Hypothyroidism – Causes And Symptoms

Hypothyroidism refers to any state in which thyroid hormone production is below normal. There are many disorders that result in hypothyroidism. These disorders may directly or indirectly involve the thyroid gland. Because thyroid hormone affects growth, development, and many cellular processes, inadequate thyroid hormone has widespread consequences for the body.

Hypothyroidism most often affects 50 plus aged women. Many may attribute their underactive thyroid signs as simply aging, since they typically develop slowly over time. Periodically testing your thyroid function is highly recommended if you are in this age group.

Untreated hypothyroidism in infants can cause brain damage, leading to mental retardation and developmental delays. Every state in the United States tests newborns for hypothyroidism. The hypothalamus is a brain structure that normally signals the pituitary gland to make thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), which causes the thyroid to make thyroid hormones. Some medical problems can affect either the hypothalamus or the pituitary gland, and interrupt the chain of signals from the brain to the thyroid.

What are thyroid hormones?

Thyroid hormones stimulate the metabolism of cells. They are produced by the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is located in the lower part of the neck, below the Adam's apple. The gland wraps around the windpipe (trachea) and has a shape that is similar to a butterfly formed by two wings (lobes) and attached by a middle part (isthmus).

Causes of Hyperthyroidism
It is usually associated with other autoimmune endocrinopathies. Graves' disease is an autoimmune disorder and it may be occur by the production of auto antibodies that attach to and then stimulate thyroid hormone receptors on the thyroid gland. A goiter is an enlarged thyroid gland and it may be occur due to result of increased stimulation or a response to increased metabolic demand.

Adult Causes

Pituitary and Hypothalamic disease
Both the hypothalamus and pituitary gland are involved in the signaling pathways that control the function of the thyroid gland. Diseases of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland can, therefore, affect the amount of thyroid hormone made and secreted by the thyroid gland. Hypothyroidism due to pituitary disease is termed "secondary hypothyroidism," while hypothyroidism due to hypothalamic disease is termed "tertiary hypothyroidism."

In hypothyroidism, patients can have a wide variety of symptoms but generally there is slowing of metabolic processes. There is a range of hypothyroidism that consists of subclinical to overt hypothyroidism to myxedema. Patient who are older have fewer signs and symptoms and in both young and old patients there is little correlation between clinical and biochemical manifestations

Each individual patient will have any number of these symptoms which will vary with the severity of the thyroid hormone deficiency and the length of time the body has been deprived of the proper amount of hormone. Some patients will have one of these symptoms as their main complaint, while another will not have that problem at all and will be suffering from a different symptom. Most will have a combination of a number of these symptoms. Occasionally, some patients with hypothyroidism have no symptoms at all, or they are just so subtle that they go unnoticed.