Sassafrass

I Have Been Diagnosed With...

HYPOTHYROIDISM-By: K. Jean Lucas, M.D.

WHAT IS HYPOTHYROIDISM?

As the name of this condition implies, hypothyroidism is present when the thyroid is not able to produce enough thyroid hormone to meet the demands of the body. In the early stages of this disorder, a person may have virtually no symptoms but laboratory tests may show a mildly elevated TSH. Thyroid stimulating hormone, as discussed above, is the most sensitive test in diagnosing thyroid disorders. When the TSH is elevated, even when the T4 is in the "normal range", the body is sensing that not enough thyroid hormone is being produced.
As the hypothyroidism becomes more severe, the following symptoms may be present. Not all of these symptoms may be present in individual patients.

Symptoms of hypothyroidism:
Fatigue
Sluggishness
Sleepiness
Cold intolerance
Dry hair
Dry Skin
Hair loss
Brittle nails
Depression
Swelling
Muscle cramps
Constipation
More PMS
Change in Menstrual Periods
Increased Sensitivity to Certain Medications

WHY DO PEOPLE BECOME HYPOTHYROID?
The most common reason to develop hypothyroidism is from an autoimmune disorder in which antibodies attack the thyroid and gradually damage it enough to decrease its function. This disorder is inherited and predominates in women. It occurs commonly as women age or after childbirth.
If a person has had surgery to remove the thyroid, radical neck surgery to remove a cancer, or have been treated with radioactive iodine therapy for hyperthyroidism, the thyroid will not work because of removal or destruction of the thyroid tissue.If the pituitary is damaged, contains a tumor or cyst, or does not produce enough TSH for any reason, the thyroid hormone levels will be low and the TSH will not respond to low T4 levels by increasing. In this situation, other hormones will also be affected by the pituitary problem and will need to be checked. The pituitary controls the ovaries, testes, adrenal, and thyroid. It is extremely rare to have only a TSH deficiency without any other abnormalities in pituitary function

posted by Ms SaraTee @ 5:03 PM