Hypothyroidism Case

Hypothyroidism

What is hypothyroidism? Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the body lacks sufficient thyroid hormone. The thyroid is a butterfly shaped gland, located in the front of your neck. The thyroid's main purpose is to produce, store, and release two key thyroid hormones, triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) (Shomon 4). The thyroid hormones help to stimulate the tissues in the body to produce proteins, increases the amount of oxygen that cells use, and controls the speed of the body's metabolic rate. When a conversion failure has occurred, meaning the T4 is not converting to T3 properly leaving cells starved for T3, the active hormone, and causing hypothyroidism (Shomon 9).

Other things can cause hypothyroidism as well. If a person is under a significant amount of stress, it can cause hypothyroidism. Some antithyroid medications may cause hypothyroidism, if a high dosage is taken for a long period of time. Lithium is used to treat depression and bipolar disorder, inhibits production and secretion of thyroid hormones, this causes hypothyroidism. Amiodarone is used to treat heart rhythm disorders (cardiac arrhythmias); it has a high iodine content and interacts with the thyroid gland in complex ways. It can cause hypothyroidism (Skugor and Wilder 24). Another cause of this thyroid condition is the absence of the thyroid gland, meaning there was a surgical removal of the gland. The most common cause of hypothyroidism is Hashimoto's disease. With Hashimoto's disease, the immune system makes antibodies that damage thyroid cells and interfere with their ability to make thyroid hormone.

What are the signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism? Some of the most common signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism are weight gain, hair loss, muscle aches, joint pain, constipation, fatigue, depression, heavy periods, poor concentration, and that's just to name a few (Skugor and Wilder 12-13). Feeling fatigue is the most common symptom of this thyroid condition. It has been observed that fatigue and hypothyroidism are interrelated and go hand in hand. Unexpected weight gain and difficulty losing weight may be the first noticeable signs of a sluggish thyroid. Thinning hair occurs, because the metabolism has slowed down in the scalp follicles and that leads to a decrease in hair strength and in quality. Low self-esteem, feelings of unworthiness, weight gain, and sleep disturbances are all symptoms of depression. Although there may be many different causes of depression, one cause may be an underactive thyroid gland or hypothyroidism (Ditkoff and Gerfo 13).

Many of the symptoms of hypothyroidism are very subtle and are experienced by people without thyroid disease. Over 26 million Americans suffer from a thyroid dysfunction, but over a half of the Americans will go undiagnosed. Thus, a lot of physicians overlook the symptoms of fatigue, weight gain, and depression and attribute them to other causes (Ditkoff and Gerfo 9). In addition, their physicians because of their vague symptoms often ignore people with hypothyroidism. Left untreated, the symptoms of hypothyroidism will usually progress. Rarely, complications can result in severe life-threatening depression, heart failure, or coma ("Hypothyroidism: Too Little Thyroid Hormone").

How is hypothyroidism diagnosed? Hypothyroidism can be diagnosed through a number of ways, such as through signs and symptoms, blood tests, imaging tests, and through needle aspiration biopsies. The first blood test that is performed is one that measures thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). The TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) test is generally accepted as the most reliable screening test for overproduction or underproduction of thyroid hormones (Siegal 34). The recommended range for the TSH levels is 0.3 to 3.0; these ranges considered normal. If the TSH levels are below 0.3 or above 3.0, this will indicate that there is a problem with the thyroid function. Another blood test that is performed to detect if the thyroid gland is functioning properly is called the antibody test. This test is usually performed to look for specific antithyroid antibodies that act against a factor called thyroperoxidase. In addition, other test may be administered to check the cholesterol