Hypothyroidism is a disorder associated with a low concentration of thyroid hormones. It happens quite often to approximately 1 percent of men, 2 percent of women at reproductive age, and 10 percent of those of older age.

Looking at the causes

There are two forms of the disease. The first, congenital hypothyroidism, is found in newborn babies. It is triggered by the deficit of thyroid hormones, leading to a delay in a child's mental and physical development.

The second, acquired hypothyroidism, is more often found in adults. The primary causes for acquired hypothyroidism include autoimmune and inflammatory thyroid disorders, iodine deficiency, tumors, radioactive therapy with iodine and other substances, X-ray therapy, and thyroid surgery.

How to identify the symptoms

You can suspect hypothyroidism if you carefully monitor your physical health. Possible signs of hypothyroidism include:

• Weight gain
• Decrease in body temperature
• Unprovoked drowsiness
• Slow thinking, speaking, and emotional response
• Fatigue
• Memory deterioration
• Dyspnea
• Pain in the heart area and behind the breastbone
• Problems with the gastrointestinal tract: constipation or diarrhea, belching, flatulence, nausea, and vomiting, abdominal pain
• Menstrual disorders in women
• Frequent headaches with pressure behind the eyes
• Weakness, dizziness, blackouts when changing body position
• Paleness of skin with a yellowish or greyish tint
• Dry and rough skin in the area of knees and elbows (Behr syndrome)
• Swelling
• Dental impressions on the tongue
• Dry, brittle, or falling hair
• Difficulty in nasal breathing
• Impaired hearing
• Hoarse voice because of swollen vocal cords

You should inform your physician if you have several of these symptoms simultaneously.

Getting tested

If your doctor suspects your thyroid gland is hypofunctioning, they will send you for a screening and blood test for thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). You may also need to have a test for T3 and T4 thyroid hormones and thyroperoxidase antibodies as well as do a clinical blood test. The diagnosis can be assisted with ultrasound examination of the thyroid and sometimes a CT scan of the brain.

Special circumstances

When planning for pregnancy, it is advisable to check the level of the thyroid-stimulating hormone. Testing the thyroid hormones during the early stages of pregnancy is an obligatory requirement as this is essential for ensuring the normal development of a child. It is important to diagnose hypothyroidism when it appears in pregnant women and start therapy as soon as possible.

Treatment of hypothyroidism

First, it is necessary to identify and eliminate causes that lead to developing hypothyroidism. The therapy consists of deficient thyroid hormones with their synthetic analogs i.e. levothyroxine (Synthroid). In most cases, the quality of life of patients with hypothyroidism who take Synthroid is not affected or limited. The medicine is prescribed by and taken under the supervision of an endocrinologist, and the dosage can vary.

In most cases, the patient’s condition starts to improve during the first week after the beginning of therapy, while the symptoms disappear in the following several months. The earlier the doctors diagnose the disease and start treatment, the better the prognosis is. Therefore, it is important to seek the advice of your doctor if you have alarming symptoms.

23 March 2021