Archive for the ‘Hypothyroidism’ Category

There are some conditions in which thyroid hormone in human body becomes depleted due to considerable loss or damage of cells. Firstly, deficiency of thyroid cells and enzyme to produce thyroid hormone can be a result of infections that invade the thyroid gland cells. This condition is known as autoimmune thyroiditis, which is more commonly found in women than men. In addition, some parts of thyroid gland may be removed through a surgery as the treatment for some conditions like thyroid nodules, thyroid cancer, or Grave’s disease.

The underactive state of thyroid results in decreased metabolism in the patient’s body. The condition may be corroborated when the patients with health conditions mentioned above are treated through radiation treatment. Severe hypothyroidism may be potentially dangerous when left untreated for a prolonged period of time since the hypothyroidism keeps progressing. Despite rarity, prolonged hypothyroidism can be life-threatening due to severe depression, heart failure, or coma.

Usually, no complicated diagnostic procedure is required to make a definitive diagnosis for hypothyroidism. However, since the symptoms of hypothyroidism may be different from a patient to another, they can be mistakenly diagnosed. Patients with persistent fatigue weakness, with increasing difficulty losing body weight, dry skin and hair loss should be suspected. Constipation, depression, irritability, abnormal menstrual cycles, or decreased libido are some other symptoms of hypothyroidism. However, since the symptoms may be entirely different with individuals, the diagnosis should be confirmed with blood test.