]
Say goodbye to your skin rash
January 12, 2011 By
Dermatitis herpetiformis is a gluten induced extremely itchy and blistering rash. About 25% of patients with celiac disease and Hashimoto's thyroiditis have dermatitis herpetiformis. The blisters appear on the elbows, knees, face, scalp, trunk, buttocks and occasionally within the mouth. The lesions are symmetrically diffused and are slow to heal. The predominant symptoms are itching and burning that is rapidly relieved when the blisters rupture. This disease is usually found in patients 30 … [Read more...]
Triggers of autoimmune thyroiditis. Part 2. Environmental factors
January 8, 2011 By
Hashimoto's thyroiditis is the most common form of autoimmune thyroiditis which occurs as a result of a complicated interaction between susceptibility genes and environmental factors. A wide variety of environmental agents adversely affect the thyroid gland and hormone production. The following environmental factors can trigger autoimmune thyroiditis and contribute to the disease progression in genetically predisposed individuals: iodine diet infections (bacteria, viruses and … [Read more...]
Triggers of autoimmune thyroiditis. Part 1. Genetics
January 4, 2011 By
The incidence of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis has been linked to risk factors such as gender, age and heredity. While the exact mechanism of the autoimmune thyroiditis remains unknown, it is stated in current research that the genetic predisposition combined with environmental triggers initiate the autoimmune response to the thyroid gland. About 80% of the susceptibility to develop an autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) is attributed to genetic factors, while environmental factors contribute to … [Read more...]
Are You At Risk For Autoimmune Hashimoto’s Disease?
December 31, 2010 By
Autoimmune thyroiditis affects between 2% and 5% of the general population in Western countries. A combination of heredity, gender and age are the main contributing factor to the occurrence of this disease. [Tweet "Are you at risk for #autoimmune #hashimotos disease?"] Heredity There is a genetic predisposition for the development of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. If some of your second degree relatives such as grandmother had any thyroid disease you are at an increased risk to develop … [Read more...]
Should you be concerned about autoimmunity?
December 26, 2010 By
One of the basic functions of the immune system is to recognize and eliminate foreign antigens or intruders such as viruses and bacteria in order to protect the body from their harmful actions. The immune system creates antibodies in response to an antigen. This process provides protective immunity that is a part of the normal function of the immune system. Autoimmunity is an over reactive response of the immune system against an antigen. The combination of three factors could lead to … [Read more...]
All you need to know about Hashimoto’s disease
November 30, 2010 By
Hakaru Hashimoto is a Japanese physician who was first to describe the condition in a German paper in 1912. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is an inflammation of the thyroid gland and sometimes referred to as Hashimoto’s disease, chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis and autoimmune thyroiditis. Hashimoto's thyroiditis results from the malfunction of the immune system. The thyroid antibodies attack the thyroid gland causing swelling and inflammation. The healthy cells and tissue are slowly destroyed and … [Read more...]
My name is Marina Gutner, PhD. I am a researcher, medical writer, Author of forthcoming series on thyroid, hypothyroidism and autoimmune disease. I was diagnosed with autoimmune Hashimoto’s disease and hypothyroidism in 2004 and soon got so sick that I was unable to function. It took me years of research to find how to recover from severe adrenal insufficiency, stop Hashimoto’s and reduce my high dose of thyroid medication. On my blog I show you exactly how I did it so you can learn how to get started. Read more in 
