Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesOther Endocrine DisordersDiagnosisTreatmentDietComplicationsCopingOutlookNext in Hashimoto’s Disease GuideSymptoms of Hashimoto’s Disease

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Symptoms

Causes

Other Endocrine Disorders

Diagnosis

Treatment

Diet

Complications

Coping

Outlook

Next in Hashimoto’s Disease Guide

Hashimoto’s disease (HD), also called Hashimoto’s autoimmune thyroiditis, is anautoimmune diseasethat damages and enlargens the thyroid gland. The damage lowers the level of hormones it can produce, leading tohypothyroidism(low thyroid activity).

Thethyroidis a butterfly-shaped gland at the front of your neck. It makes hormones that control your metabolism, which is how your body uses energy. Thyroid hormones influence nearly every organ in your body.

This article discusses Hashimoto’s disease symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment options.

AJ_Watt / Getty Images

A healthcare provider checking a woman’s thyroid

What Is Autoimmune Disease?In autoimmune diseases, your immune system mistakes a normal, healthy body part for threats like bacteria or viruses. It then creates specialized cells called autoantibodies to attack that body part. Experts have identified more than 80 autoimmune diseases.

What Is Autoimmune Disease?

In autoimmune diseases, your immune system mistakes a normal, healthy body part for threats like bacteria or viruses. It then creates specialized cells called autoantibodies to attack that body part. Experts have identified more than 80 autoimmune diseases.

Hashimoto’s Disease Symptoms

Hashimoto’s disease can cause various symptoms. You may not experience all of them, and you may experience different symptoms at different times. It’s possible to have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and not know you’re sick.

HD is a type of hypothyroidism and shares its symptoms. These include:

Hashitoxicosis

In some people, early Hashimoto’s disease makes the thyroid gland temporarily release too much thyroid hormone into the bloodstream (thyrotoxicosis). This is a response to the immune system’s attack calledhashitoxicosis. Symptoms can include:

Eventually, the thyroid will produce less hormone, and the symptoms will change.

Autoimmune Disease–Related Symptoms

An overactive immune system causes specific symptoms. You may experience:

Symptoms of autoimmunity tend to flare up from time to time rather than being constant.

What Causes Hashimoto’s Disease?

Medical professionals are unsure what causes autoimmune diseases, including Hashimoto’s. However, they believe several things can play a role, such as:

Hashimoto’s disease is the most common thyroid disorder in the United States. Each year, slightly fewer than 1 (0.8) in 1,000 men and 3.5 in 1,000 women are diagnosed with HD.

Risk Factors

Your risk of having HD is higher if you:

Having another autoimmune disease also increases your risk of Hashimoto’s, especially:

While the risk of HD increases with age, anyone, including children, can develop it.

Associated Endocrine Disorders

Hashimoto’s is often seen alongside otherendocrine(hormonal) and metabolic conditions. These include:

Having HD and PCOS may impact female fertility and increase your risk of heart disease and cancer.

Hashimoto’s Disease Diagnosis: What Tests Are Used?

If your healthcare provider suspects you have Hashimoto’s disease, they’ll use the following methods to test for the condition:

If the diagnosis isn’t certain, your provider may order an ultrasound of your thyroid to measure its size and look for features of HD as well as other possible causes of your symptoms, such asthyroid nodules(small lumps).

Can You Detect Hashimoto’s Disease Early?

It is possible to diagnose HD early on. This is most common in people with a strong family history of thyroid disease. In an early diagnosis, an antibody test may be positive while thyroid hormone levels are normal and symptoms have yet to develop.

Hashimoto’s Disease Treatment

Hashimoto’s disease treatment may include:

When you start thyroid medication, your healthcare provider will monitor you closely to ensure you’re at the correct dosage. Your dosage may be changed several times. You might also need to increase your dosage over time or if you become pregnant.

Supplements and Herbal Remedies

You shouldn’t try to self-treat a thyroid disease with supplements or herbs. Proper treatment takes frequent monitoring with blood tests and a qualified healthcare provider to interpret them.

However, some supplements may help counter common vitamin and mineral deficiencies in people with HD. Your healthcare provider can do blood tests to see whether you have any deficiencies. Common supplements and herbal remedies for people with HD include:

Selenium and Your Thyroid

Other Alternative Treatments

Alternative treatments that may help you manage your HD includeacupuncture, which may increase thyroid hormone levels, and yoga and guided meditation to relieve stress, as stress may increase HD symptoms.Discuss all treatments with your healthcare provider before you attempt them.

Hashimoto’s Disease Diet

Your diet can have a big impact on your thyroid health and help you manage HD.

Goitrogens

A group of foods calledgoitrogenscan interfere with how much hormone your thyroid makes. A problematic chemical is present in raw forms of these foods, but cooking them breaks down the chemical and makes them safe.

Some common goitrogenic foods include:

If you’reiodine deficient, soy may also act as a goitrogen.

Iodine

Your body uses iodine to produce thyroid hormones. When you have HD or other autoimmune diseases, though, high levels of iodine can worsenhypothyroidism.

Iodine-containing foodsinclude:

If you’re pregnant, getting the right amount of iodine is important. Your healthcare provider can help you determine how much iodine you need.

Complications of Hashimoto’s Disease

If HD isn’t treated, it can lead to seriouscomplications. These include:

Living With Hashimoto’s Disease

Low thyroid hormone levels can lead to mental and emotional disorders. These can include:

Speak to a healthcare provider about these symptoms. It may indicate that your thyroid-replacement hormone dosage is too low or too high. You may also benefit from mental health counseling, support groups (locally and online), and exercise. Hashimoto’s can take a toll on your social life. Let your provider know how they can help you manage your illness.

If your HD causessexual dysfunction,discuss it with your partner(s). Make sure they know it’s not a problem with them but with your health. A healthcare provider may be able to help you find ways to overcome your sexual dysfunction.

Living Well With Hashimoto’s Disease

Hashimoto’s disease is a lifelong illness, and the prognosis for most people is good. HD can stay stable for many years, with no necessary increase in medication or management strategies. It’s easily treatable with long-established medications and doesn’t shorten your life expectancy. The earlier Hashimoto’s disease is diagnosed, the better your long-term outlook is. Talk to a healthcare provider if you have symptoms that may suggest a thyroid problem.

25 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Thyroid Association.Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (lymphocytic thyroiditis).MedlinePlus.Autoimmune diseases.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Hashimoto’s disease.Unnikrishnan AG.Hashitoxicosis: A clinical perspective.Thyroid Research & Practice. 2013; 10(4): 5-6. doi:10.4103/0973-0354.106803National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.Autoimmune diseases.National Institutes of Health.Hashimoto thyroiditis.Hu X, Chen Y, Shen Y, et al.Correlation between Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and polycystic ovary syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022;13:1025267. Published 2022 Oct 31. doi:10.3389/fendo.2022.1025267U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office on Women’s Health.Polycystic ovary syndrome.Turner Syndrome Foundation.Thyroid: What is Hoshimoto’s thyroiditis?National Institutes of Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Turner syndrome.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About type 1 diabetes.Dayan C, Panicker V.Management of hypothyroidism with combination thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) hormone replacement in clinical practice: a review of suggested guidance.Thyroid Res. 2018;11:1. doi:10.1186/s13044-018-0045-xAmerican Thyroid Association.Thyroid and pregnancy.Collins AB, Pawlak R.Prevalence of vitamin B-12 deficiency among patients with thyroid dysfunction.Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2016;25(2):221-6. doi:10.6133/apjcn.2016.25.2.22Mahmoodianfard S, Vafa M, Golgiri F, Khoshniat M, Gohari M, Solati Z, Djalali M.Effects of zinc and selenium supplementation on thyroid function in overweight and obese hypothyroid female patients: a randomized double-blind controlled trial.J Am Coll Nutr. 2015;34(5):391-9. doi:10.1080/07315724.2014.926161van Zuuren EJ, Albusta AY, Fedorowicz Z, Carter B, Pijl H.Selenium supplementation for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis: Summary of a cochrane systematic review.Eur Thyroid J. 2014;3(1):25-31. doi:10.1159/000356040National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements.Iodine: fact sheet for health professionals.Cheng FK.An overview of the contribution of acupuncture to thyroid disorders.J Integr Med. 2018;16(6):375-383. doi:10.1016/j.joim.2018.09.002Singh P, Singh B, Dave R, Udainiya R.The impact of yoga upon female patients suffering from hypothyroidism.Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2011;17(3):132‐134. doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2010.11.004Bajaj JK, Salwan P, Salwan S.Various possible toxicants involved in thyroid dysfunction: A review.J Clin Diagn Res. 2016;10(1):FE01–FE3. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2016/15195.7092National Center for Biotechnology Information.Table 5: Dietary goitrogens.National Center for Biotechnology Information.Myxedema coma.University of Pennsylvania Medical School: PennMedicine.Chronic thyroiditis (Hashimoto’s disease).British Thyroid Foundation.Psychological symptoms and thyroid disorder.University of Pennsylvania Medical School: Penn Medicine.How thyroid problems might be hurting your sex life.Additional ReadingJohns Hopkins Medicine.Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Hashimoto’s disease.National Institutes of Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Hypothyroidism.

25 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Thyroid Association.Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (lymphocytic thyroiditis).MedlinePlus.Autoimmune diseases.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Hashimoto’s disease.Unnikrishnan AG.Hashitoxicosis: A clinical perspective.Thyroid Research & Practice. 2013; 10(4): 5-6. doi:10.4103/0973-0354.106803National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.Autoimmune diseases.National Institutes of Health.Hashimoto thyroiditis.Hu X, Chen Y, Shen Y, et al.Correlation between Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and polycystic ovary syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022;13:1025267. Published 2022 Oct 31. doi:10.3389/fendo.2022.1025267U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office on Women’s Health.Polycystic ovary syndrome.Turner Syndrome Foundation.Thyroid: What is Hoshimoto’s thyroiditis?National Institutes of Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Turner syndrome.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About type 1 diabetes.Dayan C, Panicker V.Management of hypothyroidism with combination thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) hormone replacement in clinical practice: a review of suggested guidance.Thyroid Res. 2018;11:1. doi:10.1186/s13044-018-0045-xAmerican Thyroid Association.Thyroid and pregnancy.Collins AB, Pawlak R.Prevalence of vitamin B-12 deficiency among patients with thyroid dysfunction.Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2016;25(2):221-6. doi:10.6133/apjcn.2016.25.2.22Mahmoodianfard S, Vafa M, Golgiri F, Khoshniat M, Gohari M, Solati Z, Djalali M.Effects of zinc and selenium supplementation on thyroid function in overweight and obese hypothyroid female patients: a randomized double-blind controlled trial.J Am Coll Nutr. 2015;34(5):391-9. doi:10.1080/07315724.2014.926161van Zuuren EJ, Albusta AY, Fedorowicz Z, Carter B, Pijl H.Selenium supplementation for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis: Summary of a cochrane systematic review.Eur Thyroid J. 2014;3(1):25-31. doi:10.1159/000356040National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements.Iodine: fact sheet for health professionals.Cheng FK.An overview of the contribution of acupuncture to thyroid disorders.J Integr Med. 2018;16(6):375-383. doi:10.1016/j.joim.2018.09.002Singh P, Singh B, Dave R, Udainiya R.The impact of yoga upon female patients suffering from hypothyroidism.Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2011;17(3):132‐134. doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2010.11.004Bajaj JK, Salwan P, Salwan S.Various possible toxicants involved in thyroid dysfunction: A review.J Clin Diagn Res. 2016;10(1):FE01–FE3. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2016/15195.7092National Center for Biotechnology Information.Table 5: Dietary goitrogens.National Center for Biotechnology Information.Myxedema coma.University of Pennsylvania Medical School: PennMedicine.Chronic thyroiditis (Hashimoto’s disease).British Thyroid Foundation.Psychological symptoms and thyroid disorder.University of Pennsylvania Medical School: Penn Medicine.How thyroid problems might be hurting your sex life.Additional ReadingJohns Hopkins Medicine.Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Hashimoto’s disease.National Institutes of Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Hypothyroidism.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

American Thyroid Association.Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (lymphocytic thyroiditis).MedlinePlus.Autoimmune diseases.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Hashimoto’s disease.Unnikrishnan AG.Hashitoxicosis: A clinical perspective.Thyroid Research & Practice. 2013; 10(4): 5-6. doi:10.4103/0973-0354.106803National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.Autoimmune diseases.National Institutes of Health.Hashimoto thyroiditis.Hu X, Chen Y, Shen Y, et al.Correlation between Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and polycystic ovary syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022;13:1025267. Published 2022 Oct 31. doi:10.3389/fendo.2022.1025267U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office on Women’s Health.Polycystic ovary syndrome.Turner Syndrome Foundation.Thyroid: What is Hoshimoto’s thyroiditis?National Institutes of Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Turner syndrome.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About type 1 diabetes.Dayan C, Panicker V.Management of hypothyroidism with combination thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) hormone replacement in clinical practice: a review of suggested guidance.Thyroid Res. 2018;11:1. doi:10.1186/s13044-018-0045-xAmerican Thyroid Association.Thyroid and pregnancy.Collins AB, Pawlak R.Prevalence of vitamin B-12 deficiency among patients with thyroid dysfunction.Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2016;25(2):221-6. doi:10.6133/apjcn.2016.25.2.22Mahmoodianfard S, Vafa M, Golgiri F, Khoshniat M, Gohari M, Solati Z, Djalali M.Effects of zinc and selenium supplementation on thyroid function in overweight and obese hypothyroid female patients: a randomized double-blind controlled trial.J Am Coll Nutr. 2015;34(5):391-9. doi:10.1080/07315724.2014.926161van Zuuren EJ, Albusta AY, Fedorowicz Z, Carter B, Pijl H.Selenium supplementation for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis: Summary of a cochrane systematic review.Eur Thyroid J. 2014;3(1):25-31. doi:10.1159/000356040National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements.Iodine: fact sheet for health professionals.Cheng FK.An overview of the contribution of acupuncture to thyroid disorders.J Integr Med. 2018;16(6):375-383. doi:10.1016/j.joim.2018.09.002Singh P, Singh B, Dave R, Udainiya R.The impact of yoga upon female patients suffering from hypothyroidism.Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2011;17(3):132‐134. doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2010.11.004Bajaj JK, Salwan P, Salwan S.Various possible toxicants involved in thyroid dysfunction: A review.J Clin Diagn Res. 2016;10(1):FE01–FE3. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2016/15195.7092National Center for Biotechnology Information.Table 5: Dietary goitrogens.National Center for Biotechnology Information.Myxedema coma.University of Pennsylvania Medical School: PennMedicine.Chronic thyroiditis (Hashimoto’s disease).British Thyroid Foundation.Psychological symptoms and thyroid disorder.University of Pennsylvania Medical School: Penn Medicine.How thyroid problems might be hurting your sex life.

American Thyroid Association.Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (lymphocytic thyroiditis).

MedlinePlus.Autoimmune diseases.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Hashimoto’s disease.

Unnikrishnan AG.Hashitoxicosis: A clinical perspective.Thyroid Research & Practice. 2013; 10(4): 5-6. doi:10.4103/0973-0354.106803

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.Autoimmune diseases.

National Institutes of Health.Hashimoto thyroiditis.

Hu X, Chen Y, Shen Y, et al.Correlation between Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and polycystic ovary syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022;13:1025267. Published 2022 Oct 31. doi:10.3389/fendo.2022.1025267

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office on Women’s Health.Polycystic ovary syndrome.

Turner Syndrome Foundation.Thyroid: What is Hoshimoto’s thyroiditis?

National Institutes of Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Turner syndrome.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About type 1 diabetes.

Dayan C, Panicker V.Management of hypothyroidism with combination thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) hormone replacement in clinical practice: a review of suggested guidance.Thyroid Res. 2018;11:1. doi:10.1186/s13044-018-0045-x

American Thyroid Association.Thyroid and pregnancy.

Collins AB, Pawlak R.Prevalence of vitamin B-12 deficiency among patients with thyroid dysfunction.Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2016;25(2):221-6. doi:10.6133/apjcn.2016.25.2.22

Mahmoodianfard S, Vafa M, Golgiri F, Khoshniat M, Gohari M, Solati Z, Djalali M.Effects of zinc and selenium supplementation on thyroid function in overweight and obese hypothyroid female patients: a randomized double-blind controlled trial.J Am Coll Nutr. 2015;34(5):391-9. doi:10.1080/07315724.2014.926161

van Zuuren EJ, Albusta AY, Fedorowicz Z, Carter B, Pijl H.Selenium supplementation for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis: Summary of a cochrane systematic review.Eur Thyroid J. 2014;3(1):25-31. doi:10.1159/000356040

National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements.Iodine: fact sheet for health professionals.

Cheng FK.An overview of the contribution of acupuncture to thyroid disorders.J Integr Med. 2018;16(6):375-383. doi:10.1016/j.joim.2018.09.002

Singh P, Singh B, Dave R, Udainiya R.The impact of yoga upon female patients suffering from hypothyroidism.Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2011;17(3):132‐134. doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2010.11.004

Bajaj JK, Salwan P, Salwan S.Various possible toxicants involved in thyroid dysfunction: A review.J Clin Diagn Res. 2016;10(1):FE01–FE3. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2016/15195.7092

National Center for Biotechnology Information.Table 5: Dietary goitrogens.

National Center for Biotechnology Information.Myxedema coma.

University of Pennsylvania Medical School: PennMedicine.Chronic thyroiditis (Hashimoto’s disease).

British Thyroid Foundation.Psychological symptoms and thyroid disorder.

University of Pennsylvania Medical School: Penn Medicine.How thyroid problems might be hurting your sex life.

Johns Hopkins Medicine.Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Hashimoto’s disease.National Institutes of Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Hypothyroidism.

Johns Hopkins Medicine.Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Hashimoto’s disease.

National Institutes of Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Hypothyroidism.

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