Knowing Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis of Hypothyroidism Is Necessary in Treating and Controlling It

By Durward Scott

Let's take a look at the symptoms, diagnosis, and causes of hypothyroidism to help us get a better understanding of how we can treat it and possibly controlling this terrible illness.
Hypothyroidism is a relatively common condition suffered by thousands of people in the U. S. It is contracted when the Thyroid gland stops producing enough thyroid hormone. This type is not to be confused with his cousin hyperthyroidism which the thyroid gland produces too much of the thyroid hormone. Hypothyroidism is more common in people than hyperthyroidism. A person with hyperthyroidism is known to have an over active thyroid.
What are the causes of Causes of hypothyroidism?
Hashimoto's Disease:
inflammation of the thyroid, also known as long-term thyroiditis.
Your body will start attacking the thyroid gland because it thinks the thyroid gland is a foreign object. This attack by the person's immune system hurts the functioning of the thyroid gland and damages it.
Radiation :
Sometime Doctors inject the patient with radio active iodine in hopes that it will cure their hypothyroidism but in all reality any radiation treatments near the neck or chest area can damage the thyroid gland.
Surgery:
If a person has cancer and the thyroid gland is surgically removed, this too can cause hypothyroidism.
Viruses and Bacteria:
Infections in the patients body that reduce the supply of the thyroid hormone can cause long-term hypothyroidism.
Medication:
Patients that start using Lithium, iodides or nitroprussides can get an under active thyroid.This side effect is pretty rare but these patients are watched really close by their doctors
Malfunction of the Pituitary Gland:
If the pituitaryglandis not producing enough TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) startthe production of T4 in the Thyroid Gland.The thyroid hormones, triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), are tyrosine-based hormones produced by the thyroid gland that are primarily responsible for regulation of metabolism. Iodine is necessary for the production of T3 and T4.
Signs and Symptoms of Hypothyroidism:
Signs, symptoms and the level of severity of this disease may vary greatly and depend upon the extent of thyroid deficiency.
(1.) Fatigue and body weakness
(2.) Muscle cramps
(3.) Constipation
(4.) Unusual Weight gain or difficulty in losing weight
(5.) Poor appetite
(6.) Goiter (enlarged thyroid-gland)
(7.) Dry skin and hair loss
(8.) Irregular or even heavy menstruation.
(9.) Depression and memory loss
(10.) Sluggishness and slowed mental activity
(11.) Increased blood LDL cholesterol levels
Diagnosis:
The patients history and physical examination will usually reveal the signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism but the patient will still need the laboratory blood tests to really determine whether that person actually has hypothyroidism.
Blood Tests:
TSH or Thyroid Stimulating Hormone - If the patient has hypothyroidism the numbers will be high. This test is the most sensitive for the detection of hypothyroidism.
Free T4 (free-thyroxin), T3 thyroid hormones - These levels for the blood test should be low.If it is not a bad case of hypothyroidism the blood test could show in the low standard range.
Treatment:
Hypothyroidism can be treated easily using thyroid hormone medication. A medication containing Levothyroxine is a man-made synthetic hormone and it is the most efficient and trusted thyroid replacement hormone. The patient will have regular visits with his Doctor to determine if he is getting the right dosage of medication. If his hypothyroidism is due to Hashimoto's Disease he may have to have treatment for the rest of his life.
If the patient is female and she is pregnant, treatment is very important because thyroid problems can damage the fetus. The patient needs to start treatment as soon as possible if she gets pregnant. If she has hypothyroidism before she gets pregnant, her thyroid hormonal changes have to be checked and appropriate medicine regime started.
There are natural treatment options available for controlling hypothyroidism. Eating kelp, which is a rich source of iodine is a natural remedy. Vitamin B-complex, zinc, L-tyrosine, selenium, Bladderwrack are some other natural treatment options for hypothyroidism. Regular exercise and balanced diet are also crucial if you have thyroid issues.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Durward_Scott/304430
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