How Do You Know if You Have an Inactive Thyroid

Hypothyroidism (Underactive Thyroid)

What Is Hypothyroidism?

Hypothyroidism, also chosen underactive thyroid affliction, is a common disorder. With hypothyroidism, your thyroid gland does not brand plenty thyroid hormone.

The thyroid gland is located in the front end lower part of your cervix. Hormones released by the gland travel through your bloodstream and affect most every part of your body, from your heart and encephalon, to your muscles and peel.

The thyroid controls how your torso's cells apply energy from food, a process called metabolism. Among other things, your metabolism affects your trunk's temperature, your heartbeat, and how well you burn down calories. If you don't have enough thyroid hormone, your torso processes dull downwardly. That means your trunk makes less energy, and your metabolism becomes sluggish.

Symptoms of Hypothyroidism

Symptoms of hypothyroidism may be vague and can oftentimes mimic other weather condition. They may include:

• Changes in the menstrual bike
• Constipation
• Depression
• Dry pilus and hair loss
• Dry pare
• Elevated cholesterol
• Fatigue
• Greater sensitivity to cold
• Hoarse vocalization
• Joint pain, stiffness, and swelling
• Problems with retentiveness
• Muscle aches and stiffness
• Muscle weakness
• Puffy face up
• Slow heart charge per unit
• Swelling of the thyroid gland (goiter)
• Unexplained weight gain or difficulty losing weight
• Carpal tunnel syndrome

Babies with hypothyroidism may have no symptoms. If symptoms exercise occur, they tin include:

• Cold hands and anxiety
• Constipation
• Extreme sleepiness
• Hoarse cry
• Little or no growth
• Depression muscle tone (floppy babe)
• Persistent jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes)
• Poor feeding habits
• Puffy face up
• Tum bloating
• Bloated natural language
• Umbilical hernia

Brand an engagement with your health care provider if you or your baby has whatever of these symptoms. Information technology's of import to annotation that these symptoms can be due to other medical weather.

Children and teens may besides have hypothyroidism with the signs and symptoms seen in adults. Kids and teens may too take:

• Delays in puberty
• Delays in growth and shorter stature
• Slow mental evolution
• Slower development of permanent teeth

Causes of Hypothyroidism

The most common cause of hypothyroidism is Hashimoto's thyroiditis. "Thyroiditis" is an inflammation of the thyroid gland. Hashimoto's thyroiditis is an autoimmune disorder. With Hashimoto's, your trunk produces antibodies that attack and destroy the thyroid gland. Thyroiditis may also be acquired by a viral infection.

Other causes of hypothyroidism include:

• Radiations therapy to the cervix expanse. Treating certain cancers, such as lymphoma, requires radiation to the neck. Radiation damages the cells in the thyroid. This makes it more than difficult for the gland to produce hormones.
• Radioactive iodine treatment. This treatment is unremarkably prescribed to people who have an overactive thyroid gland, a condition known equally hyperthyroidism. However, radiation destroys the cells in the thyroid gland. This usually leads to hypothyroidism.
• Use of certain medications. Sure medicines to treat eye bug, psychiatric conditions, and cancer can sometimes affect the product of thyroid hormone. These include amiodarone (Cordarone, Pacerone), interferon alpha, and interleukin-ii.
• Thyroid surgery. Surgery to remove the thyroid will atomic number 82 to hypothyroidism. If merely role of the thyroid is removed, the remaining gland may nonetheless be able to produce enough hormone for the body'south needs.
• Likewise little iodine in the diet. The thyroid needs iodine to produce thyroid hormone. Your body doesn't make iodine, so you need to become information technology through your nutrition. Iodized table salt is rich in iodine. Other food sources of iodine include shellfish, saltwater fish, eggs, dairy products, and seaweed. Iodine deficiency is rare in the U.Southward.
• Pregnancy. The reason isn't clear, merely sometimes, inflammation of the thyroid occurs after pregnancy. This is called postpartum thyroiditis. Women with this condition usually have a astringent increase in thyroid hormone levels followed by a sharp drop in thyroid hormone production. Nigh women with postpartum thyroiditis will regain their normal thyroid office.
• Problems with the thyroid at nascence. Some babies may be born with a thyroid gland that did non develop correctly or does not work properly. This blazon of hypothyroidism is called congenital hypothyroidism. Almost hospitals in the U.Southward. screen babies at birth for this disease.
• Pituitary gland damage or disorder. Rarely, a problem with the pituitary gland can interfere with the product of thyroid hormone. The pituitary gland makes a hormone, chosen thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), which tells your thyroid how much hormone it should make and release.
• Disorder of the hypothalamus. An extremely rare form of hypothyroidism tin can occur if the hypothalamus in the brain does not produce enough of a hormone chosen TRH. TRH affects the release of TSH from the pituitary gland.

Primary hypothyroidism is acquired by a problem with the thyroid gland itself.

Secondary hypothyroidism occurs when another trouble interferes with the thyroid's ability to produce hormones. For example, the pituitary gland or hypothalamus produce hormones that trigger the release of thyroid hormone. A problem with 1 of these glands can make your thyroid underactive.

Sometimes, an underactive thyroid that results from a problem with the hypothalamus is called tertiary hypothyroidism.

Hypothyroidism Run a risk Factors

Women, particularly older women, are more likely to develop hypothyroidism than men. You are also more than likely to develop hypothyroidism if you lot have a close family fellow member with an autoimmune illness. Other risk factors include:

• Race (being white or Asian)
• Age (growing older)
• Prematurely graying hair
• Autoimmune disorders such as type ane diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, celiac disease, Addison's disease, pernicious anemia, or vitiligo
• Bipolar disorder
• Down syndrome
• Turner syndrome

Diagnosis of Hypothyroidism

If you take symptoms of hypothyroidism, your md will guild blood tests to check hormone levels. These may include:

• Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)
• T4 (thyroxine)

Lower-than-normal T4 levels usually mean you lot have hypothyroidism. Yet, some people may take increased TSH levels while having normal T4 levels. This is called subclinical (mild) hypothyroidism. It is believed to be an early stage of hypothyroidism.

If your test results or concrete examination of the thyroid are abnormal, your doctor may order a thyroid ultrasound, or thyroid scan, to check for nodules or inflammation.

Hypothyroidism Treatment

If you have hypothyroidism, your dr. will prescribe a constructed (human being-made) thyroid hormone T4. You take this pill every day. Sure other medications can interfere with how your torso absorbs synthetic thyroid hormone. Make sure your doctor knows about all the medicines, herbs, and supplements y'all take, including over-the-counter products.

You will need regular claret tests to cheque your thyroid hormone levels. Your physician may need to adjust your medication dose from time to time.

It may take a piddling time to figure out the correct dosage of thyroid hormone that you demand. Your doctor will give you a blood examination to check your TSH levels 6 to 8 weeks after you start taking synthetic hormones, and and so once every 6 months.

If your dosage is too high and yous go too much hormone, you lot could take these side effects:

• Ambition increases
• Can't slumber
• Heart palpitations
• Shakiness

People with severe hypothyroidism or heart disease may start out with a low dose of synthetic hormone, and and then gradually increment the corporeality so their heart can adjust to information technology.

Once you have the correct dosage, yous shouldn't have whatever side effects from your hormones. Simply don't stop or skip your medication, because your hypothyroidism symptoms could come dorsum.

If you proceeds or lose even as much equally 10 pounds of body weight, you may need to get your TSH levels checked again to run into if your hormone dosage should be adjusted.

Complications of Hypothyroidism

Untreated, hypothyroidism may cause complications, such equally:

• Residue bug. Older women are at extra take a chance for residue problems if their thyroid hormone levels are too low.
• Goiter. If your thyroid is e'er trying to produce more hormones, the gland can neat and modify the appearance of your neck. Y'all may as well accept trouble swallowing.
• Heart issues. Hypothyroidism puts you at greater risk for heart disease and can raise your levels of LDL or "bad" cholesterol.
• Infertility. Too little thyroid hormone may disrupt your production of eggs (ovulation) and make it harder to excogitate.
• Joint pain. Low levels of thyroid hormone can cause you to have aches and pains in your joints and muscles, as well as tendonitis.
• Mental health problems. Depression thyroid hormones tin cause memory or concentration lapses, every bit well every bit decreased involvement in activities you used to savor. See your doctor if you notice these changes, as they could also exist due to depression unrelated to your thyroid.
• Obesity. Although hypothyroidism may curb your appetite, you can gain weight because your metabolism slows down too, and you lot don't burn enough calories.
• Peripheral neuropathy. Over time, low thyroid hormones can damage your peripheral nerves. You may notice hurting, tingling, or numbness in your limbs.

Thyroid problems in a pregnant adult female tin can affect the developing baby. During the showtime three months of pregnancy, the baby receives all thyroid hormone from its female parent. If the mother has hypothyroidism, the baby does not go plenty thyroid hormone. This tin can lead to issues with mental evolution.

Extremely low levels of thyroid hormone can cause a life-threatening condition called myxedema. Myxedema is the most severe form of hypothyroidism. A person with myxedema can lose consciousness or get into a coma. The condition can also crusade the body temperature to drib very low, which can crusade death.

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Source: https://www.webmd.com/women/hypothyroidism-underactive-thyroid-symptoms-causes-treatments

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