Both overactive and underactive thyroid are alarming for your well-being. Therefore, proper health management through lifestyle choices and medical guidance are of immense importance. In underactive thyroid, medically termed hypothyroidism, the thyroid gland produces an inadequate amount of thyroid hormones.
Early-stage hypothyroidism may not cause significant signs. Over time, an underactive thyroid ensures a number of complications obesity, nerve damage, joint pain, heart problems, fertility issues, and further. You may consider talking to the best physician in Siliguri. Read on to know better insights.
Knowing the Signs & Symptoms
You may not identify that you have this thyroid disorder early on. Here, signs depend on the extremity of the condition. Possible discomforts/signs include:
- Fatigue
- Gaining weight
- Dry skin
- Depression
- Unusual sensitivity to cold
- Hoarseness
- Puffy face
- Constipation
- Hair thinning
- Slowed heart rate
- Muscle ache, weakness, stiffness
- Increased levels of cholesterol
- Swelling in the joints
- Irregular, heavier, menstrual periods in females
- Impaired memory
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Infants, children, and teens are also likely to develop hypothyroidism. This medical condition is more common in young adults, adults, and seniors, however. Reach out to your medical care provider if you suspect or develop any of such signs.
What Leads to Hypothyroidism
An untreated health condition is bound to give adverse effects. And untreated hypothyroidism is no exception to this. Here’s what to know:
- Being female may put you at risk of hypothyroidism
- Family history, especially thyroid disorder in first-degree relatives increases your risk
- Age over 60 is another risk factor here
- An underlying or pre-existing autoimmune disease like type 1 diabetes
- Past thyroid surgery
- Received radiation therapy to the neck
- Recent pregnancy
Before pregnancy planning do consult a specialist so as to learn proper insight into healthy eating and lifestyle choices. This may help prevent the chance of complications. Given below are the possible effects of hypothyroidism on pregnancy:
- Low birth weight
- Anemia
- Preeclampsia
- Miscarriage
- Birth defects
- Stillbirth
Overall health complications of hypothyroidism include:
- Goiter. In this medical condition, the thyroid gland becomes larger.
- Damage to the peripheral nervous system, leading to numbness, tingling sensation, and pain
- Heart disease is associated with the risk of underactive thyroid that may cause even heart failure
- Infertility is a common health hazard of untreated hypothyroidism
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Myxedema, however, is a rare complication of hypothyroidism, causing lethargy, cold sensitivity, low body temperature, trouble breathing, confusion
Diagnosis may include listening to your symptoms, reviewing your medical history, and ordering blood tests. Once the test reports ensure you have this medical condition, your health care provider sets a treatment plan. If you have both hypothyroidism and diabetes, you may consult the leading consultant physician and diabetologist in Siliguri.
The most common treatment involves medications. The power of synthetic thyroid meds depends on the level/range of the hormone. This oral med helps you cope with the deficiency easily. But lifestyle choices are nothing to overlook. Since it’s a lifelong condition, you should move to strategic lifestyle modifications.