Hypothyroidism

Your thyroid is one of the most important glands in your body. This is a gland that produces hormones and releases them into the blood. The thyroid gland releases hormones that help your body with metabolism. If you suffer from hypothyroidism, your thyroid gland works too slowly.

What is hypothyroidism?

Hypothyroidism is a condition in which your thyroid gland works too slowly. This means that too little of the thyroid hormone ends up in your blood. This limits the body's ability to produce energy and complete metabolism. This gives you a very slow metabolism. Hypothyroidism is often caused by Hashimoto's disease. This is also an autoimmune disease.

There are also a number of other causes of hypothyroidism. This could be the following causes:

• Another autoimmune disease
• Inflammation of the thyroid gland
• Thyroid surgery
• Irradiation of the neck
• Treatment with radioactive iodine
• Medicines containing lithium or iodine

The chance of a thyroid disorder is much greater if it runs in your family, you are a woman and if you are a bit older.

How do you recognize hypothyroidism?

Hypothyroidism can be recognized by a number of different things. You can get the following complaints:

• Cold quickly
• You're getting heavier
• You feel sluggish and tired
• Your heart beats slower
• Clog
• Hair loss
• Dry, cold and pale skin
• Thick eyelids and face
• A large thyroid gland
• Different voice
• Irregular periods

If you are experiencing some of these complaints, it may be useful to contact your GP. You can check this for hypothyroidism.

Can I do something about it myself?

It is difficult to do something about hypothyroidism yourself. The only way to achieve this properly is to take medication that ensures that you produce sufficient thyroid hormones again.

However, it is possible to do a number of things to improve the situation. By eating healthy and exercising regularly, it is possible to feel fitter and better.

Can the pharmacist do anything for me?

The pharmacist can ensure that you can use prescribed medications correctly. Not only for short-term use, but also for long-term use, you can contact the pharmacist for information about the medicine that has been prescribed to you.

Which medications are used for hypothyroidism?

There are two medications that are commonly used when dealing with hypothyroidism. These are the thyroid hormones that your body does not produce enough and potassium iodide. The medicines containing thyroid hormones ensure that the shortage of hormones is supplemented. Often a low dosage of hormones is started and this is slowly but surely increased to the correct amount of hormone.

To produce thyroid hormones, your body needs iodine. That is why potassium iodide is often also attributed. This allows your body to produce thyroid hormones again. This can solve the iodine deficiency that your body has. However, this approach does not work in every case. That is why a drug with thyroid hormone is often also assigned.