Heather Rae El Moussa’s Shocking Autoimmune Disorder Diagnosis Was Triggered by Her Pregnancy

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Heather Rae El Moussa just opened up about something that occurred after her pregnancy. For a long time, she thought she was having a serious case of “mom brain,” but it turned out to be Hashimoto’s disease; and she told everyone her journey to her diagnosis.

In a recent interview with Today, The Flipping El Moussas star talked about the beginnings of this journey. “I remember saying to my assistant, ‘I feel like I’m dead.’ My brain was so tired. My body was so tired. I was exhausted all the time and no amount of sleep could make it better,” she said. “Filming was absolutely brutal because I could barely get out of bed.”

“I was like, ‘I’m probably just foggy because of mom brain,’” El Moussa added, thinking her symptoms were more of a postpartum feeling than anything else.

However, the instance that made alarm bells go off was her milk supply changed soon after she welcomed her and Tarek El Moussa’s son Tristan. She went to the doctor, where she was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease. “When she told me what I had, I was in total shock,” she said, adding that the medication has her “feeling much better.”

Now, what is Hashimoto’s disease? It is a chronic autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, and can later cause hypothyroidism (also known as an “underactive thyroid”), per Cleveland Clinic. Per the same source, fatigue, muscle pain, weight gain, hair loss, and a decreased libido, to name a few.

It sounds quite scary, and we can imagine the shock Heather had. However, it’s more common than you may think, and thus, very treatable. It affects 5 in 100, but people assigned female at birth are around 10 times more likely to be diagnosed. However, per Mayo Clinic, it can be caused by a bunch of different factors like genetics or the environment.

And remember how we said it’s treatable? If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, talk to your healthcare provider. Chances are, they’d order a blood test to see. If you are diagnosed, then medication would be prescribed, but your doctor would help decide the best course of action, per Mayo Clinic.

We’re so happy Heather is getting the healthcare she needs, and that she’s being so open about her journey with her fans!