Thyroid Disease: Hypothyroidism

The most important information you need to improve your health

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• Publisher: Adams Media
• Year: 2012
• ISBN:
  9781440543029
• Topic: Medicina
• Subtopic: Enfermedades y alergias

If you or a family member has been diagnosed with thyroid disease, you may feel overwhelmed by the challenges ahead. The Everything® Healthy Living Series is here to help. These concise, thoughtful guides offer the expert advice and the latest medical information you need to improve your health.Inside you'll find expert advice and helpful tips on understanding hypothyroidism, treatment options for your underactive thyroid, the different medications available to you, and the steps you can take towards a healthy life.

Hypothyroidism

You sleep eight hours a night, but you still feel sluggish. You haven’t changed your diet, but you’re gaining weight. To top it off, you’re feeling achy and depressed. It’s easy to blame these symptoms on a busy lifestyle or advancing age, but for millions of people — especially women — your thyroid is the culprit. Hypothyroidism develops when your thyroid isn’t producing enough thyroid hormone.

What Is Hypothyroidism?

Millions of people suffer from some form of thyroid disease. The vast majority — approximately 80 percent — have an underactive thyroid, or what is called hypothyroidism. According to the AACE, hypothyroidism affects about 10 percent of all women and 3 percent of men. Studies suggest that approximately 13 million Americans are undiagnosed.

Several factors can cause the thyroid to reduce its production of thyroid hormone. Here in the United States, the most common cause of hypothyroidism is an autoimmune disorder called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, in which the body launches an internal attack on its own healthy thyroid tissues, destroying the gland’s ability to produce thyroid hormone. Hypothyroidism is also more common with aging. By age sixty, 17 percent of all women and 9 percent of men will have an underactive thyroid.

Fact

Primary hypothyroidism refers to an underactive thyroid caused by a deficiency in thyroid hormone. Central hypothyroidism is a term that describes a reduction in thyroid hormone caused by problems with the pituitary gland. Although the causes differ, treatment is usually the same.

Around the world, the condition is caused primarily by a deficiency of iodine, a mineral found in saltwater, which the body uses to produce thyroid hormone. But with the introduction of iodized salt in the United States in the 1920s, iodine deficiency is practically unheard of in this country.

In some cases, hypothyroidism may be linked to other medical conditions or caused by a medication. For instance, people who have been treated with RAI to treat hyperthyroidism often develop hypothyroidism. Those who take medications such as lithium, prednisone, and amiodarone are also vulnerable to hypothyroidism. In addition, anyone who has undergone thyroid surgery, also called thyroidectomy, or radiation to the neck or upper chest is likely to develop an underactive thyroid.

Of course, not everyone who gets older or takes these medications will develop hypothyroidism. But your risk does go up if you have other factors, including:

• A family history of thyroid problems
• A personal history of endocrine disease, including diabetes
• Illnesses or injuries involving the hypothalamus and/or the pituitary gland
• A personal or family history of autoimmune illness
• Recent pregnancy and delivery
• Illnesses such as chronic fatigue immune deficiency syndrome or fibromyalgia

Hypothyroidism is also more common in a chromosomal condition in girls called Turner syndrome.

Regardless of what triggers an underactive thyroid, the end result is the same: hypothyroidism causes all your body functions to slow down. This total-body slowdown produces signs and symptoms that will eventually become apparent.

What Hypothyroidism Looks Like

When your thyroid first starts to produce less thyroid hormone, you won’t know it. It’s rare to have any symptoms initially, and you may feel perfectly fine. Over time, however, as your metabolism begins to slow, you may start to notice that you are sluggish and fatigued.

Gradually, the condition begins to take its toll on your entire body, slowing everything from your heart rate to your digestion. Below are some of the most notable symptoms of hypothyroidism. Keep in mind that you may not have all these symptoms.

Weight Gain

For many people, the most disturbing symptom of hypothyroidism is unexplained weight gain, which occurs — ironically — even as your appetite shrinks. If you’ve been trying to lose weight, you might find it has become impossible, no matter how little you eat or how much exercise you do. In fact, even your best efforts to eat less may be met with weight gain.

With hypothyroidism, the weight you’re gaining, however, is initially the result of swelling and not the accumulation of fat. As the kidneys retain more water and sodium, more water is left to circulate in the body, causing tissues to swell and weight to climb. Eventually, the body will also accumulate fat. Most of the time, it will top off at no more than ten to twenty pounds — just enough to set off alarm bells and make it hard to squeeze into your jeans. Occasionally, people with hypothyroidism will gain even more weight.

Essential

Your thyroid gland is only one factor influencing your basal metabolic rate (BMR). BMR is also affected by genetics, the amount of exercise you do, and your body’s fat and muscle composition. Those who exercise more may have a faster BMR, as do people who have more muscle. BMR can also be affected by illnesses such as diabetes.

Foggy Mind

Forgetfulness is often a by-product of our busy and stress-filled lives. But in people who have hypothyroidism, the mind may feel similarly strained. Efforts to concentrate and focus may feel overwhelming, and your memory may become shaky and unreliable. Some people call this brain fog. As a result, it can be difficult to follow simple directions or perform your job. This problem can also slow your reaction time, which can affect your driving ability.

Depression

It’s normal for everyone to experience an occasional bout of the blues, especially if you’re going through a difficult time. But in people who have depression, feelings of emptiness, helplessness, and hopelessness may linger for no real apparent reason. As a result, you may lose interest in activities that normally brought you great joy. Such feelings are a normal symptom of hypothyroidism and generally go away once the hypothyroidism is treated.

Dry Skin, Hair, and Nails

It’s bad enough that low thyroid function is making you tired, swollen, and depressed. Unfortunately, a sluggish thyroid can take a toll on your appearance, too. Skin may become pale and dry, and even crack. Hair may become dry and brittle. Some people may notice that they are losing more hair than normal and that hair loss is occurring elsewhere on their body, too. A common place to lose hair is at the outer part of your eyebrows. At the same time, fingernails may become dry and brittle and develop grooves that cause the surface to become uneven.

Sluggish Gastrointestinal Tract

Thyroid hormones play a role in the way your body breaks down food and moves it through the gastrointestinal tract. That’s because your digestive tract is lined with muscles that contract in order to propel the digested food. When you become deficient in thyroid hormone, this digestive process slows down. In fact, in severe hypothyroidism, you may not absorb medicines, even thyroid medicine. As the propulsion of food into the bowel slows, you may notice that you are frequently constipated.

Irregular Menstruation and Difficulty Achieving Pregnancy

Women who have hypothyroidism may notice that their periods have become heavier and more frequent. Some women may stop ovulating, making it difficult to get pregnant. It may also be difficult to retain a pregnancy: six of every 100 miscarriages are the result of hypothyroidism.

Alert

It’s easy to mistake hypothyroidism for premenstrual syndrome (PMS). The two conditions have similar symptoms — fatigue, depression, bloating, and weight gain, among them. Having an underactive thyroid can make your PMS symptoms worse. If you suffer from bothersome PMS, ask to have your thyroid checked. Treating your thyroid problems usually lessens your PMS, too.

Swollen Thyroid Gland

In some people with hypothyroidism, the gland may actually become enlarged, creating a condition called a goiter. Some people can see this enlargement by performing the neck check. You may also notice that your voice is hoarse as the swollen gland presses against your vocal cords. In some cases, you may experience coughing, difficulty breathing, and trouble swallowing.

Impaired Heart Function

Hypothyroidism causes your pulse to slow as your heart rate decreases. In addition, your heart may weaken, and fluid can seep into the heart muscle, causing it to swell. You may also experience an increase in your blood pressure. As a result of this slowdown in activity, your heart is forced to work harder to get oxygen and nutrients throughout your body. This can put you at risk for heart failure, a potentially life-threatening condition.

Other Changes

Hypothyroidism causes myriad other bodily functions to change, too. For instance, you may notice that you are extra sensitive to cold temperatures and that your hands feel cold. You may notice that you are less interested in sex or that your allergies seem worse. You may also experience frequent headaches and notice that your muscles are achy, tender, and stiff. Any cuts, bruises, and infections you suffer may take longer than normal to heal.

Alert

Women who have hypothyroid have another reason to quit smoking. Studies show that women who smoke and have hypothyroidism have higher levels of LDL, the bad cholesterol, as well as higher total cholesterol levels, both risks for heart disease. The smokers also had more muscle problems. Cigarette smoking apparently impairs the secretion and action of thyroid hormone.

Blood tests may reveal other health problems associated with your underactive thyroid. For instance, you may develop high cholesterol, a problem that can lead to heart disease if left untreated. You may also develop anemia or low red blood cell counts. In hypothyroidism, the anemia is typically...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Contents
• Introduction
• Hypothyroidism
• Treating Hypothyroidism
• Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
• Also Available
• Copyright Page