March 09, 2021

Dockyard : Keep thyroid under check

Hyperthyroidism can be treated in many ways. However, a doctor chooses the line of treatment based on several variables like the underlying cause, the age of the patient, the size of the thyroid gland and the presence of coexisting medical illnesses

Most people know that stress can cause various health problems. We are living in a scenario where every person lives under stress. Especially the pandemic has taken a toll on everyone’s health apart from that sedentary lifestyle such as lack of exercise, smoking, drinking, junk food eating, lack of sleeping especially where people work in the night shifts, desk jobs, tension of target completion, the pressure of board meetings, client pressure, etc. All these factors in totality lead to stress.

Many people don’t know that stress can also cause thyroid. Hypothyroidism or thyroid refers to any state in which thyroid hormone production is below normal. The symptoms are usually milder at the beginning but develop gradually as the condition deteriorates.

The symptoms of hypothyroidism are often subtle but can include:

  • Increased cholesterol levels
  • State of depression
  • Losing or gaining weight
  • Swollen neck
  • Mood swings
  • Low energy
  • Hair loss
  • Constipation
  • Dry skin
  • Brittle nails
  • Problem with vision
  • Trembling of hands.

In today’s generation thyroid is a very common problem especially post 25 years of age and women are 4 times more prone to thyroid disorders than men. Undiagnosed and untreated thyroid disease can be a cause for infertility or frequent miscarriage.

An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) is a condition in which the thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough of certain important hormones. For women, there is a link between hypothyroidism and infertility. Low levels of thyroid hormone can interfere with ovulation, which impairs fertility.

Since standard thyroid blood tests are not sensitive enough to detect low ovarian tissue levels the majority of the time. Women must find a knowledgeable physician who understands that standard tests will often not be useful in detecting low ovarian thyroid levels. If you feel the above-mentioned symptoms immediately go for TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) test, Chest X-ray, T4, or thyroxin test.

Treatment: Hyperthyroidism can be treated in many ways. However, a doctor chooses the line of treatment based on several variables like the underlying cause of hyperthyroidism, the age of the patient, the size of the thyroid gland, and the presence of coexisting medical illnesses.

If you are found to have hypothyroidism, thyroid hormone replacement is very effective in restoring fertility. It may take one-two months to normalise your thyroid hormone levels with medication; and once you start medication, you must check your TSH levels to confirm they are in the normal range. You will usually need to continue the medicines for the rest of your life and recheck your thyroid function every six months or so.

http://www.indiapress.org/gen/news.php/The_Pioneer/400x60/0

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