Hypothyroidism is something that many people suffer with. Someone with hypothyroidism has a thyroid gland that does not produce enough of the thyroid hormone. This hormone is essential to keeping the metabolism running smoothly and without it, one can feel weak, fatigued, and will most likely gain weight. It can also be difficult to lose weight, and other symptoms may include hair loss, muscle cramps, depression, irritability, memory loss, and increased libido to name just a few of the symptoms.
The Causes
There are a couple of different causes of this condition and can include an incapability to produce this hormone or it can be the product of inflammation. It could also be caused by autoimmune thyroiditis, also known as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, which is a type of inflammation that the patient’s immune system has caused.
The Dangers
This condition can be dangerous to the health of the person who has it because it can cause heart failure or even a coma. It can even cause depression so bad in the patient that they become suicidal, so it is important to get treatment sooner than later.
Treatment Options
Hypothyroidism is not difficult to treat in most patients. It can usually be detected with a blood test and it usually fairly easy to treat when it is caught early on. Sometimes a patient can simply take a pill once a day but it depends on the thyroid condition, its severity and the patient. It is important to consult with a doctor if there are any concerns to ensure that it gets taken care of quickly and before it has the chance to progress. Treatment is essential to best a thyroid issues.
This pill is a thyroid hormone pill, also known as levothyroxine, and is a synthetic medicine. It is in the form of T4 and is a replacement for what the thyroid normally creates. Just like many different kinds of medicine, it comes in different strengths so that the doctor can give each patient the correct dose for their weight, tolerance, and to combat varying progressions of the condition. The dosage will be re-evaluated as the medicine is taken to ensure that it is working and as the symptoms subside. It can take a few weeks to notice any difference, but eventually, it should begin to work.
There are a few other effective options available to take care of the problem as well and are more likely to be used for very progressed or difficult thyroid conditions. One is to get surgery to remove the thyroid gland or at least a portion of it. Sometimes it may be necessary to remove the nodule but could cause further problems. Of there is not enough of the thyroid in the body, then it may not be able to keep up to the demands that they body places on it. Some thyroid conditions can be treated with radioactive iodine therapy and will kill some of the thyroid to prevent further goiters from growing.