Hypothyroidism - Are You at Risk?

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.

Categories: autoimmune disease, autoimmune thyroiditis, Blood Test, body, condition, gland, hypothyroidism, Symptoms, thyroid, thyroid gland, thyroxine

A Problem for Most Men: The Issues of an Enlarged Prostate

As a man, your prostate gland is an essential part of your sexual health, as it is a key component in your reproductive system. Therefore, it’s important to know everything you can about your prostate, as knowing what’s normal can help you to protect your wellbeing when something goes wrong. So let’s take a closer look – figuratively speaking – at your prostate gland, and how it has an impact on your overall wellness.

 

While it’s commonly known as the prostate gland, it is not really a gland at all, but rather an organ that is made up of about 70% glandular tissue and 30% fibromuscular tissue. If you’re a male adult, your prostate gland will be about the size and shape of a walnut and weigh roughly 20 grams. You’ll find your prostate gland directly beneath your bladder and in front of your rectum, surrounded by a thick fibrous capsule. This glandular tissue of your prostate will secrete a fluid that will contribute to 20 to 30% of your overall volume of seminal fluid. While your prostate is always generating this fluid, it will really up its production when you’re sexually excited.

 

Your semen is made of a combination of spermatozoa, seminal vesicle fluid and prostatic fluid, as well as a tiny amount of fluid from some minor glands. The fluid created by your prostate gland is a thin, milky substance that gives your semen its characteristic colour and odour. In these secretions, there will be concentrations of calcium, zinc, citric acid, acid phosphatase, albumin, and prostatic specific antigen. Not only do these substances help to lubricate your urethra, but they also protect, nourish and mobilise your sperm when they get into the usually acidic environment of the female vagina.

 

Your prostate will grow very little when you’re a kid, but once you hit puberty it will undergo a growth spurt, increasing in weight and doubling its size. After this, the size of your prostate will more or less remain the same for another 30 years or more. Some men, in fact, find that their prostate never grows after puberty. This is healthy, but the unfortunate truth is that most men will experience prostate growth later in life, which is a real wellness issue. Some form of non-malignant enlargement of the prostate, medically known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, is a likely thing for you to experience. The American Foundation for Urologic Disease estimates that more than half of men aged 50 and above have enlarged prostates, which is a number that steadily increases with age. While you may escape the over-50 bracket, by age 80 it is estimated that 80% of men have prostatic enlargement. So why is an enlarged prostate such a wellness concern?

 

If your prostate gland becomes enlarged, it can get in the way of the flow of urine through your ureters. If this happens, the blockage can cause a backpressure in your kidney which, if left untreated, can lead to chronic kidney disease. The good news is, however, that there are more and more medical and nutritional treatment approaches to this common male disorder that ever before, so the problem shouldn’t threaten your wellbeing as long as you get your prostate checked and treated. Aside from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), other conditions of the prostate include prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate) and prostate cancer. Again, as prostate cancer is currently the second leading cause of death from cancer in men (the first being lung cancer) the American Cancer Society and the American Urological Association currently recommend that healthy you begin an annual habit of rectal examination after the age of 40 and a rectal exam and a simple blood test to monitor prostate-specific antigen levels (called PSA) once you turn 50.

Categories: benign prostatic, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), Enlarged Prostate, gland, glandular tissue, prostate, prostate cancer, prostate gland, prostatic hyperplasia, specific antigen