Hypothyroidism is the medical term for an underactive thyroid and describes a condition in which there is a lower level of the thyroid hormone in the body. This hormone is known as thyroxine and causes various symptoms, such as tiredness, constipation, weight gain, dry skin, lifeless hair and feeling cold. The treatment for this condition is usually quite easy, with a tablet provided for each day to replace the missing hormone. In most people, this is usually enough to treat the problem and the symptoms disappear.
The thyroid gland is found in the neck and produces the hormone which travels in the bloodstream around the body. It’s needed to help keep the body’s functions and metabolism working at the right pace, and many cells require thyroxine to keep working effectively. Hypothyroidism results from the thyroid gland being unable to produce enough thyroxine, so the functions in the body slow down. It may also be caused if there isn’t enough of the gland left to make thyroxine, such as after an injury or following a surgery. The less common symptoms include infertility, loss of sex drive, carpal tunnel syndrome and irregular menstrual periods in women. However, it’s important to remember that all of the symptoms can be caused by other conditions, so you should seek medical advice in order to confirm that you do have this condition.
If left untreated, hypothyroidism can increase your risk of developing heart disease, due to the fact that a low thyroxine level causes the blood lipids to rise, increasing your cholesterol. If you’re pregnant it can also increase the risk of complications, such as anaemia, premature labour, low birth weight, pre-eclampsia, serious bleeding after the birth, and even stillbirth. In severe cases, it can also lead to a hypothyroid coma, but this is a rare complication. This condition affects around 1 in 50 women and around 1 in 1000 men. It generally affects adults and becomes more common as you age. It can occur at any age though, and can affect anyone. The most common cause of hypothyroidism is an autoimmune disease known as autoimmune thyroiditis. This causes antibodies to attack the bacteria and other germs in the body, but if you have an autoimmune disease this can make antibodies against certain tissues in the body. Naturally, with autoimmune thyroiditis, this can cause antibodies to attach to the thyroid gland and affect its functioning. Surgery can also be a common cause, as this lowers the functionality of the gland itself. Other causes include side effects to medicines, a problem with your pituitary gland, and iodine deficiency.
The condition is diagnosed by a blood test, and is treated by taking a levothyroxine tablet each day. This works to replace the hormone loss in the body and generally works quite quickly to alleviate symptoms. Ideally, you should take this on an empty stomach as there are some nutrients which can interfere with the efficiency of the medication, such as calcium and iron.
The main facts you should be aware of is that this condition is fairly common and the symptoms develop over time. The treatment you’ll require if you have this problem is usually for life, and you’ll need to have a blood test once a year to ensure that your medication dosage is accurate. If you’re concerned about any of the symptoms you have and are worried that you may have hypothyroidism, you should seek advice from your GP. They will be able to carry out a blood test to determine if you do have the condition.
