Hypothyroidism in India: Symptoms, Cause, and Treatment
Why You Should Aware of the Early Symptoms?
Hypothyroidism is a common disease of the thyroid gland which can be caused due to various reasons. It is a very serious disease in India that affects a lot of people between 15-49 years of age. About 1 person in every 10 people in India is affected by this disease. Here is everything you need to know about hypothyroidism in India. Let’s get started.
What is Hypothyroidism?
Hypothyroidism is a disorder of the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland releases thyroid hormone. In this condition, the thyroid gland does not release enough hormones. The thyroid gland travels via blood to all parts of the body. If there is an excess hormone or less hormone then it may cause various symptoms which can disturb the normal functioning of various organs such as muscles, skin, heart, and brain.
Thyroid hormones regulate the metabolism of the body. That’s why it can affect body temperature, utilization of energy from consumed food, heartbeat rate, and calories burned by the body. Less thyroid hormone can make your body sluggy and reduces energy utilization.
Symptoms of Hypothyroidism
Symptoms of hypothyroidism depend on the stage of disorder a person is suffering from. Symptoms do not appear at the early stage. Some common symptoms of hypothyroidism are as follows:
- Fatigues
- Conspiration
- More sensitive toward cold
- Dry and chapped skin
- Hoarseness
- Muscle ache
- Muscle weakness
- Weight gain or weight loss
- Stiffness
- Hair loss
- Depression
- Irregular period
- Low heartbeat
- Impaired memory
- Heavy bleeding during while period
- Goiter
Hypothyroidism is mostly seen in adults but it may occur in infants also. If the infant does not have a thyroid gland or if the gland is not working properly then the baby may be affected by this condition. If you experience any of the following symptoms then you must go for the diagnosis. Nisarga Diagnsotics where you can get free quotes for medical treatments and surgical procedures and Surgery Cost in India at leading hospitals. These symptoms may be seen in infants carrying hypothyroidism disorder:
- Heavy breathing
- Enlargement of tongue
- Jaundice
- Hoarse crying
- Trouble while eating
- Constipation
- Sleepy whole day
- Bad muscle tone
- Umbilical hernia
Teenagers are also affected by hypothyroidism and their symptoms are the same as infants with some additional symptoms which are:
- Delay in the puberty stage
- Poor growth
- Mental issues
- Poor growth or delay in developing teeth
Causes of Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism may be caused due to a primary or secondary condition. The primary cause directly affects the thyroid gland which makes it release less amount of thyroid hormone. A secondary cause is a condition in which the pituitary gland is affected and fails to send the message to the thyroid gland to release thyroid hormones. This condition disturbs the normal level of the thyroid gland. Hypothyroidism can be caused due to any of these reasons:
- Hashimoto’s disease (an autoimmune disease that passes through hereditary).
- Thyroiditis (a condition of inflammation of the thyroid gland).
- Surgical or radiative removal of the thyroid.
- Deficiency of iodine.
- Heredity condition (a disease that passes through the family).
- Pituitary disorder
- Pregnancy
- Congenital disease (disease present in babies from birth).
- De Quervain thyroiditis (Respiratory tract infection that affects the thyroid gland).
Diagnosis of Hypothyroidism
Diagnosis of hypothyroidism is quite difficult as sometimes it can be confused with various other health issues. A blood test called the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test is performed to diagnose the disease. Our Nisarga Diagnostics Center Bangalore is known for one of the best Blood Test Lab in Bangalore. If the thyroid gland has enlarged then it may be diagnosed by physically observing the neck area of the patient.
Prevention of Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is a condition that can not be prevented. You can do only one thing to prevent this serious disease is to check on the symptoms of hypothyroidism. Contact your doctor at the very early stage of the disease so that it doesn’t affect your health. You can manage this disease by catching its early symptoms and start treating it at a very early stage. After fully developing this condition, there is no prevention other than consuming medication for the rest of your life.
Treatment of Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is treated by regulating the thyroid hormone released by the thyroid gland. Levothyroxine medication is provided to regulate this hormone. This medication is provided orally to the patient to increase the level of thyroid hormone.
It is an easily manageable disease. The patient will have to consume the medication regularly for their whole life to maintain the level of thyroid hormone in the body. Regular checkups must be followed with proper medication and appointments with your doctor.
Hypothyroidism is a very serious disease. It can’t be cured once a person is affected. The patient will have to take medication for the rest of their life once affected. So, it is essential to treat this at a very early stage. You must check the symptoms at a very early stage and contact your doctor if you experience any of the symptoms.