How Lyme Disease can affect the Thyroid [Hashimoto’s & other thyroid conditions]

Hashimotos

Jun 22

There's still much to learn about Lyme disease, but one thing is clear - it can wreak havoc on the immune system. When the immune system works hard to fight off an illness, it can go into overdrive and start attacking healthy body parts, such as the thyroid gland, which happens with Hashimoto’s disease. So, if you want to know more about Lyme vs Hashimoto’s disease, take a look at the vital information below.

What Is Lyme?

Lyme disease comes from the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, found on ticks, and people contract it through tick bites. Lyme disease is hard to diagnose because it has varying, inconsistent symptoms, mimics other illnesses, and doesn’t always appear on tests.

Early Lyme symptoms often go unnoticed or undiagnosed, and even with antibiotic treatment, It can remain in the body, causing Post Treatment Lyme Disease (PTLD). Lyme is easier to treat in the early stages - if left untreated, it will usually develop into chronic Lyme disease.

Lyme Symptoms

Lyme symptoms occur in two stages, early-stage and chronic. Early-stage symptoms occur within 3 to 42 days after a bite from an infected tick.

Early Stage Lyme Symptoms Include:

A Distinctive Round Rash - only occurs in approximately 50 percent of cases.
Flu-Like Symptoms
Fever
Chills
Headache
Stiff Neck
Muscle Aches
Fatigue
Swollen Lymph Nodes

Chronic Lyme Symptoms Include:

Chronic Pain
Chronic Fatigue
Migraines
Brain Fog
Facial Paralysis
Jaw Pain
Tingling and Numbness in Extremities
Irregular Sleep Patterns and Night Sweats
Hot Flushes
Swollen Glands
Stiff Neck
Depression
Anxiety

What is Hashimoto's Disease?

Hashimoto’s disease, also known as Hashimoto's thyroiditis, is an autoimmune illness that affects the thyroid gland. The thyroid is an endocrine gland in the throat and controls most hormones responsible for how we absorb and utilize food. With Hashimoto's, the body attacks the healthy cells in the thyroid so that it no longer functions correctly, which often leads to hyperthyroidism.

The cause of Hashimoto’s is unclear, but it could be related to genetic or environmental factors and is more common in middle-aged women. You’re more likely to get it if you have a family history of thyroid problems or autoimmune disorders such as Lyme, diabetes, and lupus. It can also occur during pregnancy or as a result of radiation exposure.

When the thyroid doesn’t function correctly, it can also lead to conditions such as Goiter - a large throat swelling, heart problems, and decreased libido. Hashimoto’s disease is easy to diagnose with hormonal blood testing - and hyperthyroidism is treated with medication.

Hashimoto’s Symptoms

Hashimoto's symptoms are slow and progressive and include

Fatigue
Increased cold sensitivity
Dry skin
Muscle weakness
Muscle aches
Joint aches and stiffness
Constipation
Irregular periods and excessive bleeding during menstruation
Mind fog
Memory problems
Depression
Anxiety
Puffy face
Hair loss
Brittle nails
Enlarged tongue

How Are Lyme and Hashimoto’s Related?

Lyme is an autoimmune disease and can make you more susceptible to Hashimoto's, and many Lyme patients have it. Lyme and Hashimoto also share many symptoms, such as brain fog, muscle aches and stiffness, lethargy, anxiety and depression. The problem with Hashimoto’s is that Lyme is often overlooked in hyperthyroid cases, and if you have undiagnosed Lyme disease, it’s harder to recover from Hashimoto’s.

Conclusion

If you have Hashimoto’s, you must insist on comprehensive Lyme testing, especially if you still have symptoms after treatment. Potentially, Lyme will prevent you from recovering, and you should seek the advice of physicians experienced in Lyme disease for help with testing and treatment. It’s hard to recover from Hashimotos if Lyme is the unknown, underlying cause, so for the best chances of recovery, you must rule out Lyme or treat it as a separate condition.

Resources

Lauren Lovejoy