How To Know If You Have Thyroid Gland Problem

Hypothyroidism is the disorder most common of thyroid, which occurs when the body does not produce enough hormones. Since this is a disease that does not heal, taking thyroid hormones for life is necessary to offset the deficit. While treatments against hypothyroidism, for non-monitoring may be inadequate and lead to overdose and have more side effects.

What is hypothyroidism?

The thyroid is a gland located at the base of the neck and plays a major role in the body. It secretes two hormones (T3 and T4 thyroxine triodothyronine), which include the ability to control weight, mood, muscle energy, basic metabolism and body temperature, as well as increase the heart rate.

Secretion of these hormones is controlled by another gland located in the brain, the pituitary gland that produce a hormone, called thyroid which is stimulating hormone (TSH), that will regulate the production of T3 and T4.

Hypothyroidism is a thyroid disorder characterized by insufficient production of thyroid hormone by the thyroid. This is a dysfunction which slows the different functions of the body.

The causes and symptoms of hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism affects more women than men. The risk of developing this condition increases with age, generally from 50 years for women.

The main cause of hypothyroidism worldwide is iodine deficiency, this trace element is essential for the proper functioning of the thyroid. But other causes may also be responsible for the onset of this disorder include:

Hashimoto's thyroiditis, which is an autoimmune disease where the body produces antibodies that attack the thyroid gland
Some treatments for thyroid diseases (radioactive iodine, hyperthyroidism, thyroid cancer ...)

Congenital hypothyroidism, that is to say, an anomaly at birth
The signs of hypothyroidism are not always distinct and can be confused with symptoms of other diseases. These are usually associated with a slower metabolism. These symptoms should not be overlooked:

The treatment of hypothyroidism

It is important to know that hypothyroidism is an incurable disease. However, it is possible to treat the lack of hormones by taking medication the whole life. This will allow the fixing thyroid dysfunction and thus to regulate body functions.

Doctors usually prescribe to people with hypothyroidism the hormone thyroxine (T4), in tablet form. This will help regulate thyroid hormone levels in the blood and relieve symptoms of the disease in a few weeks.

But although the treatment of hypothyroidism is simple, medical monitoring is essential. Indeed, it is very important to ensure frequently that the dose control is always adapted to the case. Note that the intake of thyroid hormones differ depending on the age or weight.

If the dose of hormones taken is not sufficient, it can not compensate for the deficit, whereas if it is too big, it can have many side effects.

To control the doses of hormones, doctors observe the evolution of symptoms shown by the patients and monitor changes in TSH, doing blood tests.

Normally, in a situation of hypothyroidism, the pituitary secretes more TSH, to push the thyroid to produce enough hormones. Hyperthyroidism, pituitary does not produce much TSH, not to stimulate the thyroid, due to excess hormones in the blood. To summarize, the TSH level should be low in hyperthyroidism and high in hypothyroidism.

If there is an overdose of thyroid hormones, tests show low TSH levels in the blood. This excessive intake manifested by side effects similar to the symptoms of hyperthyroidism, such as:

Normally, these complications are rare and occur in cases of non-clinical surveillance. They announce the excessive activity of the thyroid gland and can easily be treated by reducing doses of taken thyroid hormone. Obviously, consultation of doctor is necessary before taking any steps.