Overview
- Dr. Christian Lunow describes Hashimoto's as an autoimmune process in which antibodies attack and destroy thyroid cells.
- He cautions that common complaints such as fatigue, weight gain, and exhaustion are nonspecific, leading many patients through years of delayed diagnosis.
- He notes that thyroid laboratory values can be misleading, so results may not clearly indicate the presence or severity of illness.
- German thyroid centers report that the condition represents roughly 80% of thyroid inflammations and affects women more often than men.
- A patient case outlines Carina Taschner’s long struggle before a diagnosis at 22 and her subsequent symptom control under medical care.