Symptoms Of Hypothyroidism

The thyroid is the largest endocrine gland in the body. It sits just below the larynx (voice box) and wraps around the trachea (windpipe). The thyroid gland produces thyroid hormone, which helps the body grow and develop. It also plays an important role in the body's metabolism (the processes in the body that use energy, such as eating, breathing, and regulating heat).

Hypothyroidism (or underactive thyroid) is a common condition in which the thyroid gland produces too little thyroid hormone. About 1 in 5,000 babies is born with congenital hypothyroidism, in which the thyroid fails to grow normally and cannot produce enough of its hormone. There is no known cause for most cases of congenital hypothyroidism. But about 10 to 20 percent of the time, the condition is caused by an inherited defect that alters the production of thyroid hormone.

Although anyone can develop hypothyroidism, it occurs mainly in women older than 50, and the risk of developing the disorder increases with age. You also have an increased risk if you:

• Have a close relative, such as a parent or grandparent, with an autoimmune disease

• Have been treated with radioactive iodine or anti-thyroid medications

• Received radiation to your neck or upper chest

• Have had thyroid surgery (partial thyroidectomy)

The symptoms of hypothyroidism are often subtle. They are not specific (which means they can mimic the symptoms of many other conditions) and are often attributed to aging. Patients with mild hypothyroidism may have no signs or symptoms. The symptoms generally become more obvious as the condition worsens and the majority of these complaints are related to a metabolic slowing of the body. Common symptoms are listed below:

• Fatigue, low energy
  
• Weakness
  
• Depression
• Weight gain and difficulty losing weight
  
• Cold intolerance
• Excessive sleepiness
• Dry, coarse hair, growing slow
  
• Hair Loss
  
• Constipation
• Dry, rough pale skin
  
• Muscle cramps and frequent muscle aches
• Vague aches and pains
• Increased cholesterol levels
• Irritability
• Memory Loss
  
• Decreased concentration
• Swelling of the legs
• Decreased libido
• Abnormal menstrual cycles
• high cholesterol resistant to cholesterol lowering drugs

As the disease becomes more severe, there may be puffiness around the eyes, a slowing of the heart rate, a drop in body temperature, and heart failure. In its most profound form, severe hypothyroidism may lead to a life-threatening coma (myxedema coma). In a severely hypothyroid individual, a myxedema coma tends to be triggered by severe illness, surgery, stress, or traumatic injury. This condition requires hospitalization and immediate treatment with thyroid hormones given by injection.

The symptoms of hypothyroidism occur throughout the body. In adults, they usually develop slowly and are often mistaken for part of the aging process. Some patients will have one of these symptoms as their main complaint, while another will not have that problem at all and will be suffering from a different symptom. Most will have a combination of a number of these symptoms. Occasionally, some patients with hypothyroidism have no symptoms at all, or they are just so subtle that they go unnoticed.