World 200m butterfly champion Boglarka Kapas has revealed on social media that she has been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.
The Hungarian had to withdraw minutes before the 200 fly final at the national championships in Kaposvar on Wednesday morning after suddenly feeling unwell during warm-up.
The Olympic 800 free bronze medallist had been feeling nauseous and dizzy for the previous 10 days or so.
She announced she had been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis – also known as auto-immune thyroiditis – in the summer, months after contracting Covid-19 – and this may be the cause of her symptoms.
Photo Courtesy: LEN
According to the National Health Service (NHS) website, it’s caused by the immune system attacking the thyroid gland, damaging it and making it swell.
The website reads:
“As the thyroid is destroyed over time, it’s unable to produce enough thyroid hormone. This leads to symptoms of an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism), such as tiredness, weight gain and dry skin.
“The swollen thyroid may also cause a goitre (lump) to form in your throat.
“It may take months or even years for the condition to be detected because it progresses very slowly.
“It’s not understood what causes the immune system to attack the thyroid gland. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is much more common in women than men. Symptoms usually first start between the ages of 30 to 50 and the condition sometimes runs in families.
“Hashimoto’s thyroiditis cannot be cured, but the symptoms can be treated with a medicine called levothyroxine. Levothyroxine is taken to replace the missing thyroid hormone. If you have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis you may need to take levothyroxine for the rest of your life.
“Surgery is only rarely needed – for instance, if your goitre is particularly uncomfortable or cancer is suspected.”
A post by Kapas on social media read:
“Hey, i’m sorry. This year is very difficult for everyone, there have been a lot of obstacles, so am I. Unfortunately, I had to miss today’s final race in 200 butterfly, and I’d like to write to you about the reason for that. I managed to swim a pretty encouraging time in the heat, but today I didn’t feel well before the start, and although it was a very difficult decision, I finally understood that health was always the first. This summer, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune thyroid disease called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, which may have symptoms I’ve had several times before the start and in the last week and a half. Even so, I’m not going home yet, and I trust I’ll get better because I really want to compete here in Kaposvár for the National Championships.
Take care of yourselves ❤️.”
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