Often not feeling well? maybe you have hypothyroidism & bull; hello healthy

The weather in Indonesia lately seems quite upsetting. A moment's scorching heat, a moment of a thunderstorm. The weather is chaotic like this often also makes the body feel crushed too. For a moment, the flu, tomorrow will be feverish, yesterday you caught a cold.

While it's normal to feel unwell at times, pay attention to the duration of your symptoms - as well as any other symptoms that may follow. If it continues for a long time without any signs of getting better, be aware of the condition of hypothyroidism and try to consult a doctor.

Hypothyroidism is a type of metabolic disorder. What is the reason?

Metabolism is an important process in producing the energy we need for activities. This process involves hormonal reactions from several glands in the body, one of which is the thyroid gland. Even though these glands do not work alone, the decreased activity of the thyroid gland has quite an impact on the body.

The thyroid gland is a small glandular organ located in the lower neck. The hormones produced from these glands enter the bloodstream and affect almost all parts of the body, especially the heart, brain, muscles and skin. The hormone produced regulates how the body's cells use energy from food or metabolic processes.

Hypothyroidism is a metabolic disorder caused by a decrease in the activity of the thyroid gland in producing hormones, causing a decline in the body's work to start the metabolic process. This occurs when the thyroid gland doesn't respond thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) which is produced by the pitutari gland optimally in producing thyroid hormone. As a result, the body will experience hypothyroidism.

The main cause of hypothyroidism is thyroiditis or also known as Hashimoto's thyroiditis due to an autoimmune disorder that attacks the thyroid gland. Thyroiditis can also be triggered due to a viral infection. Hypothyroidism is a fairly common disorder due to its varied causes and can be experienced by anyone.

Other causes that are closely related to hypothyroidism are:

• Effects of radiation therapy on the neck
• Radioactive iodine treatment - a side effect of hypertoridism treatment
• Medications that suppress the activity of the thyroid gland - such as cardiac, psychiatric and cancer medications
• The act of removing part of the thyroid gland
• Deficiency of iodine from foods - such as marine fish, dairy products and eggs
• Temporary decline in the thyroid gland induced by pregnancy (postpartum thyroiditis)
• Congenital births that cause the thyroid gland to become imperfect (congenital hypothyroidism)
• Disorders of the hypothalamus and pitutari glands - both of which are the production of hormones that trigger the activity of the thyroid gland

Symptoms of hyperthyroidism are similar to feeling unwell

Here are some of the most common symptoms of hypothyrodism:

1. Tiring easily

Feeling tired all the time can be a sign of a thyroid hormone deficiency.

One of the functions of the thyroid hormone is to regulate the coordination and energy balance of the body, as well as regulate the body's biological clock for activity and rest. That is why people with hypothyroidism tend to always feel less fit even though they have gotten enough sleep. Frequent tiredness for no reason is a common symptom for someone who doesn't have a good metabolism, or as a result of hypothyroidism.

2. Easily cold / shivering

In healthy people, metabolic processes will occur continuously even when they are not physically active. At the same time, the body will also produce heat as a byproduct of metabolic processes.

Decreased metabolic performance due to hypothyroidism causes body heat to decrease and makes the body more sensitive to cold temperatures. As a result, it is easier for you to get cold or shivering.

3. Joint and muscle pain

When the body's metabolism decreases, the body produces energy through a catabolic process. Where this process causes the breakdown of body tissues. This causes muscle mass and strength to decrease which eventually causes a person to become weak. Pain in joints and muscles that appear suddenly can also be caused by this catabolic process.

4. Constipation

Constipation is a common symptom of hypothyroidism. The decrease in thyroid hormone levels also affects the activity of various muscles of the body, including the intestinal muscles in digesting food. The condition of hypothyroidism causes the intestinal muscles not to work normally so that the intestines digest food longer.

A number of other symptoms that may be less common than hypothyroidism are:

Sudden weight gain

People with hypothyroidism gain weight more easily than healthy people not only because they tend to move less. Their metabolic disruption causes the liver, muscle and fat to retain more calories.

Hypothyroidism causes a decrease in metabolism so that more calories from food are stored in the form of fat, rather than being burned to produce energy and the process of organ growth. That is why hypothyrodism can cause obesity in a person even though the number of calories eaten is not excessive.

Baldness

Like other cells, hair follicles are also affected by thyroid hormones. However, follicular cells tend to be more sensitive to decreased thyroid hormone levels because they have a shorter life span before regenerating. Hypothyroidism causes hair follicles to stop growing and can eventually lead to baldness if the hypothyroidism is not treated. Baldness will improve when thyroid hormone levels return to normal.

Skin irritation

As the first protective layer, skin cells will regenerate quickly. Hypothyroidism is the mastermind behind the stagnation of the skin regeneration process so that a layer of dead skin builds up, causing the skin to become dry and rough. Autoimmune damage to the thyroid gland can also cause the surface of the skin to become swollen and red, known as myxedema.

Carpal tunnel syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a form of peripheral nerve damage due to thyroid hormone deficiency. However, it is not entirely known how hypothyroidism causes this condition. Hypothyroidism is known to cause fluid retention or retention in certain tissues which exerts pressure on the peripheral nerves. Signs if someone experiences this are pain, a burning sensation, numbness, and tingling in the damaged part of the nerve.

Depression

It's not known exactly how hypothyroidism causes depression. However, depression may be a mental side effect due to a lack of energy generated from metabolism. What's more, fluctuations in thyroid hormones such as after childbirth also contribute to postpartum depression.