WHAT IS HYPOTHYROIDISM?
Hypothyroidism is a disorder of the endocrine system in which the thyroid gland, found in the neck, fails to produce enough of the hormone thyroxine, which affects almost all of the body’s systems. It plays a crucial role in heart and digestive function, metabolism, brain development, bone health and muscle control.
Deficient levels of thyroxine can lead to tiredness, weight gain, low mood, dry skin, hair loss and sensitivity to the cold. Severe and prolonged deficiency can also cause heart muscle damage.
Also known as low or underactive thyroid, hypothyroidism affects fewer than two in every 100 women, and just one in 1,000 men.
Most cases of underactive thyroid are caused either by the immune system attacking the thyroid gland, or by damage caused to it by previous treatment for thyroid cancer.
Many symptoms of an underactive thyroid are the same as those of other conditions, so it can easily be confused for something else. The only accurate way of diagnosing hypothyroidism is by a blood test to measure hormone levels.
Conventional treatment for hypothyroidism is hormone replacement with a synthetic form of thyroxine, taken daily in pill form: T4 (thyroxine) is considered the standard treatment, while T3 (liothyronine) is stronger. Combining T3 and T4 has been shown to improve efficacy in some patients.