What is Hashimoto’s Disease?

Diagnosis

Doctors can run a series of tests including a hormone or an antibody test to diagnose (or disprove) Hashimoto's disease in a patient. Both hormone and antibody tests are blood tests, though they look for different indicators in the body. Hormone tests check the amount of hormones the thyroid and pituitary glands are producing. The thyroid hormone levels will be low if the thyroid gland is underactive, but the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone could be elevated as the pituitary gland is trying to stimulate the thyroid into production.

Antibody tests are used because Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune disorder, and due to this, abnormal antibodies are produced. An antibody blood test can confirm there are antibodies against thyroid peroxidase, also termed TPO antibodies, which is an enzyme typically detected in the thyroid gland. Thyroid peroxidase plays an integral role in the body's production of thyroid hormones. This particular test is key because detecting an underactive thyroid in other ways was next to impossible until symptoms advance. However, this test allows doctors to detect thyroid disorders and related issues, including Hashimoto's disease, much earlier, even if symptoms have not yet appeared.