Hypothyroidism is condition of the thyroid gland, in which its functional ability to produce hormones is reduced.
Hypothyroidism diagnosis.
Hypothyroidism treatment.
Prevention of hypothyroidism.
References.
Hypothyroidism is a fairly common condition. The disease gets more common with age. People over age 60 experience it more frequently. Women are more likely to have an underactive thyroid. In fact, 1 in 5 women will develop hypothyroidism by age 60 [1].
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), diseases associated with the thyroid gland, rank second among endocrine disorders. In addition, according to international statistics, the number of cases in the world grows by 5% every year.
For establish diagnosis,it's necessary a thorough medical examination of the patient by endocrinologist. The specialist evaluates patient's complaints, clinical symptoms of the disease and appoints the necessary additional study. Endocrinologist can assume presence of hypothyroidism according to the characteristic manifestations:
severe weakness;
decreased performance;
dry skin;
hair loss;
brittle nails;
Doctor assigns the following tests for confirm diagnosis:
Blood test for thyroid hormones. With the help of this test is investigated quantitative index of thyroxin and triiodothyronine in the blood. In case of hypothyroidism, these indicators will be significantly lower than usual. In addition, it's very important to examine the patient's blood for the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) of the pituitary gland. With the help of this manipulation specialist determines type of hypothyroidism at women: primary or secondary.
Scintigraphy of the thyroid gland with radioactive iodine. In this study, there is accumulation of radioactive iodine introduced into the gland tissue. It's carried out for study structure and function of the thyroid gland.
Computer tomography of the brain in case of suspected pituitary tumor. Medical study is conducted in the brain region, which regulates functional activity of the thyroid gland.
Ultrasound of the thyroid gland.
Because hypothyroidism is more prevalent in older women, some doctors recommend that older women be screened for the disorder during routine annual physical examinations. Some doctors also recommend that pregnant women or women thinking about becoming pregnant be tested for hypothyroidism. Your doctor may test for an underactive thyroid if you are feeling increasingly tired, have dry skin, constipation and weight gain, or have had previous thyroid problems or a goiter [2].
Thanks to achievements of the pharmaceutical industry, which allows artificially synthesizing thyroid hormone, modern endocrinology has effective way of treating hypothyroidism.
Etiotropic therapy. Treatment of this kind is aimed at eliminating causative agent of the disease. But this method often useless after sustained development of the disease. Even if you can work on cause of the disease, the effect of such treatment may not occur. Such therapy includes following activities:
administration of iodine containing medications;
treatment of inflammatory diseases and other pathologies that caused hypothyroidism;
X-ray treatment;
Therapy with hormonal medications. This therapy is effective only when receiving synthetic analogues of thyroid hormones before the normalization of the gland function or the life-long application of hormones. Usually, preparations of this kind are well absorbed in organism.
Hypothyroidism is best treated by using levothyroxine (Levothroid, Levoxyl). This medication is a pure synthetic form of T4 which is made in a laboratory to be an exact replacement for the T4 that the human thyroid gland normally secretes. It comes in multiple strengths, which means that an appropriate dosage can almost always be found for each patient. The dosage should be re-evaluated and possibly adjusted monthly until the proper level is established [3].
Normalization of condition usually begins in the first two weeks of therapy, and completely symptoms of hypothyroidism disappear after 5-6 months of treatment. In patients who have concomitant diseases of the heart and vessels, the initial dose of the drug should be minimal.
Symptomatic therapy. Symptomatic treatment is aimed at reducing clinical manifestations of hypothyroidism. It's also necessary for maintain normal functioning of internal organs. Such treatment may include the use of such pharmaceutical preparations without hormones:
cardioprotectors. Their work stabilize the processes of the cardiovascular system;
cardiac glycosides are prescribed for symptoms of heart failure;
nootropics and neuroprotective drugs. Action of medications consists in stabilizing work of the central nervous system and improving its metabolic processes;
preparations with female sex hormones. Their actions consist in normalization of the menstrual cycle;
vitamin complexes contribute to improving performance of all organs and systems in the body;
Diet. You need to reduce foods with high cholesterol and fatty acids. It's also necessary to remove fast carbohydrates. It's better to use the steam method in cooking, thus the food will be easier and will save almost all the vitamins. Salt is better to use with a large saturation of iodine. Butter and sunflower oil is best excluded from the diet or reduced to a minimum. In the diet should include following products:
fish and meat: beef, chicken, mackerel, herring;
buckwheat and millet porridge;
dairy products;
dried fruits;
fruit and vegetables;
Strictly exclude from the ration: fatty, fried, spicy, fast food, alcohol, corn and wheat flour. You can contact a dietician for build a diet. Doctor will make an individual diet, relying on your body and disease.
With timely diagnosis and rigth treatment in case of primary hypothyroidism, the prognosis is favorable. Hormonal therapy restores working capacity and prevents development of complications. With secondary hypothyroidism, the prognosis depends on lesion of the hypothalamic-pituitary region. However, it should be noted that effectiveness of treatment increases with the early diagnosis and timely medication.
Prevention consists in the correct selection dose of radioactive iodine in the treatment of thyrotoxicosis, in the targeted and early treatment of acute and subacute thyroiditis, and in eliminating causes leading to development of hypothyroidism.
Hypothyroidism is a common pathology of the thyroid gland. The disease is characterized by a slow course, the absence of specific symptoms, which significantly complicates the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Therefore, it's necessary to carefully treat the prevention of the disorder. Endocrinologists recommend sticking the following measures:
Regularly consume up to 200 micrograms of iodine per day with food;
Timely treatment of infectious diseases;
Select the optimal therapeutic dose during the treatment of diseases of the thyroid gland;
Adhere to a healthy diet enriched with iodine;
Regularly engage in various sports;
Daily walk in the fresh air;
Timely treatment of endocrine disorders;
Stop smoking;
The timely and properly treatment of infectious diseases, pregnancy toxicosis, and diseases of the thyroid gland pregnancy play an important role in the prevention of congenital hypothyroidism. A person should pay great attention to restorative measures, prevention and treatment of acute and chronic diseases in order to prevent the development of acquired hypothyroidism.
The state of the thyroid gland depends on stress, nervous tension, strong experiences and insomnia. Therefore, a person should try to be calmer, reduce stress to a minimum, properly relax and rest. After a working day, it's desirable to relieve tension through exercise, yoga or meditation.
At the time of writing this article, I used various thematic information resources. Their list:
[1]. Healthline
[2]. Mayoclinic
[3]. EndocrineWeb
The author supplements blog articles using actual material in order to the resource remained useful and informative. Let’s consider the following additions:
01.30.2019. A new important material about preventive measures of hypothyroidism has appeared.