subject: Hypothyroidism And Hormonal Imbalances [print this page] Our thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped gland found in the neck. This gland is responsible for producing thyroid hormones through the use of iodine found usually in bread, salt, as well as seafood.
One common condition affecting thyroids is called hypothyroidism. This condition is very common that according to survey, more or less 5% of the population has some form of it. Also, according to surveys, hypothyroidism occurs in more women rather than men and as the age increases, the number of affected women increases, too.
When a certain person has hypothyroidism, he or she has abnormally low thyroid hormone production. Thyroid hormones are necessary for the development of mind and body of babies while for older people, thyroid hormones are essential for metabolism. When there is hypothyroidism, many other disorders may occur in a persons body.
There are several causes of hypothyroidism in adults and this list includes thyroid destruction, Hashimotos thyroiditis, lymphocytic thyroiditis, pituitary or hypothalamic disease, medications and massive iodine deficiency.
In the US, the most common reason of hypothyroidism is called Hashimotos thyroiditis. The condition is derived from the name of Dr. Hakaru Hashimoto, the first doctor to describe it. When you have this condition, your thyroid gland, more commonly called as goiter, is bigger than usual and your thyroid now cannot produce as much hormones as it usually does. Hashimotos can be an inherited condition.
Another cause of hypothyroidism is called lymphocytic thyroiditis. This condition usually occurs after pregnancy wherein inflammation of thyroid gland happens. The inflammation is caused by lymphocyte, a certain type of white blood cell so it is called as lymphocytic thyroiditis. This condition can last up top 6 months.
Those people who have undergone radioactive iodine may suffer malfunctioning thyroid tissue or in some cases, no functioning thyroid tissue at all. If this situation continues the result will be hypothyroidism.
The thyroid glands are also one of the primary glands along with hypothalamus and pituitary glands that are responsible for producing reproductive hormones. When the thyroid glands fail to function, hormonal imbalance occurs and if not addressed properly, female infertility may result. All these primary glands may be affected due to changes in weight, stress, medication.
Most of the time, it is hard to determine whether a person already has hypothyroidism. These symptoms are not very specific so it is hard to recognize them. The symptoms only become more visible if the condition is already getting worse. Simple symptoms include fatigue, depression, dry hair and constipation. On the other hand, severe conditions show puffiness around the eyes, heart rate is slower and theres a drop in body temperature.
