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Hypothyroid Danger Symptoms

Hypothyroidism is caused by insufficient levels of thyroid hormone, which reduce the patient's metabolism and can lead to severe or even dangerous effects. It is typically diagnosed via a blood test.

  1. Significance

    • According to endocrineweb.com, 10 million Americans are believed to have hypothyroidism. Untreated, it can increase the risk of heart disease and heart failure. Women could also experience complications during pregnancy, increasing the risk of birth defects.

    Causes

    • The common causes of hypothyroid include an inflamed thyroid gland, congenital birth defects, viral thyroiditis and Hashimoto's disease---an autoimmune condition that attacks the thyroid gland.

    Symptoms

    • Hypothyroidism symptoms include goiter, a thyroid lump; high cholesterol; high blood pressure; depression; infertility; and irregular menstrual cycles, reports endocrineweb.com.

    Treatment

    • Hypothyroidism generally cannot be prevented. Treatment options include medication to regulate the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels to normal range. Treatment lasts during the patient's lifetime with constant monitoring.

    Warnings

    • Hypothyroidism has the potential to cause dementia---severe mental deterioration---in elderly patients, according to healthcentral.com. It can also cause rare, life-threatening conditions, including a myxedema coma (a loss of brain function) and suppurative thyroiditis, which is a thyroid gland infection.

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