AWARENESS She says it was a long while before she was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid gland: “I had been seeing a general practitioner and was eventually referred to a specialist. It was only after taking several blood tests that I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. The treatment was straightforward. I have to take a pill daily, whose content is a synthetic thyroid hormone which regularises my thyroid gland. My recovery was immediate and overwhelming.” Soon afterwards, Anna says that she learnt her own mother and aunts suffered from thyroid problems, especially hypothyroidism. Sharon* discovered her thyroid problem after pregnancy. She explains how her hair started to fall out soon after she gave birth to her son. “I remember combing out lots of hair and, as I worried about it, I had no idea this could have anything to do with my thyroid,” she says. “I was immediately saw a doctor and took all the necessary blood tests. The results confirmed that my thyroid gland is underactive and I was immediately put on medication. So far, it has been a consistent recovery to feeling like I’m myself again.” When hypothyroidism isn’t treated, signs and symptoms can gradually become more severe. Constant stimulation of your thyroid gland to release more hormones may lead to an enlarged thyroid (goiter). In addition, you may become more forgetful, your thought processes may slow down, or you may feel depressed. Speak to a doctor if you are feeling particularly unwell or if you notice any of the symptoms associated with hypothyroidism (see ‘Fact Box’). *Names have been changed.
My recovery was immediate and overwhelming
WHAT CAUSES HYPOTHYROIDISM?
Hypothyroidism is the result of one or more of the following: AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE This type of disorder occurs when your immune system produces antibodies that attack your own tissues. Sometimes this involves your thyroid gland. The reason for autoimmune disease isn’t fully understood scientifically. However it happens, the antibodies produced by an autoimmune disease affect the thyroid gland‘s ability to produce hormones properly. TREATMENT FOR HYPERTHYROIDISM Hyperthyroidism is when the thyroid gland is overactive, secreting more hormones than necessary. Sometimes, treatment to reduce and normalise an overactive thyroid gland can cause hypothyroidism.
THYROID SURGERY Removal of all or part of the thyroid gland is sometimes surgically necessary. If that happens, thyroid hormone secretion is disrupted and you’ll need to take thyroid hormone for life.
RADIATION THERAPY Treating cancer in the head and neck using radiation can affect your thyroid gland.
MEDICATIONS Some types of medication, including lithium, can affect your thyroid gland.
CONGENITAL DISEASE Babies can be born with a defective or undeveloped thyroid gland or with no thyroid gland at all. Others may inherit thyroid disorders. Symptoms may not be immediately visible. PITUITARY DISORDER Hypothyroidism may be a secondary effect of a malfunctioning pituitary gland. The pituitary gland secretes TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) which is essential to the thyroid gland’s proper functioning. If the pituitary gland is diseased or it malfunctions, it cannot secrete enough TSH.
PREGNANCY Hypothyroidism can result from pregnancy. This can happen during or after the pregnancy. Hypothyroidism during pregnancy can affect foetal development and carries a risk of miscarriage, early delivery or pre-enclampsia, which causes blood pressure to rise in the late stages of pregnancy. IODINE DEFICIENCY Iodine is essential for the production of thyroid hormones. Too much iodine can cause hyperthyroidism. (Based on information published by Mayo Clinic).
FACT BOX
Hypothyroidism is a very common condition. Treament is usually the domain of specialists known as endocrinologists. If you try to locate your thyroid gland which is along the front of the windpipe, you can actually feel it. It is brownish-red in colour, and rich with blood vessels and nerves that are crucial for voice quality and which also pass through the thyroid gland. The general symptoms of hypothyroidism include: • fatigue • increased sensitivity to cold • constipation • dry skin • unexplained weight gain • puffy face, hoarseness • muscle weakness • muscle aches • tenderness and stiffness • pain • stiffness or swelling in your joints • heavier than normal or irregular menstrual periods • thinning hair • slowed heart rate • depression • impaired memory.
›‹
June 2014
37