Hypothyroidism symptoms and treatment, diet for hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is the most common form of functional changes in the thyroid gland. This pathology develops due to long-term sustainable deficit gland hormones or reduce their biological efficacy at the cellular level.

For a long time the disease can not be shown. This is because the process develops gradually. In mild to moderate disease patient health may be satisfactory, as considered erased symptoms like depression, fatigue or pregnancy (if present).

In women of reproductive age cases represent 2% in older women and men, this figure rises to 10%. Deficiency of thyroid hormones causes system failures in the work of the whole organism.

What it is?

Hypothyroidism - a process that occurs due to lack of thyroid hormones in the thyroid gland. This disease occurs in about one out of a thousand men and nineteen women out of a thousand.

Often there are cases when the disease is difficult to detect, and over the long term. The cause of diagnostic difficulties is the fact that the disease occurs and develops slowly, and it is characterized by signs, which is difficult to know exactly hypothyroidism. Symptoms usually mistaken for simple fatigue, women - during pregnancy or anything else.

Causes of

Hypothyroidism is innate, that is, the child is already diagnosed in the neonatal period, sometimes until the age of one year, and acquired - in 99% of cases.

Causes of acquired hypothyroidism:

• autoimmune thyroiditis, chronic type (leads to irreversible hypothyroidism);
• iatrogenic hypothyroidism - occurs during therapy with radioactive iodine or removal of the thyroid gland;
• reception thyreostatics for the treatment of diffuse toxic goiter;
• prolonged acute shortage of iodine.

Congenital hypothyroidism is the result of congenital abnormalities of the thyroid gland, disorders of the hypothalamus and pituitary, thyroid pathological disintegration hormones and adverse effects on the fetus during fetal development - the use of the future mother of various drugs, the presence of an autoimmune pathology.

Insufficient amount of thyroid hormones in congenital hypothyroidism results in persistent breach of the central nervous system development of the child, including bark brain, causing delays in his mental development, the wrong structure of the musculoskeletal system and other important authorities.

Statistics

Hypothyroidism occurs in Russia with a frequency of about 19 per 1,000 in women and 1 in 1,000 males. Despite the prevalence of hypothyroidism is often detected too late.

This is because the symptoms of the disorder have a gradual onset and nonspecific forms erased. Many doctors regard them as a result of fatigue or the effects of other diseases or pregnancy, and do not refer patients for analysis thyritropic level of hormones in the blood. thyroid hormones regulate energy metabolism in the body, so that all metabolic processes are slowed somewhat in hypothyroidism.

symptoms of hypothyroidism

Despite the large number of forms of the disease, symptoms of hypothyroidism is fundamentally different in only two forms: children (cretinism) and adult (myxedema). This is due to the action of thyroid hormones. Their main function - to enhance the disintegration of glucose in the body and stimulate energy production. None active human process is not without thyroxine and triiodothyronine. They are necessary for the normal thinking, muscle and physical activity, even for nutrition and immunity.

Characteristic of hypothyroidism syndromes:

1. Myxedema edema: periorbital edema, puffy face, big lips and tongue with imprints of teeth on the lateral edges, edematous limbs, difficulty in nasal breathing (Due to swelling of the nasal mucosa), hearing impairment (edema Eustachian tube and middle ear organs), hoarse voice (edema and thickening of the vocal cords) polyserositis.
2. syndrome of defeat of the musculoskeletal system: joint swelling, pain when moving, generalized hypertrophy of skeletal muscles, mild muscle weakness, Hoffman's syndrome.
3. Syndrome of nervous system: drowsiness, confusion, loss of memory, attention, intelligence, bradifreniya, muscle pain, paresthesia, decreased tendon reflexes, neuropathy, depression, cerebellar ataxia. Untreated neonatal hypothyroidism leads to mental and physical retardation (rarely reversible) cretinism.
4. Exchange- hypothermic syndrome obesity, lowering the temperature, chilliness, cold intolerance, giperkarotinemiya causing jaundice of the skin.
5. Anemic syndrome anemia - normochromic normocytic, hypochromic iron deficiency, macrocytic, B12-deficient.
6. Syndrome lesions of the digestive system: hepatomegaly, biliary dyskinesia, dyskinesia colon, tendency to constipation, reduced appetite, atrophy of the gastric mucosa, nausea and sometimes vomiting.
7. The syndrome of ectodermal disorders: changes in the hair, nails and skin. Hair dull, brittle, fall on the head, eyebrows, legs, slowly growing. Dry skin. Nails are thin, with a longitudinal or transverse striations, stratified.
8. syndrome of defeat of the cardiovascular system: the heart of myxedema (bradycardia, low voltage, negative T wave at the ECG, circulatory insufficiency), hypotension, polyserositis, atypical variants are possible (with hypertension, without bradycardia, with constant tachycardia, circulatory failure and paroxysmal tachycardia of the type of sympathetic-adrenal crises in the opening hypothyroidism).
9. Syndrome of nervous system: drowsiness, confusion, loss of memory, attention, intelligence, bradifreniya, muscle pain, paresthesia, decreased tendon reflexes, neuropathy, depression, cerebellar ataxia. Untreated neonatal hypothyroidism leads to mental and physical retardation (rarely reversible) cretinism.
10. Hyperprolactinemic hypogonadism syndrome: ovarian dysfunction (menorrhagia, oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea, infertility), galactorrhea - women, men - decreased libido, erectile dysfunction.

Hypothyroidism - excellent "camoufleur". Often, hormonal deficiency of the thyroid gland, especially in the subclinical stage, confused with heart disease, fatigue syndrome, depression, and other diseases.

Symptoms of hypothyroidism in women

Often by women with hypothyroid failure, you can hear:

1. Sufficient sleep is not bringing rest to the body. The morning starts with a feeling of weakness.
2. I do not want anything, although there is no apparent cause of apathy.
3. Constant chilliness, regardless of the weather and clothing.
4. Pathological forgetfulness, very bad memory (symptoms often associated with atherosclerosis due to the increase of cholesterol in hypothyroidism).
5. Fainting due to hypotension and slowing speech.
6. Lack of sexual desire, excess hair all over the body.
7. The occurrence of mastitis, cysts in the breast and uterus.
8. Irregular menstruation (irregular periods), before the onset of menopause.

Pregnancy in hypothyroidism

If untreated hypothyroidism occurrence of pregnancy - a rare phenomenon. In most cases, pregnancy occurs during reception of drugs aimed at the treatment of thyroid hormone deficiency.

Despite the fact that pregnancy can occur against the background of hypothyroidism, babies are born on time and completely healthy. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that thyroid hormones do not penetrate the placenta and have absolutely no effect on fetal development.

Treatment of hypothyroidism in pregnancy is no different from that of non-pregnant women. The only thing that can be noted, so this slight increase in doses of medications. If during pregnancy do not take proper treatment, it increases the risk of complications associated with pregnancy:

• Spontaneous Abortion 1-2 trimesters;
• Trimester abortions 3;
• Premature birth.

These complications do not arise in all cases, and depending on the severity of the disease and associated complications in other organs and systems. Their appearance is due to the slowdown of all types of metabolism in pregnant women, and as a consequence of lack of nutrient inputs for the development of the fetus.

diagnosis of hypothyroidism

A diagnosis of hypothyroidism is primarily set based on characteristic clinical manifestations, namely, the appearance of the patients and diagnostic laboratory investigations. Thyroid failure is characterized by a decrease in iodine. In recent years, there was a possibility of direct determination of blood hormones: thyroid-stimulating (increased content), T3, T4 (reduced content).

What do I need to consult with hypothyroidism:

1. The story of the patient's doctor about his health lately.
2. The ultrasound of the thyroid gland, made shortly before the consultation and the earlier date.
3. Blood test results (total and gland hormones).
4. Information about the surgeries, if there were discharge summary (written in the history of the disease the doctor's conclusion, which contains information about the patient's condition, diagnosis and prognosis of the illness, and treatment recommendations etc.).
5. Applied or applied therapies.
6. Information about the study of the internal organs, if any.

For use as diagnostic ultrasound (US), determining the time of tendon reflexes, electrocardiogram (ECG) .If necessary endocrinologist recommends a CT scan of the thyroid gland, the results of which specifies a specialist diagnosis and develop an individual a course of treatment. Sometimes doing a puncture (body material sampling for diagnostic purposes) to determine zlokachestvennyhobrazovany iron.

Diagnosis hypothyroid coma in the absence of disease history "hypothyroidism" diagnosis may be difficult. The major clinical manifestations of a given state are dry, pale and cold skin, heart rate slowing rate (bradycardia), lowering blood pressure (hypotension), decreased, and sometimes the disappearance of tendon reflexes. If hypothyroid coma patient should be hospitalized immediately.

Replacement therapy with hormonal agents

This type of treatment - the only right decision in hypothyroidism. Hormones should be basic. All other activities are complementary. The principle of hormone replacement therapy is simple: the artificial administration of a thyroid hormone.

From preparations containing thyroid hormones are thyroxine and triiodothyronine applied. If before the second drug used more often, modern endocrinologists concluded its inappropriate use. T3 has a negative effect on the myocardium, aggravating heart failure on the background of hypothyroidism. The only situation where it may be more effective thyroxine - is hypothyroid coma at which intravenous triiodothyronine provides a sufficiently rapid therapeutic effect.

Regarding T4 hormone replacement therapy, it involves the use of preparations containing levothyroxine (L-thyroxine). The network of pharmacies can be purchased under such names:

• eutiroks;
• Bagotiroks;
• L-thyroxine;

Typically, the most effective treatment of hypothyroidism - replacement therapy with L-thyroxine. Its dosage, frequency and mode of administration will be determined only by a physician-endocrinologist under the control of the hormonal spectrum of the blood and clinical data!

Diet for hypothyroidism

The objectives pursued by the health food with hypothyroidism are:

• normalization of metabolic processes;
• prevention of development of atherosclerosis;
• reconstitution of blood supply to tissues;
• weight loss.

Diet hypothyroidism implies a restriction of fat (mainly animals) and carbohydrates (due to simple).

The list of recommended products include:

• fish, preferably sea (cod, mackerel, salmon), rich in phosphorus, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and iodine;
• Bread flour grade 1 and 2, the last or the dried, powdered cookies;
• lean meat varieties "white" chicken containing tyrosine;
• lean sausage;
• kasha (buckwheat, millet, barley), casseroles and dishes from them;
• salads, dressed with vegetable oil, salad, aspic;
• low-fat milk and lactic acid drinks, as well as cottage cheese, sour cream - to the dishes;
• unsalted cheese, low-fat and non-acute varieties;
• protein omelets, scrambled eggs, yolk with caution;
• weakly brewed beverages (coffee and tea), tea with lemon or milk, fresh juices, herbal teas from the hips and bran;
• any fruit, especially persimmon, feijoa, kiwi, which are rich in iodine, as well as cherries, grapes, bananas, avocados;
• vegetables except cruciferous greens;
• horseradish and mayonnaise with caution;
• butter with caution, vegetable oils - in food and in cooking;
• seafood (mussels, scallops, oysters, seaweed, sushi rolls and ones).

In the list of banned products include:

• fish roe;
• Smoked and salted fish, canned fish;
• fat varieties of sausages;
• bread of flour, whole Butter cakes, pies, cakes, fried products (cakes, pancakes, fritters);
• fatty meats (pork, lamb) and poultry (goose, duck);
• Leaver (brain, liver, kidney);
• margarine, lard, cooking oil;
• rich broth of meat, poultry and fish;
• jam, honey limited;
• mustard, pepper, horseradish;
• strong tea or coffee, cocoa, cola;
• meats, pickles;
• All legumes;
• crucifers (all kinds of cabbage, turnips, radishes, radish, turnip);
• mushrooms in any form;
• pasta and rice are limited.

The amount of free liquid is limited to 1-1.5 liters a day: in hypothyroidism there swelling, which without extra fluid disrupt metabolic processes in the tissues. Sol limited to 5-6 grams per day, which provides chemical shchazhenie stomach and is not conducive to fluid retention. Patients suffering from hypothyroidism, it is recommended to eat iodized salt because iodine is essential for the production of thyroid hormones.

FAQs patients with hypothyroidism

How effective are the hormones in hypothyroidism?

• Their effectiveness is proven in clinical trials for all forms of hypothyroidism, other than peripheral. However, combination therapy with iodine preparations, usually has a positive effect.

You will see whether I have goiter?

• Its formation is possible only if the primary form of the increased level of TSH. With timely treatment of this is easy to avoid.

Will I be able to get rid of this disease?

• Only transient forms - the symptoms go away within 6 months. In all other cases, the patient is forced to take hormone therapy for life.

Can I have hypothyroidism many sweets?

• Excessive consumption of flour, sweet or fatty foods in hypothyroidism can quickly lead to obesity. Therefore, it would be better to limit the intake of these foods to a reasonable level (confectionery no more than 100-150 grams per day).

What the people of hypothyroidism treatment is most effective?

• It should be emphasized that the clinically proven and effective treatment of hypothyroidism folk remedies do not.

How often should I visit an endocrinologist?

• In the absence of exacerbations, but not less than once every six months.

What complications can happen after taking the hormones?

• They are quite a lot of (heart palpitations, chest pain, weight reduction, and so on), but they are transitory in nature. A complete list can be found in the instructions.

Prediction and prevention of hypothyroidism

The prognosis of congenital hypothyroidism is dependent on the timeliness started replacement therapy. With early detection and timely treatment of hypothyroidism launched substitutionary in infants (1 - 2 weeks of life) the development of the central nervous system almost does not suffer and correct. When later compensated congenital hypothyroidism develops pathology of the central nervous system of the child (mental retardation), disrupted the formation of the skeleton and other organs.

Quality of life in patients with hypothyroidism, compensating host treated, usually not reduced (there are no restrictions except the necessity of daily administration of L-thyroxine). Mortality in the development of hypothyroid (myxedema) coma is about 80%.

Preventing the development of hypothyroidism is good nutrition with adequate intake of iodine and aimed at its early detection and timely replacement therapy initiated.