Do you have symptoms of an underactive thyroid?
Symptoms of an underactive thyroid can mimic the symptoms of many other diseases and an unhealthy lifestyle.
Do you feel exhausted when you wake up in the morning, I mean really exhausted, even after eight, nine or ten hours of sleep?
Have you gained weight in the past few months, even if you haven't changed your eating habits?
Are you cold all the time, especially your hands and feet?
If you answered yes to these questions, you may have an underactive thyroid.
However, you won't know for sure until you've looked through the full list of symptoms of an underactive thyroid, checked for signs of an underactive thyroid, and undertaken a full thyroid blood test.
Hypothyroidism is often misdiagnosed, underdiagnosed, and poorly treated because there is a list of symptoms that can be confused with another illness or person who is just unhealthy.
Your thyroid gland is responsible for all of the body's main functions and can affect most of the body's major organs and systems. That is why there are so many different symptoms.
This can be very confusing for a doctor unless they are an endocrinologist and do a thorough blood test.
Here are some of the other common symptoms of hypothyroidism.
- Fatigue
- Weight Gain
- Cold Hands / Feet
- Insomnia
- Headache
- Pain
- Depression
- Constipation
- Hair Loss
- Dry Hair - Brittle Nails
- poor memory
- poor concentration
- heavy periods
- low libido
Along with your symptoms, there are very common signs of an underactive thyroid. These are the visual signs your doctor should look out for during your assessment.
- Loss of the lateral third of the eyebrow
- thinning or hair loss
- swelling of the face
- swollen tongue
- hoarse voice
- swollen neck just below the Adam's apple
- slow reflexes
- low body temperature
- swelling under the eyes
In addition to checking the signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism, you can also check your body temperature.
In the morning, when your body is completely at rest and moving as little as possible, place a thermometer under your armpits and leave it there for ten minutes. If you are using a digital thermometer, place it on your bedside table the night before. Leave the thermometer turned off for up to ten minutes, then turn it on and take the measurement.
If you still have your period, measure the temperature on days 2, 3, and 4 of your cycle to increase accuracy. Take measurements for three days.
The normal temperature of the armpit is 97.8 to 98.2 degrees.
There is a clear correlation between a drop in resting body temperature and thyroid function. However, this is only part of the puzzle.
Don't just rely on your own tests and look for signs and symptoms.
The most accurate diagnosis will be made when your doctor takes into account your hypothyroid symptoms / signs, family history, body temperature, and a complete thyroid blood test.
The most common treatments for hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism refers to a condition in which the body does not have enough thyroid hormones. The lack of thyroid hormone is due to the inability of the thyroid to produce more than one. Because the hormone is very important for the body's metabolism, the person with hypothyroidism has a slow metabolism and other related problems. In some cases, physical and mental growth is even affected. It is estimated that millions of Americans are diagnosed with hypothyroidism every year. Above all, women are generally more susceptible to the development of such a disease than men. Due to its prevalence, the development of various types of underactive thyroid therapies has aroused great interest.
Thyroid hormone replacement therapy
One of the most effective forms of treatment is thyroid hormone replacement therapy. Since the condition is characterized by hormone deficiency, it is enough to replace the missing hormone. To better understand the idea behind thyroid hormone replacement therapy, it is best to learn about the interaction of the two thyroid hormones T3 and T4. T3 is known as triiodothyronine, while T4 is known as tetraiodothyronine or thyroxine. T3 and T4 are both important for a person's metabolism. If the body does not have enough T3 and T3, the metabolism can be severely impaired. The body's energy consumption is also affected. Although T3 is considered the most active type of hormone, T4 is equally important. In fact, T4 is more associated with the treatment of hypothyroidism than T3. The main reason is that T3 hormones are actually T4 hormones. The main advantage of T4 therapy is that the body gains the capacity for some of the functions it needs before a thyroid malfunction. In addition, the half-life of a T4 hormone would be longer than that of T3. This is where the importance of T4 therapy comes in.
T4 supplement
In addition to T4 therapy, T4 supplements are also used to treat hypothyroidism. In particular, the T4 supplement for hypothyroidism is performed by administering a synthetic thyroid hormone, collectively called levothyroxine. Over the years, T4 supplementation has been considered the standard treatment / medication for such a condition. Other types of T4 supplements that can be used include:
- Levo-T
- Novothyrox
- Levothyroxine sodium
- Synthroid
- Levoxyl
- Unithroid
Synthroid is considered the most commonly prescribed type of T4 in hypothyroidism. It is able to provide the body with a constant and long-lasting flow of T4. It is also very inexpensive compared to other synthetic forms of T4. Other treatments can also be prescribed, but this depends on the condition and the doctor.