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Hypothyroidism, What is it and What Can You Do About it?
by Steve Simpson
Do you know anybody that suffers from Hypothyroidism? Most people would answer
no if they themselves were not affected; however the chances are good that you
actually do. Thyroid disease symptoms affect millions of adults in the United
States alone. The purpose of this article is to answer the question of just what
is Hypothyroidism, as well as look at the causes, symptoms, diagnosis and of
course the treatment.
Hypothyroidism is the medical name for when your thyroid gland, which is about
the size of a golf ball, fails to produce enough or the right amounts of
different hormones. It can also be known as an under-active thyroid.
Hypothyroidism refers to any state in which thyroid hormone production is below
normal. The thyroid gland is situated under the pituitary gland and can become
quite inflamed if not treated.
The thyroid gland's main purpose is to produce hormones like thyroxine (T4 or
thyroid hormone). Thyroid hormones are extremely important in controlling the
body's energy, but also its use of other hormones and vitamins, and the normal
growth of body tissues. One of the problems lies in the fact that the symptoms
of hypothyroidism are very diverse and can be linked to other illnesses, so doctors
often have a lot of trouble properly diagnosing hypothyroidism as the cause.
Thyroid function is generally weakened by stress on the body, this can be in the
form of physical, but is usually mental or emotional. How you would be feeling
if someone was to say to you that you looked stressed. It can also be cause by
your environment, pollution, unhealthy eating, or a number of other culprits do
to with your lifestyle. Unfortunately a lifestyle change is not as easy as it sounds.
Thyroid problems are becoming more and more commonplace in society these days,
with more people being diagnosed every week. Some other causes of hypothyroidism
can include being exposed toxins including some chemicals, drugs, radiation,
pesticides and excessive consumption of saturated fats as it can be linked to
obesity and high cholesterol. It is important to know what to look for then if
you may be hypothyroid.
Thyroid disease symptoms can go undiagnosed and even be misdiagnosed due to the
symptoms being seen in many other diseases. Approximately 10-20 percent of women
and 1-2 percent of men have symptoms of thyroid problems. Since the main role of
thyroid hormone is to look after the metabolism of the body it is not a stretch
to think that people suffering from hypothyroidism will have symptoms associated
with a slow metabolism.
Some symptoms of hypothyroidism, including fatigue, poor attention span,
unexplained weight gain, numbness, and tingling of the hands or feet are also
prominent symptoms of a normal pregnancy. There are also many causes, which
bring about cramps for instance, but malfunctioning of thyroid gland may
attribute a great concern of this.
Some of the other most common experiences can be if you are having any unnatural
emotions of sadness or depression, lack of interest in daily things, or an
abnormal feeling of being distant from others. These are all signs that you are
hypothyroid. If anyone is experiencing more extreme symptoms such as significant
weight loss, vomiting, increased blood pressure, or persistently fast heart
rate, you should immediately book in to have some blood tests to look for
hypothyroidism.
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