This month I will discuss a form of Thyroid Disease from which I actually suffer. This is caused by insufficient production of the thyroid hormone. Common causes of hypothyroidism are iodine deficiency and deficiency of hormones from the pituitary or hypothalamus. Normally around 2 percent of the population are affected by this. Among the domestic animals it is quite a common disease in dogs.

Commonly patients with Hypothyroidism are diagnosed with:

- Depression
- Bipolar spectrum disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Personality Disorder (Borderline)
- Inattentive ADHD.

General Symptoms

During the early stages the various symptoms can be Fatigue, Depression, Constipation, Joint Pain, Arthritis, Goitre, Dry skin etc. The symptoms that I faced were typically fatigue and arthritis. Also there can be a significant increase in weight.

During the advanced stages common symptoms are slow speech, dry skin, low body temperatures and in women abnormal menstrual cycles. Along with these other less common symptoms can be memory loss, anemia etc.

Diagnosis and Treatment

The condition is usually tested by measuring T3 and T4 hormones. Only prescribed medicines by doctors should be taken and regular treatment can help control and improve the condition.

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