Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis Treatment in Dubai
Dr. Hecham Harb
Consultant Endocrinologist & Medical Director
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Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the thyroid. It is the most common cause of an underactive thyroid. Your endocrinologist considers thyroid antibody results alongside thyroid function tests and, when needed, ultrasound findings. Where your antibodies are positive and your thyroid is still working normally, your endocrinologist may monitor you without starting treatment. Endocare treats Hashimoto’s thyroiditis at our clinic in Dubai Healthcare City.
- The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) states that Hashimoto’s disease affects women 4 to 10 times more often than men, most often between the ages of 30 and 50.
- A positive thyroid peroxidase antibody test supports an autoimmune cause, although on its own it does not confirm Hashimoto’s in every patient. Treatment depends on whether your thyroid has become underactive.
- An enlarged thyroid, or goitre, may cause a feeling of fullness in the throat, and NIDDK states that it is not typically painful.
- NIDDK lists several autoimmune disorders, including coeliac disease and lupus, that make Hashimoto’s disease more likely.
- NIDDK reports that vitamin D and selenium are still being studied in Hashimoto’s disease, with no specific guidance yet.
- In people with Hashimoto’s disease, NIDDK warns that iodine-rich foods such as seaweed may cause hypothyroidism or make it worse.
01 Introduction
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, so the gland can gradually produce less thyroid hormone. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) states that it is the most common cause of hypothyroidism, which affects around 5 in 100 Americans. At our Dubai clinic, our endocrinologists diagnose and follow patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis alongside other thyroid conditions.
02 What Hashimoto's thyroiditis is
In Hashimoto’s disease, the immune system makes antibodies against the thyroid. The resulting inflammation can damage the gland gradually, often over years. Because thyroid hormone output tends to fall slowly, the condition is often found on a blood test before a patient links their symptoms to the thyroid.
03 Who develops Hashimoto's disease
NIDDK states that Hashimoto’s disease is 4 to 10 times more common in women than men. Although it may occur in teenagers or young women, it more often develops in women aged 30 to 50. NIDDK also states that the chance of developing Hashimoto’s disease increases if other family members have it, or if you have another autoimmune disorder.
04 The symptoms of Hashimoto's disease, and why they appear slowly
The symptoms of Hashimoto’s disease are those of an underactive thyroid. They may not appear until thyroid hormone output has fallen. NIDDK lists them as follows.
- Fatigue
- Weight gain
- Cold intolerance
- Joint and muscle pain
- Constipation
- Dry skin or dry hair
- Menstrual irregularities
- A slowed heart rate
Because the decline can be gradual, these symptoms are easy to attribute to work, age or poor sleep. Your endocrinologist will therefore confirm the diagnosis with blood tests.
05 How Hashimoto's thyroiditis is diagnosed
Thyroid peroxidase antibodies, and what a positive result means
NIDDK states that doctors test for thyroid peroxidase antibodies, a type of thyroid antibody that is present in most people with Hashimoto’s disease, alongside T4, T3 and thyroid-stimulating hormone. A positive antibody result supports an autoimmune cause, although it does not confirm Hashimoto’s on its own. Some people with Hashimoto’s have a negative antibody test. The antibody level does not show how severe the condition is, because it does not closely follow thyroid function. Your thyroid hormone levels guide the decision to treat.
What your thyroid function results add to the antibody result
Your endocrinologist will read the antibody result together with your TSH and free T4, and the combination determines what happens next.
| What your results show | What it means | What your endocrinologist will do |
|---|---|---|
| Positive antibodies, normal TSH and normal free T4 | Autoimmune thyroid disease without hypothyroidism | Monitor your symptoms and your thyroid hormone levels regularly |
| Positive antibodies, raised TSH, normal free T4 | Subclinical hypothyroidism caused by Hashimoto’s disease | Repeat the test after three months, then decide whether to treat |
| Positive antibodies, raised TSH, low free T4 | Overt hypothyroidism caused by Hashimoto’s disease | Start levothyroxine and re-check your level around six to eight weeks later |
| Negative antibodies with an underactive thyroid | An underactive thyroid that may have another cause | Look for the other causes, including previous thyroid surgery, radiation or a medication |
The definitions in this table follow NIDDK and the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Laboratories publish their own reference ranges, so your endocrinologist reads each result against your own laboratory’s range.
06 If you have the antibodies and your thyroid is still working normally
Positive antibodies with a normal TSH and a normal free T4 mean you have autoimmune thyroid disease, but not an underactive thyroid at this point. If you do not have hypothyroidism, NIDDK states that your doctor may choose to check your symptoms and thyroid hormone levels regularly.
Your endocrinologist will explain what to watch for, set the interval for your next test, and review your symptoms at each appointment. Starting levothyroxine while thyroid function is normal does not treat the autoimmune process. It can also push thyroid hormone levels too high. If your thyroid becomes underactive over time, your endocrinologist will discuss starting treatment.
07 How Hashimoto's thyroiditis is treated
Once the thyroid becomes underactive, treatment is levothyroxine, a thyroid hormone medication identical to the hormone a healthy thyroid makes. NIDDK states that hypothyroidism can be well controlled with thyroid hormone medication, as long as you take it as instructed and have regular follow-up blood tests. Treatment for an underactive thyroid includes finding your dose and checking for anything that reduces how well the tablet is absorbed.
Levothyroxine replaces the hormone your thyroid can no longer make. It does not stop the immune system attacking the gland, and no treatment currently does. Treatment therefore often continues long term. Repeating the antibody test is generally not needed to monitor treatment, because your thyroid hormone levels guide the dose.
08 How often you are re-tested
Once you are taking levothyroxine, the NICE thyroid disease guideline advises considering TSH tests every three months until the level is stable, then yearly. Where you have antibodies and normal thyroid function, your endocrinologist will set the testing interval from your results and your symptoms.
09 Goitre, and what happens to the gland over time
NIDDK states that the enlarged thyroid seen in Hashimoto’s disease, called a goitre, may create a feeling of fullness in the throat, and that it is not typically painful. Your endocrinologist will examine your neck at each appointment. Where the gland enlarges, or where a discrete lump appears within it, an ultrasound describes what is there. Your endocrinologist will assess any thyroid nodules that the ultrasound shows.
10 Other autoimmune conditions that occur alongside Hashimoto's
NIDDK states that you are more likely to develop Hashimoto’s disease if you have other autoimmune disorders. It names coeliac disease, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and Sjögren’s syndrome among them. Your endocrinologist will ask about symptoms outside the thyroid and may arrange further tests where your history suggests them.
11 Diet, selenium and vitamin D: what the evidence currently supports
NIDDK states that researchers are looking at how diet and supplements, such as vitamin D and selenium, may affect Hashimoto’s disease. It also states that no specific guidance is currently available. We do not recommend a supplement on the basis of a Hashimoto’s diagnosis alone.
Iodine needs particular care. NIDDK states that people with Hashimoto’s disease may be sensitive to harmful side effects from iodine. It also states that foods with large amounts of iodine, such as kelp, dulse or other kinds of seaweed, and certain iodine-rich medicines may cause hypothyroidism or make it worse. We recommend avoiding iodine supplements unless your endocrinologist has advised one.
12 Hashimoto's thyroiditis in pregnancy and when you are planning one
NIDDK notes that the dose of thyroid hormone medication often needs to rise during pregnancy. It also states that, left untreated, hypothyroidism can cause problems during pregnancy. If you have thyroid antibodies, we recommend telling your endocrinologist as soon as you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, so that they can check your thyroid function.
13 Hashimoto's thyroiditis and body weight
Weight gain is a recognised symptom of the underactive thyroid that Hashimoto’s disease can cause. The British Thyroid Foundation attributes most of the extra weight gained with hypothyroidism to salt and water. It also describes the weight loss after successful treatment as often small. Once your thyroid levels are stable, your endocrinologist can assess any remaining concern about weight and the thyroid.
14 Hashimoto's thyroiditis in the UAE
A Dubai primary care study published in BMC Public Health in 2025 found hypothyroidism in 2.1% of 77,758 adults tested at Dubai Health primary healthcare centres. The study excluded patients with Hashimoto’s disease who had normal thyroid function and were not taking levothyroxine. It therefore does not show how common Hashimoto’s disease is among people whose thyroid is still working normally.
15 What your care at Endocare involves
Specialist thyroid care at Endocare begins with a full medical assessment. Your endocrinologist will review your symptoms, your medical history, your thyroid function tests and your antibody result, examine your neck, and explain what each result means. Where possible, your first appointment takes place in person at Endocare’s Dubai clinic, as the physical examination and body composition analysis cannot be completed remotely.
Thyroid hormone affects how the body uses energy, so a fall in thyroid function can change body composition as well as weight. At Endocare, body composition analysis is included free of charge at every consultation. Body composition analysis estimates body fat, muscle mass and body water. Repeated measurements help your endocrinologist understand how your body is changing beyond the number on the scale.
Follow-up appointments can be held in person at the clinic or online. Your endocrinologist will arrange the blood tests your monitoring calls for.
16 FAQ
What does a high thyroid peroxidase antibody result mean?
It means your immune system is producing antibodies against your thyroid. This supports an autoimmune cause of an underactive thyroid, or points to a higher chance of developing one, although it does not confirm Hashimoto’s on its own. The antibody level does not show how severe the condition is. Your endocrinologist will follow your progress with your thyroid hormone levels.
Do I need treatment if my thyroid function is normal?
Not on the antibody result alone. NIDDK describes checking symptoms and thyroid hormone levels regularly for patients who do not have hypothyroidism. Your endocrinologist will set the interval and explain what to watch for between appointments.
Is Hashimoto's thyroiditis serious?
It can be managed, and the underactive thyroid it causes is treatable. Leaving an underactive thyroid untreated carries risks. NIDDK states that hypothyroidism can contribute to high cholesterol. It also states that severe untreated hypothyroidism can rarely become life-threatening.
Does diet help Hashimoto's disease?
No diet has been shown to stop the autoimmune process. NIDDK states that no specific dietary guidance is currently available. Iodine is the main exception, because NIDDK states that people with Hashimoto’s disease may be sensitive to it.
Can Hashimoto's thyroiditis be cured?
No treatment currently stops the immune system attacking the thyroid. Levothyroxine replaces the thyroid hormone the gland can no longer make. With regular blood tests, the resulting hypothyroidism can be well controlled.
Our Dubai clinic is located in Building 27, Block B, Unit 504 B, Dubai Healthcare City. Opening hours are Sunday 10:00-20:00, Monday 08:30-18:30, and Tuesday to Thursday 10:00-20:00. The clinic is closed on Fridays. Free parking is available in the building and on the surrounding streets. For patients using public transport, Dubai Healthcare City Metro Station on the Green Line is the nearest stop.
Bring your antibody result and your most recent thyroid function tests to your appointment.
To book a consultation, call our Dubai clinic on +971 4 285 3885.
Book Your Consultation
- Specialist consultation
- Personalized Coaching
- Body Composition Analysis