Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Hypothyroidism Treatment

Hypothyroidism is a condition of under active thyroid in which thyroid gland doesn't secrete sufficient important hormones. There are many disorders that result in hypothyroidism. These disorders may directly or indirectly include the thyroid gland. Although thyroid hormone influences the growth, development, and many cellular processes, insufficient thyroid hormone causes several disorders in the body.

Females, especially above 50, are more likely to have hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism disturbs the normal balance of chemical reactions in the body. Some times it causes symptoms in the early stages, but over time, untreated hypothyroidism can cause several health problems, like obesity, joint pain, infertility and heart problems.


Treatment

Approved treatment for hypothyroidism includes the regular use of the synthetic thyroid hormone levothyroxine (Levothroid, Synthroid, others). This drug taken orally and this restores sufficient hormone levels, and regulate the body hormonal level. After one to two weeks of the starting treatment, victim will observe that he is feeling less fatigued. The treatment also slowly lowers the cholesterol levels, which is raised by the disease and may reverse any weight gain. Treatment with levothyroxine is mostly lifelong, but because the dosage you need may change, your doctor is likely to check your TSH (Thyroid-stimulating hormone) level every year.

Deciding proper dosage may take timeTo decide the appropriate dosage of levothyroxine at first, the doctor generally checks your level of TSH after two to three months. Extreme amounts of the hormone can cause side-effects like:
  • Increased appetite
  • Insomnia
  • Heart palpitations
  • Shakiness
If the victim has coronary artery disease or severe hypothyroidism, so doctor may start treatment with a smaller amount of medication and slowly increase the dosage. Progressive hormone replacement causes heart to adjust to the increase in metabolism. Levothyroxine instigates virtually no side-effects when used in the suitable dose and is relatively inexpensive.

Proper absorption of levothyroxine

Several medications, supplements and even some foods may affect the ability to absorb levothyroxine. Talk to the doctor if you eat large amounts of soy products or a high-fiber diet or you take other medications like:
  • Iron supplements
  • Cholestyramine
  • Aluminum hydroxide, which is found in some antacids
  • Calcium supplements
If any victim has sub clinical hypothyroidism, discuss the treatment with your doctor. For a comparatively mild increase in TSH, you probably will not benefit from thyroid hormone therapy, and treatment could even be harmful. On the contrary, for a higher TSH level, thyroid hormones may recover the cholesterol level, the pumping ability of the heart and body energy level.

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