Hypothyroidism is a situation in which the production of thyroid hormones is insufficient. It is more common in women than in men.
Causes of hypothyroidism
Primary hypothyroidism is a disorder of the thyroid gland itself and is by far the most common cause. There are multiple reasons. The most common is autoimmune destruction (due to antibodies, which are proteins produced by your body that attach themselves to the thyroid and can alter its function) or due to diseases that cause inflammation of the thyroid. It can also be caused by iodine alterations. Sometimes it appears after removing the thyroid in a surgery or after treatment with Iradiactivo to stop an excessive thyroid function. It can also be caused by some medications such as amiodarone, lithium, interferon… Another cause is the failure of other glands located in the brain that are responsible for stimulating the thyroid to function.
In cases where hypothyroidism arises as a consequence of a malfunction of the pituitary or hypothalamus, we speak of secondary or tertiary hypothyroidism. However, these are difficult to occur and are a rare cause.
Symptoms and diagnosis
Thyroid hormones act on a multitude of organs and there are all kinds of manifestations that can appear. Extreme tiredness, constipation, abnormal hair loss, menstrual disorders, skin changes, growth retardation in children, slowed speech, slowed thinking and memory, anemia… are common.
The diagnosis is made by means of a blood test that calculates the levels of thyroid hormones and thyroid stimulating hormone. When the thyroid fails there is an increase in thyroid stimulating hormone or TSH in the blood. There is a common situation known as subclinical hypothyroidism in which your TSH levels are elevated even though your thyroid hormone levels are normal and it is because your thyroid failure is mild. If you are pregnant, the normal values are different than in the rest of the population because you need a higher amount of thyroid hormone. When your thyroid stimulating hormone and thyroid hormone levels are low, the alteration is in the brain regions responsible for stimulating the thyroid.
Appropriate treatment
The treatment is carried out with tablets containing thyroid hormone, which you take on an empty stomach and which are absorbed in the intestine. These have the same function as the hormone itself. The dose you receive will depend on the severity of your hypothyroidism, your age, your weight and whether you have heart problems. To know if the dose is correct, a blood test should be done 6 weeks after starting the treatment and then after 3-6 months until you reach your maintenance dose and then it will be necessary to do periodic controls, generally annually but this may vary. In case you present a subclinical hypothyroidism it is recommended to start treatment when the stimulating hormone exceeds the figure of 10, if it is intermediate figures the doctor should assess the appropriate treatment for each situation.