Pregnancy and Hypoactive Thyroid

When the thyroid gland is not responding to the pituitary glands release of thyroid stimulating hormone, the result is a hypoactive thyroid, or hypothyroidism, and insufficient levels of thyroid hormone in the blood. This condition affects more women than men, and requires lifelong treatment to replace the hormones not being produced by the thyroid.

Thyroid hormones

A list of hormones secreted by the thyroid includes:

Thyroxine (T4), which contains four atoms of iodine. Triiodothyronine (T3) has three atoms of iodine attached.

The livers job is to transform thyroxine to its active form called Triiodothyronine. The variation of these levels determines which thyroid disease is present. Both of these hormones work together to determine how much energy your body burns. A fluctuation of these hormones can affect both men and women in the areas of sleep, weight, menstrual changes and erectile dysfunction.

An additional hormone produced by the pituitary gland called TSH or Thyroid Stimulating Hormone is also involved in this process. When levels of TSH are low, the thyroid is stimulated into producing and secreting more hormones.

Symptoms:

There are some symptoms of hypothyroidism that can often be overlooked or mimic other conditions. These are commonly referred to as Subclinical hypothyroidism and include:

Fatigue Intolerance to cold Dry and/or pale skin Hair loss and brittle nails sore muscles, slow movements and weakness Hoarse voice a change in facial expression Depression Memory deficits and difficulty in concentrating Increased weight Constipation fertility problems and increased risk of miscarriage heavy, irregular or prolonged menstrual periods Bradycardia (slow heart rate)

The term Goiter refers to a swelling of one or both lobes on either side of the thyroid gland located on the lower part of the neck.

Causes:

Hypothyroidism is more common in older people. Women are more likely to be affected than men. Autoimmune conditions such as diabetes, vitiligo, and Addison’s disease. Certain medications, such as lithium carbonate (psychotropic med) and amiodarone (for the heart) Inefficient amount of iodine Autoimmune Hashimoto’s thyroiditis Problems with hypothalamus or pituitary gland.

Testing of the blood for TSH levels and thyroid hormone levels are used to determine hypothyroidism. Typically, a diagnosis of Autoimmune Hypothyroidism is determined by the presence of certain antibodies in the blood.

Treatment:

In order to treat hypothyroidism, all that is required is taking an oral medication called levothyroxine. In order to get the correct dosage, a medical professional will need to monitor you with regular blood tests and fluctuation of medication until the optimum dosage is reached. Once the dosage is determined, once yearly blood tests will allow your healthcare provider to ensure proper hormone levels are being maintained.

Unborn babies do not develop thyroid hormones until their twelth week. For this reason, a mother’s thyroid hormone is essential for nervous system development of the unborn fetus. Mother’s who must take thyroid medications can feel confident in continuing their treatment during pregnant. After all, it is important for the mother’s health as well as for her baby’s.

Anyone who is planning on having a baby and is diagnosed with hypoactive thyroid should let their doctor know of their future plans. This will allow for her health to be at optimum performance.