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Hypothyroidism Overview
In general, hypothyroidism refers to an underactive thyroid. For patients who struggle with this issue, their thyroid gland cannot successfully produce enough of the thyroid hormone needed by the body.
Thyroid Hormone
The main job of thyroid hormones is to regulate the way in which the person’s body uses energy. If the levels of the hormone are low, the body’s functions can slow down. It is expected that just under five percent of the U.S. population is affected by a low level of thyroid hormone.
The gland that is responsible for this hormone is found in the front of the person’s neck and has a lobe on each side of the person’s windpipe.
Metabolism
Anyone who has hypothyroidism most likely mentioned their concerns to their doctor when they had issues with their metabolism. The person might be concerned with how their slow metabolism is affecting their weight or their energy.
Metabolism might also be referred to as metabolic rate. This is the rate at which your body is capable of burning calories. For a person who has a slow metabolism due to thyroid issues, calories are not burned quickly. This can lead to weight gain or difficulty in losing weight.
Basal Metabolic Rate
When visiting your doctor to discuss your concerns over your thyroid, you might learn about the term basal metabolic rate. This refers to the amount of energy that is necessary to keep your body at rest. This rate is impacted heavily by the genes you have inherited from your parents.
In general, metabolism is usually outside of your control, and this has led to a lot of debate in the medical world about whether or not patients can change their metabolism.
Hypothyroidism Causes
There are two major causes of hypothyroidism. The first is ongoing or previous inflammation of the thyroid gland, which can lead to many of the thyroid cells dying or being damaged. When those cells reach this point, they can no longer produce the right levels of the hormone.
Certain medical treatments can also cause a person to suffer from hypothyroidism. Many thyroid conditions, for example, will call for removal of the entire thyroid gland or a portion of it. If this happens, then the remaining cells left in the body are not enough to continue producing the needed hormones, which can cause problems with regulating the body’s energy and cells.
Medications have also been linked to concerns with a patient’s thyroid. For example, some patients suspect that their use of amiodarone is what has caused them to be diagnosed with thyroid concerns.
If you believe that you developed thyroid problems because you took amiodarone or another medicine and you were never properly warned about the possibility of developing medical issues with your thyroid, you could speak to an attorney about your situation. Top Class Actions can help you find a trusted lawyer familiar with cases involving pharmaceuticals.
