Hypotheriosis is the name of a disease caused by a decrease in thyroid function, as well as inadequate production of hormones by it. The pathology is serious, but thanks to the achievements of the pharmaceutical industry, its progression can be stopped. If you believe the reviews, with hypothyroidism you can live fully. And since the topic is not unimportant, we must now pay a little more attention to its consideration.
About pathology
The diagnosis of hypothyroidism is quite common these days. This is a functional violation of the thyroid gland, the reason for the development of which lies in the long-term persistent deficiency of hormones that it must produce. Or in reducing their biological effects.
The disease may not let you know for a long time. The process of its development begins unnoticed - there are no alarming symptoms. Only rarely can a person be bothered by depression or overwork.
Pathology is most common among women. Usually, elderly patients suffer from it.
Hormonal deficiency provokes systemic changes in the body. Not surprisingly, because thyroid hormones control the energy metabolism in cells.
If there is a deficiency, then the tissues begin to consume less oxygen, and in general, the energy consumption of the body decreases. Various substrates are also less actively processed. And the process of producing energy-dependent cellular enzymes, without which the body cannot fully function, is disrupted.
The specificity of the acquired disease
In women and men, hypothyroidism can be of two types. It is always either congenital or acquired. First, talk about the second type. Because acquired hypothyroidism is much more common - it is diagnosed in 99% of cases.
The reasons for its development can be identified in such a list:
- Chronic thyroiditis is an autoimmune character. It is manifested by damage to the thyroid parenchyma. After it, hypothyroidism occurs decades later.
- Taking thyreostatics in order to treat diffuse toxic goiter.
- Acute iodine deficiency.
- Iatrogenic hypothyroidism. It occurs with the complete or partial removal of the thyroid gland, or some time after therapy with radioactive iodine.
The more rare causes include the consequences of surgical operations, as well as tumor and inflammatory diseases.
Inherited pathology
The diagnosis of congenital hypothyroidism is established immediately after the birth of the baby. Unfortunately, this disease is fraught with irreversible underdevelopment of the central nervous system (cerebral cortex in particular). This is manifested by mental retardation, cretinism may even develop, or the development of the skeleton and other organs may be impaired.
What is the reason in this case? Violations that occurred during the prenatal period. We are talking about congenital structural disorders of the hypothalamic-pituitary system or thyroid gland.
Also, the cause may be taking specific medications. Or the presence in the body of a pregnant woman of antibodies to the thyroid gland, which is manifested in autoimmune pathology.
How, then, is the control of intrauterine development compensated? The thyroid hormones of a woman pass through the placenta, and the balance is restored. But after birth, of course, their level in the baby’s blood drops sharply.
Classification
Its consideration also needs to be paid a little attention, talking about what kind of disease - hypothyroidism. Three types are distinguished depending on the level and severity of violations:
- Primary. The reason for its development is the pathology of the thyroid gland. The level of TSH in this type of hypothyroidism is increased.
- Secondary. It is associated with lesions relating to the pituitary gland. The level of T4 and TSH in hypothyroidism of the secondary type is reduced.
- Tertiary. The beginning of its development is dysfunction of the hypothalamus.
Primary hypothyroidism is preceded by aplasia, inflammatory processes, or gland hypoplasia. Also, hereditary defects, total or subtotal thyroidectomy, or iodine deficiency can become a cause. Very rarely, it is not possible to find out why the disease began to develop. But in such cases, pathology is classified as an idiopathic type.
Various injuries of the hypothalamic-pituitary system lead to the development of secondary or tertiary pathology - this is radiation, surgery, tumors, hemorrhage, and injuries.
Separately, it is customary to isolate peripheral hypothyroidism, the occurrence of which provokes tissue resistance to hormones.
Symptoms
Now we can talk about the manifestations of hypothyroidism. Symptoms of pathology include:
- The absence of any specific signs that are characteristic only for this disease.
- Symptoms that are similar to manifestations of other diseases of somatic and mental origin.
- The absence of a relationship between the severity of symptoms and the level of hormone deficiency.
In general, hypothyroidism in men and women is difficult to determine by any symptoms. Everything is very individual - the signs depend on the age of the patient, the cause of the pathology, and also on how quickly the deficiency of hormones increases.
It should also be noted that the symptoms are polysystemic, but often patients complain of problems that are manifested only by a separate organ system.
The disease begins to manifest itself only in those cases when it proceeds persistently and for a long time. The patient can be recognized by the following signs:
- Puffy and swollen face.
- A yellowish tint of the skin.
- Weakness and stiffness in the hands.
- Swelling of the limbs and eyelids, which are associated with fluid retention.
- Burning sensation in the limbs.
- Dry skin.
- Dullness and fragility of hair, their loss and thinning.
- Inhibition and lethargy.
- Slow speech (characteristic of a severe form of the disease).
- Change of voice (it becomes more hoarse and low).
- Hearing loss resulting in swelling of the middle ear, larynx and tongue.
- Hypothermia.
- Weight gain.
- Constant chilliness, indicating a reduced level of metabolic processes.
- Weakening of attention and memory.
- Decreased intelligence, interest in life and cognitive activity.
- Sleep disorders and fatigue.
- Depression, depression, longing.
- Bradycardia
- Arterial diastolic hypertension.
- Pericarditis.
- Anemia.
- High blood cholesterol.
- Reduced sex drive.
- Weak appetite, accompanied by flatulence, nausea and constipation.
Pain with a patient’s hypothyroidism is also disturbing - they concentrate mainly in the muscles. As the disease progresses, the head begins to hurt.
In women, in addition to the above, the reproductive system is also violated. Malfunctions in the menstrual cycle appear, mastopathy develops, there may be dysfunctional bleeding.
Manifestations in infants
The diagnosis of hypothyroidism in newborns is easier to establish, as characteristic symptoms indicate the development of the disease. These include:
- Swollen belly.
- Muscle hypotension.
- Umbilical hernia.
- Excessively large language.
- Low voice (determined by the cries of the baby).
- Enlarged thyroid gland and fontanel.
It is very important to urgently begin treatment for thyroid hypothyroidism. If this is not done, then at 3-4 months of life complications will begin to develop. Among them:
- Difficulty swallowing.
- Poor appetite.
- Constant flatulence.
- Weak weight gain.
- Constipation
- Hypothermia.
- Dryness and pallor of the skin.
- Muscle weakness.
And at 5-6 months, the delay in physical and psychomotor development is already beginning. This is evidenced by the late closure of the fontanelles, the bridge of the nose is too wide, as well as hypertelorism, which manifests itself in an increased distance between the paired organs.
Complications
It is difficult to avoid their development if such a sad diagnosis is made. Hypothyroidism is fraught with a violation of the central nervous system and the subsequent development of mental retardation, otherwise called oligophrenia. Very rarely there is an extreme degree - cretinism.
A child suffering from a disease lags behind in sexual development and growth, often becomes infected with infections, and then is treated for a long time from them. In addition, it is either impossible or difficult to have an independent chair.
During pregnancy, the pathology is manifested by anomalies - pathologies of the development of internal organs, heart defects, as well as the birth of a baby with functional insufficiency of the gland.
The most rare and serious complication is hypothyroid coma. Elderly patients with advanced pathology and serious concomitant pathologies are susceptible to it. The development of coma is usually promoted by trauma, hypothermia, infections, as well as medications that inhibit the activity of the central nervous system.
What is the manifestation of this condition? For coma, the symptoms are:
- Confused consciousness.
- Dyspnea.
- Progressive inhibition of the central nervous system.
- Low temperature.
- Decreased blood pressure and heart rate.
- Urinary retention.
- Swelling of the body, arms and face.
- Intestinal obstruction.
Any complications are fraught with other consequences, which include coronary heart disease, ischemic stroke, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, infertility, chronically weakened immunity, cancer.
Diagnostics
Hypothyroidism in adults is established by an endocrinologist who reveals a decrease in thyroid function during the examination and clarification of complaints. Laboratory tests are also carried out:
- The level of autoantibodies is determined.
- The level of thyroxine and triiodothyronine is detected.
- A biochemical blood test is performed.
- Ultrasound of the thyroid gland, fine needle biopsy and scintigraphy are performed.
The disease of the congenital form is detected on the 4th-5th day of the infant’s life - an analysis is required to determine TSH.
Principles of Therapy
Treatment of thyroid hypothyroidism can only be prescribed by an endocrinologist. This is a serious disease, and initiative in terms of choosing medications in this case (as in all others, however) can be fraught with serious consequences.
Therapy aims to replace thyroid hormones with their synthetic counterpart, which is L-thyroxine. If a disease of a manifest (clinical) type is diagnosed, substitution treatment is also prescribed.
A latent pathology requires treatment if it is found in a pregnant woman or one that plans to conceive in the near future.
If you believe the reviews left by patients with hypothyroidism, then the normalization of the condition begins already in the first week after the start of medication. In a few months of stable therapy, the clinical symptoms completely disappear. But in debilitated and elderly patients, this takes a longer time.
Special care requires therapy among people with cardiovascular diseases. In them, excess L-thyroxine can cause atrial fibrillation or angina pectoris.
If the disease was triggered by radiation therapy or removal of the gland, then synthetic hormonal drugs are prescribed. With hypothyroidism of this form, they must be taken throughout life. The same therapy is indicated for an autoimmune type of disease. Of course, patients need to be regularly examined by an endocrinologist who will monitor the level of TSH and adjust the dosage of the drugs.
If the pathology arose against the background of another disease, then it will be possible to normalize the function of the gland, eliminating the root cause.
The easiest way to cure hypothyroidism caused by taking specific medications. You just need to cancel their reception by choosing safe analogues.
When the cause is a lack of iodine, then the appointment of special vitamins is chosen as the therapeutic method. With hypothyroidism of this type, you also need to follow a certain diet, implying a variety of diets with seafood and iodized salt.
The worst case is a coma. Patients who encounter it are treated in the intensive care unit or intensive care unit. They can be saved by intravenous administration of thyroid hormones in large quantities. Glucocorticosteroids are also required. Then, correction of electrolyte, hemodynamic and hypoglycemic disorders is carried out.
But these are general clinical guidelines. Hypothyroidism in each case is specific, and therefore requires an individual approach to treatment.
Patient Reviews
They should be discussed in the end. It is logical that people who have encountered this disease want to find out what are the predictions for it, as well as how patients who have been diagnosed with for a long time live.
If you believe the reviews, hypothyroidism is not a sentence. With the congenital form, of course, it all depends on the timeliness of the started therapy. If the disease was identified immediately, then it is possible to prevent violations in the development of the central nervous system.
The quality of life of people following the principles of compensatory therapy is not reduced. There are no restrictions - you just need to take L-thyroxine daily and consume foods enriched with iodine.
What about drugs commonly prescribed for hypothyroidism? In reviews, people often speak well of “Eutirox” - this is a synthetic isomer of thyroxine, identical to it in its action. It not only normalizes hormonal balance, but also increases the oxygen demand of tissues, while stimulating carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism. Other positive effects include an increase in the functional activity of the central nervous system and the cardiovascular system.
Also, Liiotironin is well established. It not only compensates for the deficiency of hormones, but also stimulates tissue growth and increases the rate of processing of nutrients entering the body. It is effective in all forms of hypothyroidism, as well as in myxedema, goiter, pituitary diseases and obesity, provoked by metabolic failures.
Another doctor may prescribe Tireocomb. As you might guess, this is a combined drug, which includes potassium iodide, lyiotironin and levorioxin, as well as excipients.
It is often recommended that you take a drug such as Thyroidin. It contains natural hormones of natural origin, which are extracted from cattle. “Thyroidin” not only normalizes hormonal balance, but also enhances the energy processes in the body and has a positive effect on the liver, kidneys and nervous system.
It is important to remember that the drug is selected by the endocrinologist. If the tool is ineffective, it is replaced with a more powerful analogue. Selection of the optimal dose requires the patient to regularly donate blood for biochemical analysis several times a month.