Hypothyroidism is one word that women never want to hear. It can occur at any age, but what is interesting is that this condition only affects a very small portion of the population in the United States, so do not automatically blame your difficulty losing weight on this condition. On average, 10 percent of women have a degree of low thyroid, so as you can see, this is really not that many.
What is Hypothyroidism?
This means that your thyroid is just not providing your body with enough thyroid hormones. In the early stages most people do not even know that they have it because there are rarely symptoms. However, as time goes on you will start to notice things like joint pain and weight gain. There are accurate tests available that can get you diagnosed and treated quickly so this is good news.
Risk Factors and Causes
Hypothyroidism can happen to anyone, but there are some factors that put you at an increased risk. These include:
- Family history of autoimmune diseases
- Radiation to the upper chest or neck
- Pregnancy or delivery in the last six months
- Having an autoimmune disease
- Received anti-thyroid medications or radioactive iodine
- Thyroid surgery
There are also a number of causes that can result in this condition. These include:
- Having an autoimmune disease
- Radiation therapy
- Certain medications like lithium
- Pituitary disorder
- Being treated for hyperthyroidism
- Iodine deficiency
- Congenital disease
- Pregnancy
Symptoms
Like was stated above, in the early stages you likely will not feel different at all. As this condition goes untreated, you will start to experience symptoms that generally get to a point where you will see a doctor to figure out what is going on. Symptoms can include:
- Fatigue
- Constipation
- Unexplained weight gain
- Hoarseness
- Increase blood cholesterol level
- Joint pain, stiffness and swelling
- Thinning hair
- Depression
- Increased sensitivity to cold
- Dry skin
- Puffy face
- Muscle weakness
- Muscle tenderness, aches and stiffness
- Irregular or very heavy menstrual periods
- Slowed heart rate
- Impaired memory
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is actually quite easy and generally only requires a blood test. You will relay your symptoms to your doctor and he or she will order the test. You only need to give a quick blood sample. With new testing methods, you can be diagnosed even when you are in the early stages where you really do not even have symptoms yet.
Treatment
There is no one dose of thyroid medication so it may take a little bit to get your dose just right for you. You will generally be started on a thyroid medication and then have your thyroid levels checked after two or three months to ensure that your levels are within an acceptable range. After your dose is correct, you will have your TSH levels checked annually to ensure that everything is still within an acceptable range. You will almost always need to take thyroid medication for the rest of your life and continue to always have your TSH levels checked annually for life just in case any dose adjustments are needed over the years.
Once you start treatment, you will notice your symptoms going away, such as you will have more energy, be able to lose the weight and will not be so cold all of the time.
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