Hypothyroidism, Causes, Signs and Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment.

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Chapters

0:00 Introduction
1:24 Causes of Hypothyroidism
2:02 Symptoms of Hypothyroidism
3:27 Diagnosis of Hypothyroidism
3:59 Treatment of Hypothyroidism



Hypothyroidism, also called underactive thyroid or low thyroid, is a disorder of the endocrine system in which the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone.[3] It can cause a number of symptoms, such as poor ability to tolerate cold, a feeling of tiredness, constipation, slow heart rate, depression, and weight gain.[3] Occasionally there may be swelling of the front part of the neck due to goiter.[3] Untreated cases of hypothyroidism during pregnancy can lead to delays in growth and intellectual development in the baby or congenital iodine deficiency syndrome.[4]

Worldwide, too little iodine in the diet is the most common cause of hypothyroidism.[7][8] Hashimoto's thyroiditis is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in countries with sufficient dietary iodine.[3] Less common causes include previous treatment with radioactive iodine, injury to the hypothalamus or the anterior pituitary gland, certain medications, a lack of a functioning thyroid at birth, or previous thyroid surgery.[3][9] The diagnosis of hypothyroidism, when suspected, can be confirmed with blood tests measuring thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroxine levels.[3]