Effectively Treating Hypothyroidism: Strategies for Hormonal Balance and Well-being

Hypothyroidism is usually challenging to recognize because the symptoms that occur are relatively unspecific. In addition, only minor symptoms are noticeable at the beginning, so the dysfunction is often only recognized late. What are the signs of hypothyroidism, and how is it diagnosed and treated? You can find out more about this here.

Typical symptoms of an underactive thyroid

The first symptoms that can occur with an underactive thyroid are:

• fatigue
• an increased need for sleep
• listlessness
• depressive moods
• difficulty concentrating
• slowed reflexes
• Cold feeling

It can also lead to weight gain despite losing appetite, increased blood lipid levels, muscle weakness, a hoarse voice, hair loss and brittle nails. Goiter, on the other hand, occurs only rarely.

It is tough to identify hypothyroidism in older people. They usually only have isolated symptoms, which are often attributed to the patient’s advanced age. These symptoms include, for example, declining physical and mental performance.

 

Hypothyroidism in Children

Children who suffer from an underactive thyroid often notice slower physical and mental development. In infants, the disorder can become noticeable through muscle and drinking weakness. Growth is often impaired in older children. In addition, the children are often overweight. It is also typical that the onset of puberty is delayed.

Diagnosis of an underactive thyroid

If there is a suspicion of an underactive thyroid, the doctor usually carries out a blood test as the first measure. In this way, he can determine the concentration of the hormone TSH. If there is a hypothalamus or pituitary gland disorder, the TSH value is reduced. If, on the other hand, the thyroid tissue is no longer working correctly, the value is increased.

In addition to the TSH value, the blood test can also determine the concentration of the thyroid hormones. In the case of hypothyroidism, these are at the lower limit of the normal range or below. If specific antibodies are detected in the blood, this indicates Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

In addition to blood tests, imaging methods such as ultrasound and scintigraphy can also provide important information. If the thyroid gland is inflamed, the organ will appear relatively dark on ultrasound. The patient is injected with a radioactive substance into a vein during scintigraphy. If the thyroid gland is underactive, this is not absorbed or only to a small extent.

 

Correct treatment of an underactive thyroid

An underactive thyroid is usually not curable and must be treated with medication for the rest of your life. If the medication is well-adjusted, those affected can have an everyday life. Life expectancy is also not reduced by hypothyroidism.

The treatment aims to correct the resulting hormone deficiency. For this reason, the missing thyroid hormones are supplied to the body via tablets containing synthetically produced thyroxine. If an iodine deficiency is the cause of the disorder, additional iodine tablets can be prescribed.

As a rule, the affected patients are first given a low dose of thyroxine. This is slowly increased with regular blood tests until a sufficient dose is determined. This procedure is essential because too high a dose of thyroxine preparations can lead to side effects such as cardiac arrhythmia. Regular check-ups are also necessary for further treatment.

Myxedema coma is relatively rare.

If hypothyroidism is not recognized or not appropriately treated over a long period, myxedema coma can occur in rare cases. Infections or operations can also trigger such a coma. Symptoms typically include low blood pressure, decreased body temperature, slow breathing, and weakness or immobility. Such a condition requires immediate intensive care treatment.

Hypothyroidism in pregnancy

During pregnancy, even a slight hypofunction of the thyroid gland can be enough to trigger a miscarriage or premature birth. If it is already known before pregnancy that such an underfunction is present, the thyroid gland must be examined regularly during pregnancy. The dosage of the medication may also need to be slightly increased.

If an underactive thyroid is suspected in a previously healthy woman, the concentration of thyroid hormones in the blood should be determined immediately. In the case of women who themselves or whose close relatives have already had a thyroid disease, such an examination should ideally be carried out before pregnancy.

If there is an underactive thyroid, it can be treated by administering hormones. If these are dosed correctly, the treatment has no side effects.

 

Hypothyroidism when trying to have children

If the desire to have children remains unfulfilled over a more extended period, hypothyroidism should also be considered as the cause. When the body notices that the concentration of thyroid hormones is too low, the hypothalamus releases more of the hormone TRH. This stimulates the activity of the thyroid gland.

At the same time, however, the release of the hormone prolactin is also promoted. An increased prolactin level can disrupt the maturation of the egg cells or suppress ovulation.

Prevent hypothyroidism

As a rule, it is not possible to actively prevent hypothyroidism. The only exception is when an iodine deficiency triggers the hypofunction. Therefore, always make sure you have a sufficiently high iodine intake. This applies particularly to pregnant women and nursing mothers with an increased need for iodine. It may also be helpful for them to take additional iodine tablets.

More significant amounts of iodine are found in the following foods, among others:

• sea ​​fish and mussels
• Dairy products like butter and yoghurt
• Owner
• Kiwi
• Spinach
• beef
• black tea

The use of iodized table salt is also recommended to prevent thyroid gland malfunction.