Hypothyroidism 1

Hypothyroidism

There are several questions in your mind, what does hypothyroidism mean? How can you get it? Are her symptoms serious? Answers to all of these questions can be found here.

Definition of hypothyroidism

It is a disease caused by a deficiency in body tissues of thyroid hormones, thyroxine (T4), and triiodothyronine (T3). Although hypothyroidism is a chronic disease, it is almost entirely controllable in nearly every person with it.

Causes of hypothyroidism

The cause of hypothyroidism in 95% of patients lies in the thyroid gland itself, and in a minority of cases (less than 5%), the cause lies in a brain problem or in the pituitary gland. The most common causes of hypothyroidism include:

1- Chronic thyroiditis of lymphocytic origin

Chronic glandular lymphadenitis (Hashimoto) is a condition in which the body wrongly produces anticorps that attack the thyroid gland. This disease is considered an "autoimmune disorder" in which the body creates antibodies against itself.

2- The genetic evolution of autoimmune diseases

Patients with chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis also have other autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes or vitiligo, a skin disease. Moreover, this hereditary tendency to develop autoimmune diseases can lead to the emergence of this type of disease in other members of the family.

3- Thyroiditis

It is possible that inflammation of the thyroid gland may form at the beginning of the disease. This may cause an enlarged gland and a mass to appear in the center of the neck.

Symptoms of hypothyroidism

In the case of hypothyroidism, the timing of onset and severity of the various symptoms varies from patient to patient. The doctor may misdiagnose the disease in older people in many cases because he believes-wrongly-that these symptoms are part of the aging process. Sometimes the feeling of fatigue, poor memory, and other symptoms may deteriorate, which impedes normal life for the patient. Sometimes the patient may turn to the doctor after physical symptoms, such as dry skin or swelling in the area around the eyes.

Here are the main symptoms of hypothyroidism:

• Slow heart rate.
• Feeling tired.
• Inability to tolerate cold.
• High weight.
• Depression.
• Sleepiness (feeling drowsy), even after sleeping all night.
• Severe or irregular menstruation (in premenopausal women - menopause).
• Muscle contraction.
• Constipation.

Subsequent symptoms of hypothyroidism include:

• Hair loss.
• skin dryness.
• Poor memory.
• Hoarseness.
• Facial swelling - especially around the eyes (this condition is an indication that the condition has become serious).

Treatment of hypothyroidism

Treatment of hypothyroidism is relatively easy: Levothyroxine (Eltroxin) containing the hormone T4, which is difficult to produce, is taken once per day. The dosage is gradually adjusted to the results of laboratory tests and the patient's feelings.

Sometimes patients turn to alternative medicine to deal with the problem but in this area, there are no proven and effective solutions. Leaving hypothyroidism without proper treatment can, in any case, aggravate the disease and may even aggravate a multi-organ failure (Myxedema coma).

References

Web.archive.org. 2020. Wayback Machine. [online] Available at: <https://web.archive.org/web/20081203102047/http://www.british-thyroid-association.org/Guidelines/Docs/Armour_nov_07.pdf> [Accessed 23 June 2020].

Web.archive.org. 2020. Wayback Machine. [online] Available at: <https://web.archive.org/web/20130705172612/http://www.rcog.org.uk/files/rcog-corp/GTG17recurrentmiscarriage.pdf> [Accessed 23 June 2020].