Low Thyroid Disease
Approximately 10 million people in the United States suffer from low thyroid disease---also called hypothyroidism. The condition is relatively common in elderly adults, and low thyroid disease is also more prevalent in women than in men. It can sometimes be difficult to diagnose because the symptoms are often mistaken for other illnesses. But a simple blood test known as a "TSH" test can assess your thyroid hormone levels. When the TSH test is used in combination with a medical history report and a record of your symptoms, your doctor or endocrinologist can make a conclusive diagnosis of low thyroid disease.
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What is Low Thyroid Disease?
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Low thyroid disease is denoted by an insufficient production of thyroid hormone by the thyroid gland. A healthy thyroid gland is approximately 2 inches long and shaped like a butterfly. It is located in the front of the neck area below the larynx and is responsible for manufacturing T3 (triidothyronine) and T4 (thyroxine). Patients diagnosed with hypothyroidism have abnormal amounts of one or both of these important metabolic hormones.
Causes
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There are two major causes of low thyroid disease: inflammation of the thyroid gland and medical treatments that reduce the size of the thyroid gland. EndocrineWeb.com states that inflammation of the thyroid gland is often caused by autoimmune thyroiditis, a condition that can potentially destroy the cells necessary for hormone production, resulting in hypothyroidism. And sometimes the thyroid gland produces too much thyroid hormone, causing hyperthyroidism, which makes surgery or radioactive-iodine treatments necessary. Both procedures destroy thyroid gland cells and can cause low thyroid disease.
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Symptoms
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The symptoms of low thyroid disease can be broken down into two categories: early and late symptoms. The University of Maryland Medical Center states that early symptoms of low thyroid disease are sometimes dismissed for other conditions such as aging or everyday stress and include fatigue, headache, concentration problems, cold intolerance, dry skin, muscle pain, weight gain, muscle pain, constipation and irregular periods. Later symptoms can be more severe and may include muscle weakness and cramping, numbness in the extremities, hoarseness, hearing loss, sleep apnea, major depression, sleep problems and confusion.
Complications
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Hypothyroidism that is left untreated can go on to cause further, severe health problems. According to the Mayo Clinic, untreated low thyroid disease can result in depression, infertility and birth defects, severe fatigue and cold intolerance. Low thyroid disease is also associated with high cholesterol and the two together can result in cardiovascular disorders. Continued low thyroid levels can also result in myxedema coma, a loss of brain function that can eventually lead to death.
Treatments
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According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, low thyroid disease is treated with synthetic thyroid hormones, such as Synthroid and Levoxyl. Initial treatments usually begin with small doses of the synthetic hormone, blood tests and monitoring of the patient's symptoms. Blood tests several weeks later determine if the dose needs to be adjusted. Once thyroid hormone levels are normalized, blood tests are repeated every six months to ensure that no further changes in dosage are necessary.
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