Underactive Thyroid Treatment

Thyroid is a small-sized gland located at the base of the frontal part of the neck and is shaped like a butterfly. Underactive thyroid is one such condition where the gland is unable to produce adequate amount of essential hormones namely thyroxine or T4 and triiodothyronine or T3. The medical term for underactive thyroid is hypothyroidism. Lack of thyroid hormones in the body have an adverse impact on the overall health. This is because the hormones released by this gland are essential for various metabolic activities of the body. It is with the help of these metabolic processes that the food that you eat are converted into a usable form so that it can be readily absorbed into the body. Thus, low levels of thyroid hormones in the blood influence major functions such as regulation of body temperature, heartbeat, calcium level in the blood, protein production and so on.

Causes

There are several underlying causes that can prevent the thyroid gland from functioning normally. A few of them are as follows:

• Nutritional deficiency
• Genetic disorder
• Lack of iodine in diet
• Side effects of medicines
• Radiation therapy
• Smoking

Pregnant women often get underactive thyroid if they do not increase dietary intake of iodine. During this period, they need additional amount of iodine supply to meet the requirement of both the mother and the fetus.

Symptoms

Some prevalent symptoms of underactive thyroid are: fatigue or lack of energy, weak muscles, pain and stiffness in joints, increased cholesterol level in blood, loss of appetite, weight gain, dryness in skin, brittle hair and nails, sensitivity towards cold, hoarse voice, etc.

One of the main symptoms in women is irregular menstrual cycle. Some women tend to get heavy menstrual periods. Underactive thyroid in babies can be identified with excessive sleepiness, throaty harshness, protruding abdomen and delayed teething. On the other hand, it affects both physical and mental development of small children.

Treatment

Underactive thyroid is diagnosed with the help of laboratory tests of blood samples. If there are no symptoms observed in the patient, then doctors do not prescribe any medicines. The patient is kept under observation. They also check the level of thyroid hormones in blood after every few months. Pregnant women who develop hypothyroidism usually do not require any treatment as normal hormonal balance is restored on its own after the birth of the child.

Those with symptoms of underactive thyroid are treated with the help of a thyroxine replacement tablets levothyroxine. The dosage of the tablet is determined according to the level of thyroid hormone in the blood. Initially, doctors recommend for a low dose of 50 micro grams. They increase the dose gradually over a period of few months in order to determine the correct dose which is suitable for the patient.

Doctors will advise you to take the synthetic hormone tablet in the morning on empty stomach. You have to undergo thyroid function test once in a year. If any change in the level of thyroid hormones is observed, then the dosage of the medicine is changed accordingly. The patients are often advised by their doctors to avoid some medicines and supplements of calcium and iron as they tend to prevent proper absorption of levothyroxine medicine in the body.

Home Remedies

There are some simple measure that should be taken at home to alleviate these symptoms and improve functioning of the thyroid gland. They are as follows:

Take Rest
Adequate amount of rest is important to get rid of the sluggishness and fatigue feeling caused by hypothyroidism. Therefore, you must ensure at least 8 hours of sound sleep at night. Take some rest whenever you feel sleepy during the day.

Eat Right Kind of Foods
You have to include plenty of iodine rich foods in your daily diet. Fish such as cod, mackerel sardines, haddock are good source of iodine. Brazil nuts and eggs are equally beneficial as they are rich in selenium which is essential for the production of thyroid hormones. You should also have plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables as you need sufficient amount of nutrition to keep yourself healthy.

Avoid Wrong Foods from Diet
There are certain foods that tend to suppress the functioning of the thyroid glands. White flour, white sugar, alcohol caffeine beverages should be strictly avoided for this reason. Cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts have a component named "goitrogens" which inhibits production of thyroid hormone. Hence, these foods should never be taken in raw form. However, you can eat them after cooking as the goitrogens is deactivated on exposure to heat. Consumption of sugar, milk and greasy foods should be minimized. As the rate of metabolism is slowed down due to underactive thyroid, excessive consumption of these foods may lead to indigestion.

Use Herbs
Chamomile and lemon balm are two such herbs that are good for thyroid health. Lemon balm is helpful because it adds stability to the underactive thyroid. On the other hand, chamomile has amino acids that eases off the stress from the thyroid gland and provide adequate support to it. You can take these herbs in the form of herbal teas.

Exercise Regularly
You should do some simple exercises like swimming, walking or jogging for about half an hour everyday. This will keep your bodyweight in control and relieve mental stress.

Most patients have to continue with the underactive thyroid treatment throughout their life. If it is started at an early stage, then many unwanted health complications can be avoided. Moreover, with right dose of medicines and regular checkup, they can lead a normal life without any problem.