Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is a malfunction of the thyroid gland in which the gland stops producing the normal amount of hormones. It is also known as underactive thyroid. The thyroid is a very important part of the machine that is our body and if it is not producing enough hormones the body is greatly affected. The symptoms can vary from person to person and there are a few different things that may be the cause of this disorder.

First of all, how do you know you have hypothyroidism? It's definitely tricky sometimes to connect a whole bunch of symptoms that could be individually be easily shrugged off. When it comes to having an underactive thyroid it'll usually come down to a combination of a few of these symptoms and also the consistency of them to consider. Regardless, if you have any medical concerns it is always best to consult a doctor even if it's just for your peace of mind.

Quite often one of the main symptoms of an underactive thyroid is a complete lack of energy. The other obvious sign is an enlarged gland or lump where your thyroid gland is situated. If you are getting a good amount of sleep and really struggling with exhaustion and tired muscles this could be an indicator. Also dry skin and hair or brittle nails and hair can be present. Another symptom is memory loss, lack of concentration and focus. Other most common symptoms are weight gain, low libido and even infertility to name a few.

If you are concerned that you are suffering from some of these symptoms and would like to be checked a simple visit to your local doctor should provide you with the answers you're looking for. Once you've had a chat with your doctor about your symptoms and history, he'll perform a physical examination and proceed to take some blood from you. This blood will be tested to see if you have hypothyroidism.

If you don't then you can eliminate this possibility and continue the search to find out what's causing your symptoms. If the blood test comes back and you do have an underactive thyroid, then your doctor has a few options for treatment. Depending on the cause he may place you on some sort of hormone replacements to counter for the lack of thyroid hormones being released. He may also arrange for you to speak with a health professional who specialises in diet and exercise to specifically improve hypothyroidism.

A certain amount of diet and exercise can help with the main issue of underactive thyroid. Certain alterations can also relieve symptoms. One of the main causes of this disorder is a lack of iodine in the diet. This is found in various products such as bread and seafood. Exercise can help with transforming one hormone into another one that has a stronger and more important function. This should happen naturally on it's own but does not so much when suffering from an underactive thyroid.