Aging and Hypothyroidism

There is a gland in the neck, at the front, called the thyroid gland. This gland secretes thyroxine, a hormone that regulates metabolism. When the thyroid doesn't make enough thyroxine, the patient has hypothyroidism. Another condition, hyperthyroidism means just the opposite, the thyroid secretes too much thyroxine.

With hypothyroidism, there are a number of symptoms that can arise, but sometimes these symptoms can mimic the normal aging process. These are generally symptoms dealing with a slow metabolism, such as weight gain, feeling tired, swollen feet or face. For women, it can affect the menstrual cycle, which could be misconstrued as peri menopause for women in their 40s. There are several potential causes for the thyroid to stop functioning. One cause can be an autoimmune reaction, where the body actually attacks its own thyroid, damaging it to the point where it stops working. Another cause can arise from too much iodine in the system which can damage the thyroid. The pituitary gland in the brain produces thyroid stimulating hormone or TSH, so if there is a problem with the pituitary gland, low TSH will not be enough to stimulate the thyroid to make thyroxine. However, as we age, some of the organs or in this case, the thyroid gland, can just wear out, but because as we approach middle age, many people don't even think their symptoms might be related to the thyroid.

There is a simple blood test for TSH levels to see if there is a problem with the thyroid gland. As said above, a low TSH could indicate a problem with the pituitary gland, but a high TSH level can show that the thyroid itself is not functioning correctly since the pituitary gland in the brain is trying very hard to stimulate the thyroid gland by pouring out extra TSH. Once a problem with the thyroid is diagnosed, there are several other blood tests and examinations that should be conducted. Left untreated, hypothyroidism can, in rare cases, cause a coma.

The most common symptoms, in addition to those mentioned above, are dry skin and hair, sensitivity to cold and heat, depression, loss of memory and, as mentioned above, decreased or eliminated menstruation. Basically, these are symptoms or conditions of aging. Once a diagnosis of hypothyroidism is diagnosed, treatment can usually be easy. Most of the time, one small pill of thyroxine a day will solve the problem. This replaces the hormone that the thyroid stopped producing. Unfortunately, once the thyroid is damaged, it can't be fixed. Therefore, the thyroxine pill must be taken every day for the rest of the patient's life. But this is a small price to pay to get a cure that could reverse the symptoms.

It's also possible that a patient can have no symptoms or very few, which can allow the patient to have a low production of thyroxine without ever knowing. Once the patient begins treatment, regular annual blood tests are needed to track the progress and effectiveness of the medication. Once the correct dosage of medication is determined, a patient should be able to live a completely normal life without any side effects.