The Effects of Hypothyroidism:

The Effects of Hypothyroidism:

         Hypothyroidism not only effects’ a person physically, but also mentally. The thyroid hormone slows down, causing not enough chemical reaction to occur for the body to function correctly. Hypothyroidism over time, if not known in a person, will slowly kill you. Things such as hearing will be hard and breathing will too.(Arem and Clinical) Along with the ability of knowing where an object is in front of you (perception) and the difference between right and wrong (your conscience).(Arem) But if you know the effects of what it does to the body and catch the problem quickly, hypothyroidism is easy to treat.

         Hypothyroidism is more commonly found in women than in men. Which can be a problem but can be dealt with. Most women do not realize that they have the disease until they start gaining weight or can’t maintain it, which is the most tell-tale sign that you have hypothyroidism.(Hypothyroidism) Some women do not realize they have the disease, because they get it during their pregnancy, because of the imbalance of hormones occurring throughout their body.(Arem) If the woman does have hypothyroidism and does not know it during her pregnancy, it can result in a miscarriage. If a woman is trying to get pregnant and does not know she has the disease, the resulting pregnancy could be difficult because hypothyroidism can cause infertility.(Arem) When this occurs, a series of tests are done to see what is wrong and one of the things they test for is hypothyroidism. They do several blood tests, one in particular measures your hormone levels and another tests for your pituitary gland thyroid-stimulating hormone (THS).(Clinical and Arem) Other causes of hypothyroidism are inflammation of the thyroid gland and any virus that can attack the thyroid gland. Another cause of hypothyroidism is if a person has had a x-ray treatment for a cancer of the head and or neck and was exposed to the radiation.(Clinical) But hypothyroidism does not only occur in women, it also can occur in men. Napoleon Bonaparte, one of history’s famous military leaders, had this disease. It affected him more mentally than physically.(Arem) It seems that hypothyroidism in men affects them more mentally than physically. In women it occurs both ways at different times, it first affects them physically, and then over time, mentally.

         When the thyroid gland is not making enough chemical reactions, it messes with the hormone levels, resulting in adverse effects to the body both physically and mentally. The physical signs of hypothyroidism include being tired, weight gain, muscle cramps, constipation, pain in the joints and muscles, thickened skin as well as dry and pale skin, brittle hair resulting in hair loss including the eyebrow hair, and feeling cold even in warm temperatures. If the deficiency of hormone levels become severe, other physical signs become apparent including premature gray hair, deepening or hoarse voice and swollen eyelids. If you are a woman, a milky discharge from the breast (gallactorrhea) and heavy and prolonged menstrual periods can also be another sign.(Hypothyroidism) Muscle damage can also occur causing myopathy, which results in high levels of creatine phosphokinase known as CPK, other nerve damage like seizures and delay in muscle reactions can also occur.(Arem) If a person does not respond to these physical symptoms, worse situations will occur, including pleural effusion (accumulation of fluid between the layers of the membrane that line the lungs and chest cavity), intestinal obstruction, sleep apnea (a temporary stoppage of breathing during sleep), and impaired control of respiration in the brain.(Arem) Also loss of hearing and enlargement of the heart which may result in heart loss. A person that has developed severe hypothyroidism, and is not on medication to correct the problem, can slip into a state of myxedema coma. This is triggered by exposure to extreme cold or by other illnesses such as a severe infection or stroke. If a person falls into this type of coma, they will show signs of hypothermia (a very low temperature), hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and will often need to be on a respirator.(Arem) If this condition is not corrected, it can lead to death.

         Along with physical effects, there are also mental effects as well. The mental symptoms include: depression, mental inactiveness, forgetfulness, decrease in ability to pay attention, slow thought and speech, irritability, increased sleepiness, hallucinations and paranoid delusions, and dementia.(Hypothyroidism and Arem) Some other symptoms are, emotional instability, a loss of ambition, decreased interest in family, friends, work, etc., a pronounced fear of public places or open areas (known as agoraphobia), and even severe manic behavior. Many of these symptoms only occur in the most severe cases, but can occur minimally in less severe cases. Not all people exhibit the same symptoms, or degree of symptoms either. This is because each person possesses a different personality trait, and lives in a different environmental and social areas.

         Hypothyroidism is a disease that can be treated if you get tested. Depending on how long you have had the disease the treatment can be different, but if indeed you don’t have hypothyroidism it might be because you have something similar to it; hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism is when the thyroid is overactive.(Arem) Some similarities include being unable to maintain weight, hair loss, shortness of breath, weakness in the muscles, emotional withdraw and for women a decreased in fertility.(Hypothyroidism) Both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are treated with various treatments.

         Hypothyroidism has many different treatments that a patient can choose from depending upon the severity of the disease. If surgery is considered, a patient has the option to remove the thyroid gland completely or partially remove it.(Hypothyroidism) If this is done, a synthetic thyroid hormone will be prescribed to the person to take for the rest of their lives to keep the thyroid hormones active throughout the body for the necessary means to make chemical reactions. If there is a problem with the pituitary gland which controls the thyroid gland to make the thyroid hormone, there are a number of different drugs that can be prescribed to the patient.(Clinical) The most common treatment for hypothyroidism is levothyroxine sodium (the more well know name is Synthroid or Levoxyl).(Clinical) The amount of the dosage a patient is given is based on how long they have had the disease and the patients age, along with that, if they take any medications as well as the current hormone levels. Certain drugs can interfere with the purpose of the drug and make it not as effective or even worse; not help the hormone at all. As in the case of over-the-counter (OTC) medications for a simple cold, this OTC drug can send the patient into a drug induced depression. This medicine also does not produce any allergic reactions. But because of how age effects how well the drug will work in a certain patient, first six month check-ups are required to monitor the hormone levels, followed by annual check ups are required so they can give you a correct dose of medicine.(Arem, Hypothyroidism, and Clinical)

         The effects of hypothyroidism in each patient occurs differently so not all symptoms will be shown in each person. Mental symptoms over time will occur, but will be not as severe to a person if they begin treatment for the disease as soon as it is diagnosed. Not all symptoms will show up in all patients, and diagnosis can tricky. The disease might be confused with hyperthyroidism, diabetes, or even some blood cancers. The only way to effectively know if you have hypothyroidism is to be checked by your physician.

Work Cited

Arem, Ridha M. D. The Thyroid Solution. New York:
         Ballantine Books, 1999. (Arem)
Hypothyroidism. 23 March 2005. (Hypothyroidism)
         http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/thyroid/HypothyroidismHP.html
Hypothyroidism. Clinical Reference Systems.
         Jan 1, 2004. Mckesson Solutions LLC (Clinical)