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Sydney Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism and Podiatry

Hypothyroidism

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What is Hypothyroidism?

Hypothyroidism is when the thyroid gland can’t make enough thyroid hormone to keep your body running normally, resulting in too little thyroid hormone in your blood.

Hypothyroidism is the most common thyroid disorder, affecting women and people over age 60 most commonly. Hypothyroidism tends to run in families. Common causes include:

  • Autoimmune disease – more common in women than men, this is when the immune system that protects the body from infections can mistake thyroid gland cells and their enzymes for invaders and attack them, leaving insufficient thyroid cells and enzymes to make enough thyroid hormone. The most common forms are Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and atrophic thyroiditis.

  • Surgical removal of part or all of the thyroid gland – if you have had thyroid nodules, thyroid cancer or Graves’ disease and need your thyroid removed you will become hypothyroid. If part of the gland is left, it may be able to make enough thyroid hormone to keep blood levels normal.

  • Radiation treatment – people with Hodgkin’s disease, lymphoma or cancers of the head or neck are treated with radiation and can lose part or all of their thyroid function.

  • Congenital hypothyroidism – sometimes babies are born without a thyroid, with only a partly formed one or one in the wrong place. In others, thyroid cells or enzymes don’t work correctly.

  • Thyroiditis – can disturb levels of thyroid hormone causing too much thyroid activity followed by underactivity.

  • Medicines – some medication can prevent the thyroid gland from making hormone normally and trigger hypothyroidism in people with a genetic tendency to autoimmune thyroid disease.

What are the symptoms of Hypothyroidism? 

The symptoms of hypothyroidism are not unique to people who have an under active thyroid. And if you have mild hypothyroidism, you might not have any symptoms at all. Symptoms include:

  •  Tiredness

  • Depression

  • Feeling cold

  • Slight increase in weight (2–4 kg)

  • Dry skin and hair, as well as hair loss

  • Constipation

  • Menstrual irregularities

A simple blood test can tell whether the symptoms are due to hypothyroidism or something else.

How do you treat Hypothyroidism?

Hypothyroidism can’t be cured but it is highly treatable with medication to replace the amount of hormone your own thyroid doesn’t make.

It’s important to get the balance right. If you take too little, your hypothyroidism will continue. If you take too much, you’ll develop the symptoms of hyperthyroidism - overactive thyroid gland.

Hypothyroidism may become more or less severe, and your medication may need to change over time, for example if you become pregnant or start taking other medications that affect your thyroid. Your endocrinologist will continue to monitor your thyroid function as part of your ongoing care.