The thyroid gland, an endocrine organ located at the front of the neck and attached to the trachea and larynx, plays an important role in producing and secreting thyroid hormone that regulates the balance of body metabolism, as well as helping the production of calcitonin that regulates blood calcium levels. I am doing Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the concentration of thyroid hormone required in the body is lower than normal or is deficient, resulting in decreased metabolism of peripheral tissues.
The cause of hypothyroidism can be classified into primary due to an abnormality in the thyroid gland itself and secondary due to abnormality in the pituitary gland, which secretes thyroid hormone. The most common cause of primary hypothyroidism is an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, which is known to occur in about 70% to 85% of cases. In addition, hypothyroidism can occur even if the thyroid gland is destroyed or removed by factors such as damage to the thyroid gland due to continuous inflammation of the thyroid gland or iodine treatment or surgery.
In addition, if it is secondary to damage to the pituitary gland, it is known that radiation or surgery may cause damage to the pituitary tissue or cause time-limited syndrome due to complications after childbirth. Now, let’s take a closer look at the various symptoms, treatment and management of hypothyroidism.
Main symptoms of hypothyroidism
When hypothyroidism occurs, the main symptoms are a decrease in the metabolic rate due to a lack of thyroid hormone and a decrease in metabolic function. You get tired easily, you get cold easily, and your face, hands, and feet swell. In addition, due to muscle pain, numbness in arms and legs, and decreased appetite, weight increases even when food intake is small, and the skin becomes pale and dry. In addition, symptoms such as a resting voice or slurred speech, memory loss, etc. may appear, and constipation due to decreased gastrointestinal motility may worsen. And in the case of women, anovulation symptoms and bleeding during menstruation may increase due to endocrine abnormalities.
This hypothyroidism is not easy to self-aware because it progresses slowly over a long period of time. If symptoms are not treated, symptoms may worsen even more, and complications such as hyperlipidemia or heart disease may occur due to continuous metabolic disturbances that occur thereafter. In addition, since continuous worsening of symptoms can lead to serious situations such as unconsciousness, it is recommended that early diagnosis and examination be carried out when signs of suspicious symptoms appear, and prompt treatment is recommended.
Treatment and management of hypothyroidism
1. Treatment through diagnosis and examination
Hypothyroidism is diagnosed accurately by examining the symmetry of the thyroid nodules, touch and size, and at the same time conducting a clinical test to measure the thyroid stimulating hormone concentration and blood thyroid hormone concentration. And if you are diagnosed with hypothyroidism through these various processes, you will be given a thyroid hormone medication to make up for the lack of thyroid hormone. In most cases, once hypothyroidism occurs, you should continue taking thyroid hormone medication, and you should not stop taking it even if your symptoms have improved. However, if it is caused by chronic thyroiditis, it may occur temporarily or recover naturally after treatment. In addition, blood tests are performed periodically while taking thyroid hormones to check the progress of treatment. In particular, if you are pregnant, the amount of thyroid hormone required may increase, so blood tests are more important.
2. Moderate exercise and stress management
In order to increase the basal metabolic rate, which is decreased due to hypothyroidism, it is also an important management habit to consistently exercise appropriate for one’s body. In addition, as excessive stress is well known as the main cause of disturbance of metabolic function, it is important to reduce stress-causing factors as much as possible. It is important to persist. In addition, smoking and excessive drinking habits are also factors that cause problems with normal metabolic function, so it is necessary to change the habits you want to limit.
3. A healthy and balanced diet
In preventing and relieving symptoms of hypothyroidism, it is also important to have a diet consisting of a variety of vegetables and fruits. In particular, in order to prevent constipation, which is the main symptom of hypothyroidism, it is recommended to eat enough foods such as cabbage and tomatoes, and it is also important to consume enough calories to compensate for the falling basal metabolic rate.
It is also important to consume iodine, which helps the synthesis and secretion of thyroid hormones such as triiodothyronine and thyroxine, which are secreted by the thyroid gland. Not only seaweed, seaweed, seaweed, kelp, etc., but also saury, mackerel, shrimp, abalone, oysters, eggs, broccoli, cabbage, and dairy products such as milk and cheese are rich in iodine. However, it is known that excessive intake of health functional foods with iodine added to relieve symptoms can cause problems.
