Under-Active Thyroid
Uploaded by mumsa1 on Dec 29, 2011
An under-active thyroid can be the underlying cause of a multitude of health conditions and associated symptoms.
In this article:
What is an under-active thyroid?
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
How Chemist Online can help
Advice & Support
What is an under-active thyroid?
The thyroid is a gland in your neck. It is ‘curled around’ your windpipe. Its primary function is to keep your metabolism working properly and at the right pace, so that overall your body functions well.
The thyroid gland produces a hormone called thyroxine. When thyroxine is not produced by the thyroid gland in sufficient quantities (it travels around your body through your bloodstream), then a range of symptoms can develop. Your thyroid gland is then regarded as being ‘under-active’.
Symptoms
Symptoms of an under-active thyroid include:
Overwhelming tiredness and fatigue
Constipation
Weight-gain
Aches and pains (both muscular and skeletal)
Changes to your hair – making it lifeless and lank
Shivers and a general feeling of being cold
Muscle cramps
Dry and scaly skin
Brittle nails
Note: For some people an under-active thyroid can result in symptoms of depressive illness.
Causes
The thyroid gland’s inability to produce enough thyroxine is usually due to an autoimmune reaction where the thyroid becomes inflamed and damaged.
Diagnosis
If you are suffering from the aforementioned symptoms, make an appointment with your GP. After taking your medical history and asking you some questions, you will then be asked to take a blood test where a confirmed diagnosis of an under-active thyroid gland will be established. If this is the case, you will be referred to a specialist (an endocrinologist) for further tests.
Treatment
Under-active thyroid is treated with prescribed medicine in tablet form (levothyroxine).
How Chemist Online can help
Through this website we have a range of treatments available to buy which can help ease the symptoms of constipation – an associated symptom of under-active thyroid.
www.chemistonline.co.uk
Advice & Support
British Thyroid Foundation
Tel. 01423 709 707
Website: www.btf-thyroid.org
Thyroid UK
Tel. 01255 820407
Website: www.thyroiduk.org
This information and advice is not intended to replace the advice of your GP or chemist. Chemist Online is also not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based upon the content of the Chemist Online website. Chemist Online is also not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites.