Hypothyroidism is a disease where your thyroid gland fails to produce the proper amounts of certain hormones, namely thyroxine and triiodothyronine. When hormones are not being produced in the proper amounts, it can throw the balance of your body cycles and other chemical balances off, resulting in multiple problems.The symptoms of this disease include tiredness, feeling cold especially on your hands and feet, memory troubles or sluggishness, headaches first thing in the morning, constipation, hair loss, tingling on the skin known as paresthesia, and poor hearing. More serious signs include myxedema, a skin condition where elasticity is reduced, carpal tunnel syndrome, and obesity despite a low appetite.
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Hypothyroidism is more common than most people realize, with 3% to 5% of the population having some form of the disease. The most common cause is from Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, which is where the gland is enlarged and unable to produce the hormones properly. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis can run in families, increasing your chance of getting the disease if a member of your family has it. Most cases of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis go undiagnosed and untreated until a flare up happens. If you have a flare up, you may exhibit signs such as insomnia, difficulty gaining weight, night sweats, extreme nervousness, and heart palpitations.
If you’re suspected of having hypothyroidism, you will be diagnosed using a blood test. The blood test will not only check the hormone levels from the thyroid, but also the levels of the thyroid stimulating hormone that is produced in the brain. The levels in your blood will be able to determine if you have the disease. Furthermore, consulting a specialize thyroid clinic may be your best option, and such a clinic exists in Canada. Dr. Lawrence runs a specialized clinic that offers some of the most advanced treatments in the medical field, and you can find more information by visiting http://thyroidcanada.com anytime.
Thyroid treatment is a life-long therapy. Previously, patients with this disease took desiccated thyroid tablets of levothyroxine that were obtained through animal thyroids. Since this made inconsistent tablets from batch to batch, there has been a synthetic version of levothyroxine produced and the animal thyroid tablets are no longer necessary.Thyroid treatment in patients with already existing heart diseases can cause further problems in 1 of 5 patients. Most often, patients with known heart problems will be started at a lower dose and monitored closely to prevent any serious damage.
Women are much more likely to develop this disease than men. The disease is also more likely to develop in older patients, typically 60 years of age or older. Children, however, require more medication to correct the disease than adults require. As they age, their dose is typically dropped down to a normal adult’s dosage.If you have multiple symptoms and suspect you may suffer from hypothyroidism, talk to your doctor about getting blood tests done.