Hypothyroid Symptoms
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Causes
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The most common cause of hypothyroidism is an autoimmune disease referred to as Hashimoto's Disease. Hashimoto's disease occurs when the patient's own immune system causes a failure in thyroid production.
Other causes include thyroid surgery in which the thyroid gland is removed or radioative idoine therapy where part of the thyroid is killed to prevent goiters from forming. This is typically done in cases where the the thyroid is producing too much hormone.
Symptoms
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Common symptoms of hypothyroidism include extreme fatigue, depression, feeling cold, hair loss, weight gain or trouble losing weight, irregular menstrual periods, difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness and irritability.
Diagnosis
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Hypothryoidism is diagnosed through a blood test which measures a patient's TSH (Thyroid Stimulation Hormone) levels.
Treatment
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Hypothyroidism is easily treated by taking a synthetic thyroid hormone pill daily.
Follow-up
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It is very important to have your TSH levels checked on a regular basis, as they can fluctuate. You may find that your dosage will change from time to time depending on you TSH levels.
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