Symptoms of Hashimoto’s Flare Up

-by Abhrajita Mondal

–Reading Time – 7 min Approx

Before you start finding more facets about the symptoms of Hashimoto’s flare up, you should know a bit about the background of the ailment. Hashimoto’s disease is an auto-immune disease of the thyroid, in which the immune system mistakes the thyroid to be a pathogen. It is a very serious ailment, when the thyroid stops producing hormones, as expected. Moreover, it is the most common reason behind hypothyroidism in the U.S.

There are several causes behind this disease. Levothyroxine treatment is used to treat hypothyroidism. It replaces more thyroid hormones, under circumstances when the thyroid glands stop producing them altogether. Additionally, if the thyroid glands are injured, it can also lead to malfunctioning. Many times, surgical removal of the gland also leads to disturbances in the normal functioning of the organs, that are dependent on the thyroid hormones. For children, enough thyroid hormones are required for proper mental as well as physical development. Furthermore, most primary healthcare service providers prescribe the medication called Levothyroxine.

The dosage of the medication is dependent on the age, weight, and medical conditions of the incumbent. Moreover, you need to use the medicine as early as possible, for the maximum benefit. You should not stop the medication, without consulting your doctor. Now, you should read about the causes and the symptoms of Hashimoto’s flare up in detail.

Causes Of Hashimoto’s Flare Up:

There are certain medications that interfere with the action of this medicine. Furthermore, they are cholestyramine, antacids, sucralfate, simethicone, iron, colestipol, and colesevelam, to name a few. If you are taking these as well, due to another condition, you should maintain a gap of 4 hours. Now, you are in a position to find out more about the symptoms of Hashimoto’s flare up.

Many people find that diet can also trigger the flare up. Gluten-containing grains, like wheat, and barley can lead to a flare up. Apart from that, high sodium intake and high iodine intake can act as triggers for the flare up. If you are eating too much salt, you may be a victim of a flare up. Selenium is also considered important for thyroid. If it is deficient, it may lead to a flare up. However, there are enough foods that have selenium in it. You can have your daily dose from there. Moreover, zinc deficiency also leads to hypothyroidism. It can lead to malfunctioning and a subsequent flare up. If you have a deficiency of Vitamins and B12, it can also lead to Hypothyroidism. So, ensure to have lots of sunshine, which is necessary for Vitamin D production in the body.

If you have high levels of stress, and anxiety, then also, it can lead to issues. Furthermore, everyone experiences stress and anxiety from time to time, but too much stress is not good. An autoimmune disease like Hashimoto’s can also lead to Grave’s disease. Additionally, stress may not be the sole reason for Hashimoto’s, but it can trigger the condition. Moreover, stress affects the body by slowing down metabolism. You may suffer from two kinds of stress, mainly emotional and physical. These are the causes of Hashimoto’s flare up.

Symptoms Of Hashimoto’s Flare Up:

Some medications, dietary nutrients, high stress, and wrong medicine dosage can lead to Hashimoto’s flare up. However, you have to find out, what is causing the symptoms. The various symptoms of Hashimoto’s flare up are:

• Fatigue

It is often described as a lack of energy to do any task. It is different from sleepiness. It can be a response to physical and mental activities. However, fatigue can be absolved with rest and less activity. Many illnesses also cause fatigue. You may also have problems concentrating on anything in general.

• Weight gain

  Unintentional weight gain is one of the symptoms of Hashimoto’s Flare up. This often occurs, when you are not putting any effort yourself to gain weight. Hypothyroidism due to the above, can also cause a flare up. Moreover, hormones are at play in such situations. You will be amazed to know, that more than half of the people, who suffer from hypothyroidism, gain weight. Almost 5% of the world’s people suffer from Hashimoto’s disease. Apart from the above disease, there could be other reasons as well. Furthermore, cancer treatment like radiation and chemotherapy may be responsible.

• Depression

Those who have the syndrome, may suffer from depression. The autoimmune disorder, makes the antibodies attack the Thyroid. Additionally, you can attribute it to Hyperthyroidism, which shows up in the early stages of the disease. The Thyroid gland is under attack under the circumstances and leads to hyper-secretion of thyroxine, and brings about weight loss, and panic attacks as well.

• Constipation

You may experience constipation for various reasons, like dehydration, bad bowels, and also during pregnancy. However, Hashimoto’s symptoms may be a bit different from the others. If you have 3-4 bowels in a week, and pass dry stools, then it could be Hashimoto’s. Additionally, you could even feel a blockage in the intestines and anus. The Thyroid regulates many functions like digestion and elimination of wastes. Once, you find out that you have Hashimoto’s, you need to consult a doctor dealing with such issues. You will be asked to make lifestyle changes to control and manage the conditions.

What Does a Hashimoto’s Flare-Up Feel Like?

When your thyroid glands are not producing adequate hormones, your body will feel the difference. You may feel tired all the time, and stressed out as well. Moreover, it can also lead to constipation, and fertility problems as well. Brain fog, and aching joints and muscles are the other symptoms of Hashimoto’s. Furthermore, a malfunctioning thyroid can trigger a variety of symptoms and feelings.

However, the symptoms can be vague. So, many people are not in a position to understand, what is causing it. A genetic predisposition might be the reason behind Hashimoto’s. You need to check with a doctor, who can pin down the exact reasons and the treatment modalities. A simple blood test may tell all. That is why, most doctors suggest it. You may have constipation as one of the primary symptoms, but it may not be time yet to think about it. You could be dehydrated. If you are wondering how long can a Hashimoto’s flare last, its time you read the below details.

A Hashimoto’s Flare up, also called a thyroid flare up, that can last for a few days to a few weeks. However, there may be times, that it can extend longer. Flare ups are not always associated with a drop in hormone levels. It can take a day or two more, on and above the period of the actual flare up, due to overexertion and the stress. If you take medicines, then it may also be possible to control the symptoms of the flare up. You should read the tips for managing Hashimoto’s flare-ups.

Tips For Managing Hashimoto’s Flare-Ups:

You can work with a doctor, to work out solutions for Hashimoto’s disease. You have to figure out each individual’s lifestyle and inherent causes. Each individual is different, so are the symptoms. Moreover, the doctors will counsel you and try to find out, what might have led to the flare up. The increased antibody production causes have to be ascertained and also the cause of the inflammation. Most autoimmune diseases cause inflammation, and so does Hashimoto’s.

Everybody has some kind of stress in their lives. However, you have to learn to manage the stress/ Identify the triggers for the mental stress and then only, you can reach a viable solution. Reach out for foods that can alleviate your stress. With a little self-care, you can attain a level that is considered safe. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, as they have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body. Non-processed foods have lots of anti-oxidants in them. Glutathione is another chemical that can aid in the reduction of inflammation.

You can also regularly take your daily dose of supplements. Selenium and Vitamin D are quite common and can act as building blocks for your cells. So, the new cells will replace the damaged ones in some time. Now, you must be wondering how to handle Hashimoto’s flare up after COVID vaccine. It is true that the symptoms of autoimmune diseases can increase, on receiving a boost of antibodies. However, the vaccines are quite safe for all.

People with the disease can receive the vaccine from Pfizer and Moderna. Many individuals have already taken the vaccine, without any flare ups. However, there is no research data, on whether flare ups can occur in different individuals. Doctors have advised all patients to get the vaccine, irrespective of their thyroid status. The world has had very little time to analyze all kinds of implications on the body due to various autoimmune diseases. The only one being that rheumatic diseases have been studied for implications so far. More research is underway on the same.

Therefore, you should take the vaccine, even if you have an autoimmune disease like Hashimoto’s. There are several ways you can control the symptoms and flare ups today. Advancement in medical technology has made many things possible today. So instead of sulking, you should think about managing the disease.

-by Abhrajita Mondal

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