The most common problem—Hypothyroidism
More than three quarters of the people suffering from an underactive
thyroid don't know it and have never been treated — and this
means some 8 million Americans.
If you are running on too little thyroid hormone, your whole metabolism
is "low." You may feel run down, slow, depressed, sluggish,
cold, and tired. Your hair may be brittle, your skin dry and itchy,
your muscles crampy.
The most common cause of low thyroid production is an autoimmune
disease called Hashimoto's thyroiditis in which your lymphocytes
make antibodies which slowly and gradually disable the hormone-producing
cells in your thyroid gland.
Diagnosis is easily made with a simple blood test, measuring the
amount of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) from your pituitary
gland. A high TSH shows that the pituitary is trying to tell your
thyroid to raise your hormone level—and that it needs to be
raised. If your TSH is high, other tests measuring thyroxine (T4)
and other thyroid levels can sort out the severity of the condition.
Treatment is also straightforward. The missing thyroid hormone
is replaced in pill form, usually as pure thyroxine. Once the body
has the hormone it needs, you should feel well. Rechecking the TSH
level periodically will tell whether your thyroid dose is right.
New research suggests that for some people a mixture of thyroid
hormones (T4 and T3) may be better and help them feel more normal.
This is a hot topic among thyroid researchers today so keep in touch
with your doctor and check our website periodically for updates
about this.
In rare cases, the pituitary gland is the problem, not the thyroid.
Here treatment must be directed toward the pituitary in addition
to supplying the needed thyroid hormone.
Iodine deficiency can be a cause of hypothyroidism and many serious
physical and mental problems if the diet is deficient and iodine
is not available through iodized salt and other sources. This is
not a problem in the US and most developed countries, but worldwide
it is the commonest cause of thyroid disease including hypothyroidism.
Older people are at risk of having this problem occur unrecognized
later in life. Seventeen percent (17%) of women and 8% of men have
hypothyroidism by age 60. The cause is still Hashimoto's disease
in most cases, however, this is especially common in older folks.
Newborns are now tested in the US and most developed countries
so thyroid difficulties are caught at birth. One in 3500 babies
born in the US today have no thyroid gland and needs treatment by
2 months of age to prevent permanent mental and physical damage.
Fortunately, an under-performing or missing thyroid gland can be
supplemented at once with the needed thyroxine.
Other family members may share the genes that leads to hypothyroidism.
This means they are more likely to have thyroid problems, and also
thyroid-related conditions like diabetes, pernicious anemia, depression,
arthritis, a variety of skin disorders, and even carpal tunnel syndrome.
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