How to Treat Hashimoto's Disease

One type of hypothyroidism is Hashimoto's disease. With this condition, the body produces antibodies that attack the thyroid gland, causing it to under produce hormones. Hashimoto's disease has no known cure, but can be treated with medication prescribed by a doctor.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Doctor or endocrinologist

Treat Hashimoto's Disease With Medication

1. Have a blood test at your doctor's office to discover the thyroid hormone level in your body. Blood tests will be able to monitor how your thyroid gland is working, indicating whether you need medication.

2. Realize that with Hashimoto's disease, your doctor will most likely treat the symptoms, rather than the disease as a whole. Unless your disease has progressed to hypothyroidism, you will probably not be prescribed medication.

3. Take thyroid hormone-replacement drugs to shrink a large goiter. Besides causing difficulty breathing and swallowing, a goiter can be unsightly, contributing to the mental stress a thyroid condition can cause.

4. Consider taking thyroid hormone-replacement drugs to alleviate some of the fatigue and weight gain associated with Hashimoto's disease.

5. Try selenium (iodine) supplements to counter some of the symptoms of Hashimoto's disease. These supplements have been shown to slow or reduce the elevation of thyroid antibodies.

6. Treat pain and swelling caused by Hashimoto's disease with aspirin or ibuprofen. Take it before you go to bed. This especially helps some of the attacks that often occur at night.

7. Attend your follow-up appointments, so that your doctor can closely monitor your treatment. She will most likely set up a recommended schedule that you should stick to, preventing your Hashimoto's disease from becoming hypothyroidism.

Use an Alternative Therapy to Treat Hashimoto's Disease

1. Ask your doctor for a natural form of thyroid medication. Most doctors prescribe a synthetic form of thyroxine, but there are natural extracts available that contain thyroid hormones. They are derived from the thyroid glands of pigs.

2. Consider acupuncture. Some people have had success treating Hashimoto's disease with a combination of acupuncture and herbal remedies. Consult your doctor before trying any supplemental therapy.

3. Fill your diet with seafood, shellfish, organic vegetables and iodized salt to naturally raise your iodine level. Also, try kelp tablets as a source of iodine. Iodine is an essential part of the thyroxine hormone, but if you're not currently being treated with levothyroxine (hormone-replacing drugs), you should not start an iodine-rich diet.

Tips & Warnings

• Hashimoto's disease affects more women than men, with a 50 to one ratio.