Hypothyroidism

Lesson 3: Hypothyroidism Basics

What is hypothyroidism and who gets it?

Here we go. In this section, we are going to define hypothyroidism and learn about who gets this condition. By the end of this section, you should be able to answer the following questions:

• What is hypothyroidism?
• Who is most likely to become hypothyroid? Least likely?
• How many people are affected with hypothyroidism worldwide?

We are also going to discuss and provide theories about whether this condition is on the rise and, if so, why?

As we’ve mentioned before in this course, hypothyroidism is a condition that occurs when the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormones help control the metabolism. The metabolism refers to the physical and chemical processes that create and use energy. Such activities include: digestion, waste elimination, breathing, blood circulation and body temperature regulation.

Generally speaking, hypothyroidism is not a disease. A disease impairs normal physiological functions which can affect a living organism in part or on the whole. Rather it is condition. A condition is something essential to the appearance or occurrence of something else. A condition is usually a precursor to a disease.

Doesn’t that make perfect sense? If it doesn’t now, it will in a second. Although hypothyroidism, over time, can impair normal physiological functions, the condition of being hypothyroid is considered as such because one needs thyroid hormone to function. It’s essential and needs to be replaced.

The way to treat the hypothyroid condition; therefore, is to provide thyroid hormone replacements so that the metabolism (and the body) can function properly. Basically, a condition is something that can develop into a disease if not treated properly. I told you it would make perfect sense? {wink, wink)

Sometimes, hypothyroidism is just referred to as a sluggish metabolism. In my case, my mother always told me I had a sluggish metabolism. That was her nice way of telling me I had to lose weight, but I digress.

It is true that a sluggish metabolism can lead to a slew of other problems and that hypothyroid patients often have trouble with weight gain. In fact, one of the risk factors for developing hypothyroidism is obesity. A risk factor is a term referring to something that increases an individual's likelihood for developing a disease or condition.

There are many risk factors for hypothyroidism. Another one is gender. Women in all age groups have a higher incidence of developing this condition. Over the age of 34, the difference becomes more significant.

Speaking of age, as people get older, they are more likely to develop this condition. Some studies suggest that as many as 6% of women over 60 have this condition. (Of course, that’s a hard statistic to formally prove. Many people go undiagnosed with this condition. The numbers, I think, could be even higher, but we will discuss this in another section a bit more.)

Pregnancy is another risk factor. About 10% of women develop a condition called postpartum thyroiditis. During pregnancy, many of a woman’s hormones work overtime. The baby is sort of like a furnace heating up the hormonal centers of its mother. This may cause a brief period of hyperthyroidism in a woman. (Remember: hyperthyroidism is an overabundance of thyroid hormones).

When the pregnancy is over, a woman’s body goes through many changes. In the cases of postpartum thyroiditis, a woman’s thyroid function slows down too much, causing her to have hypothyroid symptoms. In many cases, this condition goes away – often without treatment. However, it can cause a woman to have a hypothyroid relapse later on in life.

Genetics also play a role in determining who becomes hypothyroid and who doesn’t. If a person has a parent or a sibling who had this condition, then they are more likely to develop it themselves.

Do you remember when we discussed autoimmune diseases in lesson 2? One of the reasons we did so was because the incidence of certain autoimmune diseases such as Type 1 Diabetes, Lupus, Pernicious Anemia and Rheumatoid Arthritis raises one’s risk for developing hypothyroidism as well.

Some of the other risk factors for this condition include:

Of course, some of these risk factors are more common than others. As with many conditions, lifestyle and genetics are major indicators of who will develop hypothyroidism. In the next lesson, we’ll discuss some of the causes of hypothyroidism. If you are so inclined, why not discuss the risk factors for hypothyroidism in the discussion area. Let me know what you think they point to given the 21st century lifestyle.

Studies say that at least 11 million people worldwide are afflicted with this condition and many more go undetected. With the rise in obesity and autoimmune conditions, the numbers have been and expect to continue to rise in the foreseeable future.

• So, what can we do to reduce the incidence of hypothyroidism, if anything?
• What do you think the biggest predetermining risk factor is for this condition?

  1  2  3  4  5