People, who suffer from either Hashimoto’s disease or Graves’ disease, are more likely to develop other conditions such as Anemia, Arthritis, Addison’s Disease, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Lupus, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Myasthenia Gravis and Diabetes Type 1. Other conditions that are linked to Hashimoto’s disease include Goiters, Heart Disease, High Cholesterol, Bipolar Disorder, and Infertility. Please refer to the last entry to learn how goiters, heart disease and high blood pressure result from Hashimoto’s disease. In the next few blog entries, we will discuss symptoms and causes of the other conditions. While reading, it is important to remember, just because a person has Hashimoto’s or Graves’ disease does not mean that he or she is going to develop the other conditions.
The first linked condition I am going to discuss is Anemia. Anemia develops when there is a low red blood cell count. Red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. A common effect of this condition is being tired when exerting little energy. People who suffer from hypothyroidism often have a slight case of this because of “the body’s tendency to slow down its functions” (Rosenthal 63). This usually clears up when the hypothyroidism is treated (Rosenthal 64).
A common type of anemia, pernicious anemia, is common among older people who suffer from hypothyroidism. This is an “autoimmune form of anemia characterized by vitamin B12 deficiency” (eHealthMD.com). Pernicious anemia is caused by the same gene that Hashimoto’s and Graves’ disease are caused by. Therefore, if a person has Graves’ or Hashimoto’s disease in his or her past, he or she should be tested for pernicious anemia (eHealthMD.com).
Some symptoms of pernicious anemia include, “numbness and tingling of the hands and feet, loss of balance, and weakness in the legs” (Rosenthal 64). Studies have suggested that 5 percent of the people diagnosed with Graves’ disease and 10 percent of the people diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease may develop pernicious anemia. Keep in mind that this condition usually occurs in people over the age of 60.
Arthritis is another condition that people diagnosed with Graves’ or Hashimoto’s disease may encounter. It is defined as “painful tendonitis and bursitis” in the joints. This is “reported in about 7 percent of Graves’ and Hashimoto’s disease patients, while only occurring in about 1.7 percent of the general population” (Rosenthal 65). However, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is only slightly more common in thyroid patients over the general population. RA can cause a stiffness caused by inflammation of many joints in the body. Rosenthal states that the symptoms of RA can sometimes improve when the thyroid condition is corrected (Rosenthal 65).
In the next few blogs, I will be discussing Addison’s Disease, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Lupus, and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Myasthenia Gravis, Diabetes Type 1, Bipolar Disorder, and Infertility. It may take me quite a few blogs to discuss all of these conditions in detail, so please bear with me. Thank you!
The information from this blog and for the next few blog entries comes from The Thyroid Sourcebook by M. Sara Rosenthal. I also found information from the article, What Other Health Problems May Be Associated With Hypothyroidism? found on the website www.eHealthMD.com.
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1 comment:
I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism 5 years ago. I was very tired, panic attacks, large weight gain, skin and hair problems. I started taking desiccated bovine thyroid capsules and I swear within a 2 week period, no more panic attacks, wide awake and all the other problems gone.
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