Are there different types of hypothyroidism?

There are three types of hypothyroidism: primary, secondary, and tertiary. In primary hypothyroidism, your thyroid is being stimulated properly. However, it isn’t able to produce enough thyroid hormones for your body to function properly.

What is the most common type of hypothyroidism?

Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune disorder, is the most common cause of hypothyroidism. With this disease, your immune system attacks the thyroid. The thyroid becomes inflamed and can’t make enough thyroid hormones.

What are the 3 types of thyroid problems a person can experience?

When your thyroid makes either too much or too little of these important hormones, it’s called a thyroid disease. There are several different types of thyroid disease, including hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, thyroiditis and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

What are the two major categories of hypothyroidism?

Hypothyroidism is majorly divided into two categories, primary and secondary (central) hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is termed primary when the thyroid gland itself is not able to produce adequate amounts of thyroid hormone.

What TSH level is considered severe hypothyroidism?

Subclinical hypothyroidism is defined as a thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level of 4.6 to 10 mIU/L. A normal TSH level is 0.4 to 4.0 and full-blown hypothyroidism is 10 or higher.

What is the number one symptom of hypothyroidism?

Hypothyroidism is a common condition where the thyroid doesn’t create and release enough thyroid hormone into your bloodstream. This makes your metabolism slow down. Also called underactive thyroid, hypothyroidism can make you feel tired, gain weight and be unable to tolerate cold temperatures.

What is adult hypothyroidism called?

Hypothyroidism, also called underactive thyroid disease, is a common disorder. With hypothyroidism, your thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone. The thyroid gland is located in the front lower part of your neck.

Can you lose weight with hypothyroidism?

How much weight can I expect to lose once the hypothyroidism is treated? Since much of the weight gain in hypothyroidism is accumulation in salt and water, when the hypothyroidism is treated one can expect a small (usually less than 10% of body weight) weight loss.

What is the most common cause of hypothyroidism worldwide?

Worldwide, environmental iodine deficiency is the most common cause of thyroid disorders, including hypothyroidism [6]. Iodine is an essential component of thyroid hormones, but is also thought to make the thyroid gland more antigenic [2, 3, 33].

What’s the difference between primary and secondary hypothyroidism?

Primary hypothyroidism occurs after destruction of the thyroid gland because of autoimmunity (the most common cause), or medical intervention such as surgery, radioiodine, and radiation. Secondary hypothyroidism occurs after pituitary or hypothalamic damage, and results in insufficient production of TSH.

How is Hashimoto’s different than hypothyroidism?

While the term hypothyroidism simply means an underactive thyroid gland, Hashimoto’s disease is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the thyroid tissue. The destruction of the thyroid gland by the autoimmune attack may result in low thyroid hormone production.

What is primary hypothyroidism?

Primary hypothyroidism is defined as low levels of blood thyroid hormone due to destruction of the thyroid gland. This destruction is usually caused by autoimmunity or an intervention such as surgery, radioiodine, or radiation.

What is the most common cause of secondary hypothyroidism?

The cause of secondary hypothyroidism is failure of the pituitary gland to secrete thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). This is usually caused by a tumor in the region of the pituitary.

How do you know if you have secondary hypothyroidism?

Doctors and healthcare professionals will need to do blood tests to diagnose secondary hypothyroidism — and any thyroid disorder, really. What is this? Some conventional endocrine doctors may only test for TSH levels and free thyroxine (T4) levels.

What is severe hypothyroidism?

Hypothyroidism is a decreased activity of the thyroid gland which may affect all body functions. The rate of metabolism slows causing mental and physical sluggishness. The most severe form of hypothyroidism is myxedema, which is a medical emergency.

Can you be hospitalized for hypothyroidism?

In very rare cases, a severe underactive thyroid may lead to a life-threatening condition called myxoedema coma. This is where the thyroid hormone levels become very low, causing symptoms such as confusion, hypothermia and drowsiness. Myxoedema coma requires emergency treatment in hospital.

How did I get hypothyroidism?

Hypothyroidism means that the thyroid gland can’t make enough thyroid hormone to keep the body running normally. People are hypothyroid if they have too little thyroid hormone in the blood. Common causes are autoimmune disease, such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, surgical removal of the thyroid, and radiation treatment.

Is hypothyroidism a lifelong disease?

For those with particularly low levels of thyroid hormones, hypothyroidism is a life-long condition that will need to be controlled with medication on a regular schedule. It can be controlled very well and you can live a normal life with hypothyroidism.

What is a critical TSH level?

The standard reference range for the TSH level is anywhere between 0.30 and 5.0 uIU/mL. If your TSH level is higher than 5.0 uIU/mL, then the lab will flag you as “high,” and you may experience the symptoms listed above 5.0 uIU/mL. Values of the TSH level more than 10.0 uIU/mL need long-term thyroid supplements.