| In developing countries today, hypothyroidism has | | | | thyroid hormones namely, thyroxine (T4) and |
| become one of the most common yet most | | | | triiodothyronine (T3) can be attributed to a number of |
| under-diagnosed medical conditions. Hypothyroidism is | | | | causes. One major reason for the occurrence of |
| an endocrine abnormality in which the thyroid gland | | | | hypothyroidism is the absence of the thyroid gland due |
| secretes inadequate thyroid hormones, resulting in | | | | to surgery. If a person has had his thyroid gland |
| various health risks and disorders. The deficient activity | | | | surgically removed because of a previous endocrine |
| of the thyroid gland leads to the underproduction of | | | | disorder and has started to rely on prescribed thyroid |
| thyroid hormones, which are essential in regulating the | | | | hormone replacement, he or she is likely to experience |
| body's metabolic processes. | | | | hypothyroidism. Another reported cause is the patient |
| In effect, an individual who suffers from | | | | having been treated with therapeutic doses of |
| hypothyroidism, referred to as a hypothyroid, has an | | | | radioactive iodine due to hyperthyroidism. |
| abnormally slow metabolism. The patient's slow | | | | Hypothyroidism may also be attributed to the impaired |
| metabolic rate can bring about health disorders ranging | | | | activities of the pituitary gland resulting in low secretion |
| from mild complaints to fatal complications. The subtle | | | | of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and, consequently, |
| and mild symptoms associated with hypothyroidism | | | | decreased production of thyroxine (T4). |
| include drowsiness, difficulty in tolerating cool | | | | Essentially, hypothyroidism is diagnosed by either blood |
| temperatures, physical exhaustion, weight gain despite | | | | tests or physical examination and review of a patient's |
| loss of appetite, dry hair and pale skin, and stiffness of | | | | medical history. The most recent accessory to |
| joints and muscular cramps. Life-threatening | | | | diagnosis the disorder is blood testing that involves |
| complications may also develop such as mental | | | | measurement of T4 and TSH in the blood. Some |
| sluggishness and memory loss, visual disturbances that | | | | thyroid specialists, however, prefer a physical |
| may lead to blindness, chronic depression, insanity, | | | | examination, a thorough review of the medical history |
| coma and, eventually, death, if the patient fails to be | | | | and a measurement of basal body temperature as |
| cured or diagnosed. | | | | diagnostic tests. |
| The inability of the thyroid gland to produce sufficient | | | | |