Many people do not think that thyroid disease is a big disease, often despise its harm, this idea is very incorrect, it is precisely because many thyroid diseases in the early stage symptoms are not obvious, the development is slow, so it causes patients to be paralyzed, to later attention, thyroid disease has become a small problem into a big problem. At this time, patients often have to spend more energy and financial resources to treat the disease.
Hypothyroidism (hypothyroidism) occurs when the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormones, the body's metabolic rate slows down, patients feel tired and sleepy, and most hypothyroidism patients gain weight even when diet and exercise are controlled. In general, hypothyroidism cannot be completely cured, but can be well corrected with alternative therapies.
Hypothyroidism just makes the body's metabolism slower, is it okay if it is not treated?
This understanding is wrong, but also extremely dangerous, although, on the surface of hypothyroidism to the body to bring less harm than hyperthyroidism, but hypothyroidism will cause increased blood lipids, increase the risk of atherosclerosis throughout the body, severe cases will also cause cardiovascular and cerebrovascular infarction, if the occurrence of pericardial tamponade or myxoedema coma, it will endanger the patient's life.
Long-term complications of hypothyroidism, including atherosclerosis and heart disease, infertility, and may be one of the risk factors for the development of Alzheimer's disease. Hypothyroidism in pregnant women, if left untreated, is a potential threat to both mother and child because hypothyroidism can lead to increased blood pressure, stillbirth or fetal growth disorders, an increased maternal risk of preeclampsia and kidney disease. Hypothyroidism can also cause the placenta to detach from the lining of the uterus before the fetus is delivered, a very serious complication that threatens the life safety of the mother and child.
The symptoms vary from person to patient with hypothyroidism, and the symptoms of hypothyroidism are not specific, so hypothyroidism is often missed. Because the symptoms of hypothyroidism are very different, the diagnosis of hypothyroidism can only be determined by blood tests, that is, the detection of free t4 and tsh levels in the blood. Treatment replenishes the missing thyroid hormones and often allows patients to live as normal people, and the drug used to treat hypothyroidism is levothyroxine, and the goal of treatment is to return tsh to normal range and then fine-tune according to the patient's needs. Hypothyroidism is generally not completely curable, so alternative therapy is given every day for life, without interruption, and even after the symptoms of hypothyroidism are controlled, the medication cannot be stopped.