Hypothyroidism happens when the thyroid gland doesn’t make enough hormones for the body. The thyroid is a gland in the front of the neck shaped like a butterfly. These hormones help your body control its energy. The thyroid supplies energy to every organ in the body and also controls things like heart rate and digestion. When hormone levels drop, these processes slow down.
Fitness Garage team will introduce you today to hypothyroidism, its causes, and treatments. If you want a healthy diet for those with hypothyroidism, you can find it also at Fitness Garage. Hypothyroidism affects women's mental and physical health more than men's.
Most treatments help raise low hormone levels, but artificial hormones aren’t a permanent replacement for the ones your body makes. They don’t help a lot, so today we will look at other treatment methods.
What are the symptoms of hypothyroidism?
Symptoms of hypothyroidism vary person to person, but there are some symptoms that show up in most people with hypothyroidism. The symptoms are:
- Fatigue.
- Unexplained weight gain
- Sensitive and swollen face.
- Depression.
- Constipation.
- Constant feeling of cold.
- Reduced sweating.
- Slow heart rate.
- Persistent high blood cholesterol.
- Dry skin.
- Dry and thin hair.
- Poor memory.
- Changes in the menstrual cycle.
- Weak muscles.
- Muscle stiffness with very little effort.
- Joint stiffness.
- Hoarse voice.
The person’s health condition gets worse over time, But the problem many women face is that as they get older, the symptoms are similar to many diseases. If you suspect the symptoms, you can see your doctor. Through tests, you confirm the hormone levels secreted by the thyroid gland.
What are the causes of hypothyroidism?
Your immune system’s job is to protect the body from harmful bacteria invading it, And when any foreign cell enters the body, your immune system protects it, Sometimes it mistakes natural, healthy cells for invaders and can’t tell the difference, so it attacks the good cells. This can cause diseases like hypothyroidism.
Thyroiditis is a type of autoimmune disease, and it’s one of the most common causes. It can be genetic and passed down through some families.
Treatment of hyperthyroidism
If the gland secretes too many hormones above normal levels, this is called " hyperthyroidism", the treatment aims to reduce those hormones.
Surgical removal of the thyroid gland
If the thyroid gland is removed, you will have hypothyroidism and must stick to treatment for life, but if only part is removed, hormone levels may balance out. Blood tests help check the hormone levels the thyroid produces.
Radiation therapy
In some cases like head or neck cancer, lymphoma, or leukemia, you may have had radiation therapy which causes hypothyroidism or sometimes stops the gland.
medications
There are many drugs that cause the thyroid gland to produce less. Some of these are psychiatric meds or for cancer patients, like:
- Lithium
- Mitotane (Lysodren), a drug for adrenal gland cancer
- Interleukin
- Amiodarone (Pacerone).
How is hypothyroidism diagnosed?
There are two main ways to find out if you have hypothyroidism, along with blood tests, and they are:
- Medical examination: There are some physical signs that show up during diagnosis like dry skin, swelling in the neck, slow heart rate. You should tell the doctor about any symptoms like depression, constipation, or feeling cold all the time.
- Blood test: There are tests that check hormone levels secreted by the gland, called TSH. It helps determine how much the thyroid gland is producing.
What medicines are available to treat hypothyroidism?
Hypothyroidism is a lifelong condition. Medicines help reduce its symptoms. The best treatment is levothyroxine, which is an artificial version of the T4 hormone, which is like the thyroid hormone your body makes. This medicine is made so you can restore thyroid hormone levels in your body. In most cases, these symptoms go away.
Once you start treatment, it takes a few weeks to see results in blood tests, but you should stick to the set doses and schedule. Most of the time, you'll take this medicine for life, though doses might change. So, you need to retest and check in with your doctor regularly. To set the right dose for you precisely, If you find the symptoms aren’t improving, you should see your doctor again.
What are the complications of hypothyroidism?
Complications of hypothyroidism include:
- Enlarged thyroid gland.
- Nerve damage.
- Peripheral neuropathy.
- Kidney functions decline.
- Severe fatigue.
- Sleep apnea.
Hypothyroidism can cause infertility or what's called preeclampsia, so it needs quick treatment and follow-up.
Are there diet recommendations for those with hypothyroidism?
You don't have to follow a strict diet but here are some tips that can help improve your condition:
- Eat a balanced diet: The thyroid needs a diet rich in iodine, balanced and full of whole grains, fruits, lean proteins, and colorful veggies.
- Watch your soy intake: Eating soy can block thyroid hormone absorption, especially for kids. Soy products include tofu, cheese, soy milk, soybeans, soy sauce.
- Eat fiber: Fiber can interfere with hormone absorption you need, but don’t avoid it completely.
- Don’t take thyroid meds with other supplements: take supplements at different times than thyroid meds.
What are the tips for dealing with hypothyroidism?
If you’re on treatment, you probably won’t face many long-term issues, but you should check certain things:
- Keep an eye on your health conditions:Hypothyroidism is linked to some other conditions like digestive disorders, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, adrenal gland problems, and pituitary gland issues.
- How to cope with the illness: Even if you take medications, some drugs help fight low energy. This can show up as getting good sleep, eating lots of fruits and veggies, and reducing stress.
What is the connection between hypothyroidism and depression?
People with hypothyroidism experience mood swings, which makes diagnosis harder. Depression and hypothyroidism share many symptoms like:
- Fatigue
- Weight gain.
- Low desire.
- Trouble concentrating.
- Trouble sleeping.
These two cases have some differences that help tell them apart like dry skin problems, constipation, high blood cholesterol, hair loss, and thyroid gland issues. The doctor finds these during a physical exam, some tests, and checking your personal and family medical history.
If your depression comes from thyroid failure, you also need to treat the depression symptoms. Your thyroid medication doses will change gradually based on your current condition.
Does thyroid failure affect depression?
Some women with thyroid failure face challenges when planning for pregnancy or during pregnancy, they include:
- Anemia
- Chance of miscarriage.
- Preeclampsia.
- Stillbirth.
- Lower problems with birth weight.
- Brain growth problems.
- Birth defects.
If you have hypothyroidism during pregnancy, you should take some steps, which are:
- Talk to your doctor about your thyroid test results: Women can get hypothyroidism during pregnancy, so this test should be routine to monitor hormone levels gradually, plus thyroiditis women get after giving birth, which takes about 12 to 18 months to treat.
- Keep track of your meds: You need to know what’s in your meds and their side effects, and regularly follow up with your doctor to set the right doses and schedule.
- Eat well: The body needs more vitamins, nutrients, and minerals. A balanced diet helps a lot. You can follow up with a nutritionist at Fitness Garage. Just ask via the Facebook page.
What’s the link between hypothyroidism and weight gain?
The thyroid controls many daily body functions like metabolism, organ functions, and temperature regulation. When it slows hormone release, these processes slow down. Plus, the metabolism rate drops, So hypothyroidism is linked to weight gain. Usually the right treatment helps with weight loss again.
What's the link between hypothyroidism and losing weight?
If you treated hypothyroidism and didn’t lose the weight you gained, it doesn’t mean losing weight is impossible. You can work with a coach at Fitness Garage to set up a workout plan and a calorie-controlled diet with meals you like.
