hypothyroidism
How do I know if my thyroid is sick?
© Burdun Iliya / Shutterstock
With an underactive thyroid, almost all metabolic processes in the body are slowed down. You can read below what that means and how the disease is treated.
What is hypothyroidism?
With an underactive thyroid, the thyroid produces fewer hormones than the body needs. In the case of an overactive thyroid, however, exactly the opposite is the case. Thyroxine and triiodothyronine influence almost all metabolic processes. But if these hormones are hardly produced anymore, the entire metabolic activity is throttled, which in turn causes complaints. In addition, the thyroid hormones influence the circulatory system and the mind.
In children in particular, the Hypothyroidism, as the disease is technically called, have serious consequences. The reason: The thyroid hormone is also responsible for physical growth and brain development.
What causes hypothyroidism?
Physicians distinguish between three different forms of hypothyroidism. Primary hypothyroidism is the most common form – the cause of the condition lies in the thyroid itself. Some children are born without a thyroid gland or with a faulty thyroid gland, while others develop an underactive one as a result of chronic inflammation of the hormone-producing gland. In this case one speaks of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease: for some unknown reason, the body produces special antibodies that destroy its own thyroid tissue. As a result, the thyroid can no longer produce sufficient amounts of thyroid hormones.
Secondary hypothyroidism is less common the cause of which lies in a diseased pituitary gland (pituitary gland). Even rarer is tertiary hypothyroidism, which is due to damage to the hypothalamus. By the way: In Germany, about one percent of the population suffer from an underactive thyroid. About one in 3,500 newborn babies is born with congenital hypothyroidism.
What are the symptoms of hypothyroidism?
The metabolic disease announces itself insidiously – and is rarely recognized at the beginning. The low (or no) production of hormones affects different body organs, the nervous system and your psyche. You should pay attention to the following symptoms, because they indicate an underactive thyroid:
- Poor performance and concentration as well as tiredness, listlessness, listlessness and increased need for sleep (at the same time often sleep disorders), sensitivity to cold
- slowed reflexes and muscle spasms
- Gaining weight and high levels of fats (especially cholesterol) in your blood without changing your eating habits
- cool, pale and dry skin
- brittle, brittle and falling out hair
- hoarse, deep voice and slow speech
- Disorders in the menstrual cycle
- Decrease in libido and potency in men
- swelling of the subcutaneous connective tissue and face; Those affected appear “bloated”
- chronic constipation
- Thyroid goiter caused by iodine deficiency – can be avoided with iodine supplementation
- slowing of the heartbeat, enlargement of the heart
- low blood pressure
How is the metabolic disease diagnosed?
Hypothyroidism is diagnosed by a doctor (e.g. in endocrinology), who can make a diagnosis based on the description of the symptoms. At the beginning there is a blood test – and the determination of the laboratory value TSH, which gives indications of hypothyroidism. In the case of hypofunction, the TSH value is increased. If there is a secondary or tertiary disease, the TSH value is too low. In addition, the thyroid hormone levels are determined in the blood test. If the concentration is below the normal value, a medical finding is: hypothyroidism.
In addition to the blood test, procedures such as ultrasound or scintigraphy can also provide important information. If the thyroid gland is inflamed, the organ will appear dark on ultrasound. In a scintigraphy, patients are injected with a radioactive substance into their veins – if there is a metabolic disease, the thyroid gland absorbs this substance only to a small extent or not at all.
Treatment: What can you do about an underactive thyroid?
With a few exceptions, an underactive thyroid cannot be cured and must therefore be treated permanently with medication. If the medication is properly adjusted, a normal life is possible for those affected. The aim of hypothyroidism treatment must of course be to compensate for the hormone deficiency that has arisen, which is why the body is also supplied with synthetically produced thyroxine, which also stimulates the production of the other thyroid hormone. Iodine is usually also prescribed, since hypofunction is often associated with iodine deficiency.
As a rule, the patient is prescribed a low dose, since too high a dose of preparations can lead to side effects such as cardiac arrhythmia. However, the final dose depends on the basal TSH value as well as the subjective well-being of the patients. Over time, hypofunction will be followed by annual check-ups and blood tests.
You can learn more about the thyroid in our articles Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, Hashimoto’s Symptoms, and How My Thyroid Almost Made Me Depression.