By hypothyroidism, the thyroid gland is producing too less hormones to stimulate the metabolism or the body isn’t able to utilize the hormones. The lack of thyroid hormones slows down the metabolism and thus all the actions in the body, giving a combination of many symptoms related to slowness of physiological processes.

Hipotiroidismo

It is common, but the frequency of this problem isn’t well determined. Some authorities estimate that 0.5% of the entire American people have the disease to a degree. The frequency is significantly greater among individuals over 50 years old than among young folks. The most common early symptoms include: Mental and physical fatigue, weakness, weight gain or over-weight, and melancholy. Some of these symptoms also use to look early: Constipation, sensitivity to coldness, cold hands and feet, thick tongue, decreased sweating, dry hair, thin brittle hair, thin brittle nails, joint and muscle pain, pale or yellowish skin.

One or more of these symptoms generally appear later: Poor memory, slow thought process, nausea, slow speech, thinning of eyebrows, hoarseness, poor circulation, dry and flaky skin, decreased taste and smell, menstrual irregularities, skin thickening, puffy face, puffy hands and feet, swelling of extremities, overall swelling, muscle fatigue, muscle atrophy, joint stiffness. In children or young persons hypothyroidism may provide developmental difficulties, like disturbed tooth growth and short stature.

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Hypothyroidism increases the risk of elevated cholesterol levels, cardiovascular disease and diabetes (diabetes mellitus). This happens even by moderately decreased thyroid production. To understand the hypothyroidism, some understanding of the thyroid gland and its hormones is important. The thyroid gland produces hormones that accelerate and in other wise regulate metabolism.

A component of metabolism is the process of breaking down energy containing nutrients, and using the ability to create molecules which all the activities and processes within the body use as fuel. Another part is the creation of molecules that the body use as construction materials.

Factor Hormonal

The thyroid gland makes four hormones: Thyroxin (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), diiodothyronine (T2) and monoiodothyronine (T1). The hormones contain iodine, and the figures tell about the amount of iodine atoms in each hormone molecule. T3 isn’t made directly, but is produced from T4. T3 is a more efficient hormone compared to T4. Therefore this conversion is critical. The pituitary, a gland under the brain, produces a hormone called thyrotropin or thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) which enhances the action of the thyroid gland. If the body has too less thyroid hormone in the blood, the pituitary produces more thyrotropin.

This produces the thyroid gland accelerate its production. By a too heavy thyroid hormone concentration, less thyrotropin is made by the pituitary, and the thyroid gland slows down. This feed-back mechanism regulates the metabolism of the entire body. By hypothyroidism the body doesn’t get enough thyroid gland, or the hormones don’t work efficiently in the body. This causes the metabolism to slow down.

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When the metabolism decreases, the procedures in the body don’t get enough fuel and construction materials, and all of the body actions will therefore slow down. Energy containing nutrient will also be stored as fat, as they aren’t broken down. Serious variants of hypothyroidism are known as myxedema. This is an uncommon condition. However, less severe, but painful variants are common.

An autoimmune response against the thyroid gland can destroy the capacity of the thyroid gland to make hormones (by way of instance Hashimoto’s disease). Sometimes the creation of T3 by conversion from T4 is diminished. The complete number of hormones may be normal in such circumstances, but the body remains lacking T3, and has the signs of hypothyroidism. Iodine deficiency can lead to hypothyroidism, because the thyroid hormones contain iodine.

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In Europe and America the food is rarely short in iodine, but bad nutrition may lead to iodine deficiency. Surgery or radiation in the thyroid area can destroy enough tissue to cause hypothyroidism. Injury or disease in the pituitary or of the region of the brain controlling the pituitary can cause a reduction in secreted thyrotropin, then the thyroid gland will react by producing less of its own hormones with hypothyroidism consequently.

Some people have symptoms of hypothyroidism although the amount of thyroid hormone in the bloodstream is normal. One of the symptoms is elevated levels of thyrotropin, indicating that the body indicates need for more thyroid hormones. This variant might be caused by conditions elsewhere in the body which make it difficult for the hormone to attain their destination in cells. In a number of these cases the immune system generates anti-bodies against the thyroid gland.

This variant is known as sub-clinical hypothyroidism, and reacts to the same treatment as ordinary hypothyroidism. Some kinds of food can result in a depressed thyroid function or aggravate hypothyroidism when consumed raw in good amounts: Brussel sprouts, broccoli, corn oil, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, radishes, rutabaga, soy and turnips. By cooking these vegetables, the depressing effect is diminished.

Nota final

Factors suspected for causing hypothyroidism are: The artificial sweetener aspartame, mercury pollution, dental fillings containing mercury, fluoride and heavy metal contamination. For serious hypothyroidism due to tissue destruction, external supplement of thyroid hormones is essential. When the problem is caused by lack of iodine in the diet, dietary modifications and iodine supplements are going to be part of the treatment. Less serious, but painful hypothyroidism may be also treated with hormone supplements. In these situations it is hard to find the perfect dose, and treatment may cause hormone poisoning. You can sometimes alleviate hypothyroidism by lowering the quantity of food suspected for depressing the thyroid function: Brussel sprouts, broccoli, corn oil, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, radishes, rutabaga, soy, soy products and turnips. However, these food types are valuable in many ways, so it’s probably not smart to cut them out completely. Also stay away from artificial ingredients such as the sweetener aspartame, saving additives and fluoride.