What all does the thyroid control and affect?

[dani2776]

I was diagnosed with Hashimotos in April of 2009 with antibodies greater than 1000.  I have no idea why other than it musy be hereditary.  I had a great grandmother with Graves and an aunt with Hashimotos as well.  My question is what all does the thryoid control and what else can it affect?  Almost a year later I am still struggeling to function, this whole nightmare has consumed my life.  I have been to many specialists and had many tests done but everything is always negative including MS and cardiac problems.  There is nothing in my body that is not affected to some degree.  Does the thyroid control everything?  Is there anything else I should look into since I do have Hashimotos?  I just want my life back and will do whatever it takes.  I suffer with numerous hypo and hyper symptoms on a daily basis!

[Garth L Nicolson, PhD]

Hypothyroidism is the lack of or low production (below normal) of thyroid hormones.  It is a functional definition but does not discern any pathology for the low production of thyroid hormones.  On the other hand, thyroiditis assumes that some damage has been or is present.  Thus it is more of a functional description.  

Thyroiditis can be caused by infection, chemical insult or other toxin damage to the thyroid gland.  For example, iodine-125 can damage the thyroid gland by radiation damage, because the thyroid gland concentrates iodide into cells of the gland where it is used to make thyroid hormones.  Infections, and in particular certain viruses and bacteria, can also cause thyroiditis by infecting the gland and damaging (or killing) cells and impairing their abilities to produce thyroid hormones.

[dani2776]

Thank you so much for your reply.  I did forget to mention that my actual diagnosis is Hashimoto's thyroiditis.  I even had an ultrasound of my thyroid done due to pain and difficulty swallowing.  The impression read "chronic severe thyroiditis", so is this not the same as basic hypothyroidism?  How would I find out if I had an infection of the thyroid gland and what is the treatment recommendations for either?  Thank you so much!

[Garth L Nicolson, PhD]

The thyroid gland controls how quickly the body uses energy, makes proteins, and controls how sensitive the body should be to other hormones.

The thyroid participates in these processes by producing thyroid hormones, principally thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). These hormones regulate the rate of metabolism and affect the growth and rate of function of many other systems in the body. Thus they are very important in your body's regulatory systems.

One important problem to rule out is thyroiditis, or infection of the thyroid gland. This can cause all sorts of problems, and it is usually under-diagnosed because of lack of experience, except in practices that specialize in these problems.