Leona Lewis’ Hashimoto's disease explained including symptoms and changes to body
Leona Lewis’ Hashimoto's disease explained including symptoms and changes to body
Former X Factor winner Leona Lewis has announced she’s expecting her first child with husband Dennis Jauch.
The glowing singer, 36, shared the happy news on her Instagram on Wednesday.
The star posted a fabulous shot of herself dressed in a figure-hugging black dress to show off her blossoming bump, and captioned the photo: “Can’t wait to meet you in the summer.”
It’s an exciting time for Leona, who’s recently splashed out on a rustic Hollywood home.
The mum-to-be looks the picture of health, but in 2017 she was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease.
Here, we explain what her thyroid condition means and hear from an OK! Writer who has the condition…
What is Hashimoto’s disease
It’s an autoimmune disorder affecting the thyroid gland - that butterfly-shaped gland at the bottom of your neck (below the Adam’s apple, if you’re a man).
Our thyroid gland pumps out hormones to help keep our bodily functions (like our metabolism) running smoothly.
In Hashimoto’s disease, the immune-system attacks the thyroid’s hormone producing cells, causing hypothyroidism - basically a drop in hormones.
Anyone can develop it, but it’s most common among middle-aged women.
Getty Images/iStockphoto Hashimoto's disease is caused by a drop in hormone production
The symptoms
You might not know you have Hashimoto’s disease for many years.
As the production of thyroid hormones slowly drops, you might notice the following signs:
-
Fatigue and sluggishness - Increased sensitivity to cold - Increased sleepiness - Dry skin - Constipation
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Muscle weakness - Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness - Joint pain and stiffness [ Irregular or excessive menstrual bleeding
-
Depression - Problems with memory or concentration - Swelling of the thyroid (goiter) - A puffy face - Brittle nails
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- air loss - Enlargement of the tongue -
Getty Images/iStockphoto Symptoms include sensitivity to cold
How it’s spotted
The amount of symptoms is overwhelming, isn’t it? But thyroid conditions can be easily diagnosed through blood and antibody tests.
People with Hashimoto’s disease will likely have high levels of thyroid stimulating hormone and low levels of the thyroid’s main hormone, thyroxine.The risks
Like any health condition, if left untreated Hashimoto’s disease can cause complications.
Your thyroid might become enlarged causing a large lump (a goiter) to form on your neck which might affect swallowing or breathing.
Irregular heartbeat, an enlarged heart and high cholesterol are also a risk. Plus, depression might present as an early symptom but get worse over time.
It can also cause fertility issues (an inability to ovulate or, in men, lowered sperm count) and irregular or excessive periods, and a risk of miscarriage or early birth of babies.
Here’s the scariest bit. If left untreated for too long, severe hypothyroidism can lead to myxedema. This life threatening condition begins with drowsiness and can lead to a coma.
Treatment
As soon as you’re diagnosed, treatment tends to be something called thyroid hormone replacement.
A synthetic hormone called levothyroxine, in tablet form, will keep your thyroid stable and tackle unpleasant symptoms.
You’ll need it for the rest of your life, and doctors will monitor your thyroid function and adjust medication to suit your needs.
‘My hands and feet are always like ice cubes’
Megan Davies, 27, from Wales was diagnosed with Hashimoto's in 2020.
“It took seven years of constant fatigue, weight gain and joint aches to finally be diagnosed. It felt like my symptoms were just “life” but I feel sad I waited so long to get checked out.
“I continue to live with various symptoms, including hair loss, brain fog and the inability to retain heat – my hands and feet are always like ice cubes.
“However, since being on hormone replacement tablets, my mood has brightened and I don’t suffer every day. I still get flare-ups, and I’m still trying to determine triggers for those, starting with food sensitivities. So far, I’ve cut out meat, gluten and dairy and walk lots to try to relieve stress.
“The most disheartening symptom of the condition is the weight gain, no matter how well I eat or push myself at the gym.”
Reference: OK: Kirsten Jones
Microplastics found in human blood for first time after scientists make 'concerning finding'
Microplastics found in human blood for first time after scientists make 'concerning finding'
Tiny particles of plastic have been found in human blood for the first time, raising fears about their long-term health effects.
Researchers described the plastic fragments as 'ubiquitous pollutants in the living environment and food chain'. File pic
Dutch scientists found 17 of 22 volunteers, or 77%, had "quantifiable" microplastics in their blood.
Levels were low, at an average of 1.6 micrograms (1.6 millionths of a gram) in every millilitre of blood.
But the mere presence of microplastics - fragments of everyday items - in the bloodstream is highly significant.
The most common detected plastic was PET, which is used to make drinks bottles.
It was found in 50% of the volunteers, according to results published in the journal Environment International.
Polystyrene, which is widely used in food packaging, was found in 36% and polyethylene, which is used in packaging films and bags, was found in 23%.
The researchers, from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and the Amsterdam University Medical Centre, say the microplastics are likely to have been inhaled or ingested before being absorbed into the bloodstream.
They describe the plastic fragments as "ubiquitous pollutants in the living environment and food chain". But no previous study has been able to detect them in the blood.
"The plastic particle concentrations reported here are the sum of all potential exposure routes: sources in the living environment entering air, water and food, but also personal care products that might be ingested, dental polymers, fragments of polymeric implants, polymeric drug delivery nanoparticles and tattoo ink residues," they conclude.
'Plastic particles have not just pervaded through the environment, but our bodies too'
Independent scientists said the finding was robust because the researchers had gone to great lengths to exclude the possibility of contamination of the blood samples.
Dr Alice Horton, who studies "anthropogenic contaminants" at the UK's National Oceanography Centre, said: "This is a concerning finding given that particles of this size have been demonstrated in the lab to cause inflammation and cell damage under experimental conditions.
The most common detected plastic was PET, which is used to make drinks bottles. File pic
"This study contributes to the evidence that plastic particles have not just pervaded throughout the environment, but are pervading our bodies too.
"The long-term consequences of this are not yet known."
Dr Fay Couceiro, an expert in environmental pollution at the University of Portsmouth, said it was impossible to extrapolate the findings of such as small study to the whole population.
But she added: "The ability to detect its (plastic's) presence is critical to us realising the urgency in our need to do more research in this area.
"After all, blood links all the organs of our body and if plastic is there, it could be anywhere in us."
Reference: Sky News: Thomas Moore, Science correspondent
Prince Charles' 'sausage' fingers: NHS advice on swollen hands and feet condition
Prince Charles' 'sausage' fingers: NHS advice on swollen hands and feet condition
Prince Charles, 73, and Camilla, 74, are currently on a tour of Ireland with a packed schedule
The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall haven't been short of activities from visiting County Tyrone in Northern Ireland to spending time at Superstars Café charity in Cookstown.
Much like Kate and William's Caribbean tour, Charles and Camilla's Ireland visit is part of the celebrations to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
And those keeping up with the tour haven't failed to notice Charles' swollen fingers and toes.
Getty Prince Charles, 73, and Camilla, 74, are currently on a tour of Ireland with a packed schedule
They were first spotted on another tour, when Charles enjoyed a rickshaw ride during a tour of New Delhi.
In one photograph, his fingers were noticeably bulbous and red and the same applied to his feet which were seen while he walked barefoot at the Bangla Sahib Gurdwara Sikh Temple.
Swelling in the hands and feet is not uncommon and there are a number of reasons why it could occur.
Getty Charles has referred to his fingers as Saussage fingers
So why are his fingers and toes swollen so?
Well it could well be due to the heat or effects of a long-haul flight and Charles has even joked in the past about having "sausage fingers" after a flight to Australia in 2012.
The condition Oedema is the name given to swelling that is caused by excess fluid trapped in your body's tissue.
According to the NHS, this is typically caused by a number of reasons, including staying in the same position for too long, eating too much salty food, being pregnant or taking certain medicines – such as some blood pressure medicines, contraceptive pills, antidepressants and steroids.
There are many other reasons why Oedema might be present, and the NHS cites them here.
How to help the problem
If the swelling occurs in your digits much like Prince Charles, there are number of ways to help.
The NHS says lying down and using pillows to raise the swollen areas is your best bet.
You can also drink plenty of water, try raising your hand above your head while you open and close your fist, get some gentle exercise, like walking, to improve your blood flow and massage your arm or hand towards your body using firm but not painful pressure.
There have been a number of times when Prince Charles' hands were seen to be swollen, including while pulling a pint at the Prince of Wales pub in South London.
Reference:OK: Charlotte Hulme
Woman admitted to high level isolation unit in London hospital for Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever
Woman admitted to high level isolation unit in London hospital for Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever
A woman is being urgently treated in London for a Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said.
Crimean–Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a viral disease usually transmitted by ticks and livestock animals in countries where the disease is endemic. The woman had recently returned to the UK from Central Asia.
The woman is receiving specialist care at the Royal Free Hospital in London.
Wikicommons Micrograph of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever - a viral fever usually transmitted by ticks
According to the World Health Organisation, around 30 per cent of patients die when in infected with CCHF, usually in the second week of infection. The WHO adds that CCHF can be difficult to prevent and treat and is endemic in all of Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East and in Asia.
It is the third known case of the fever in the UK, with prior cases reported in 2012 and 2014, both of which did not spread.
Dr Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at the UKHSA, said the virus “does not spread easily between people and the overall risk to the public is very low”. However the agency is working to contact people who have been in close contact with the woman to assess them and provide advice.
Symptoms of the virus come on suddenly and include fever, muscle ache, dizziness, neck pain and stiffness, backache, headache, sore eyes and sensitivity to light.
Getty Images A type of tick known as Hyalomma tick is the main carrier of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever.
People can also suffer nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and sore throat early on, followed by sharp mood swings and confusion.
Other signs include rash in the mouth and throat, fast heart rate and enlarged lymph nodes.
Dr Susan Hopkins added: “UKHSA and the NHS have well-established and robust infection control procedures for dealing with cases of imported infectious disease and these will be strictly followed.”
There are no widely available vaccines to treat CCHF so antiviral drugs are often used.
Dr Sir Michael Jacobs, consultant in infectious diseases at the Royal Free London, said: “The Royal Free Hospital is a specialist centre for treating patients with viral infections such as Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever.
“Our high-level isolation unit is run by an expert team of doctors, nurses, therapists and laboratory staff and is designed to ensure we can safely treat patients with these kind of infections.”
A type of tick known as Hyalomma tick is the main carrier of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever. These are not established in the UK and the virus has never been detected in the UK in a tick. Anyone visiting areas where the ticks are found should take protection, the UKHSA said.
This includes avoiding areas where ticks are abundant at times when they are active, using tick repellents and checking clothing and skin carefully for ticks.
According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the affected ticks are in North Africa and Asia and are also present in southern and eastern Europe, having been recorded in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Spain and Ukraine.
Lucy WilliamsonReference: My London:
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