The thyroid hormone is present inside our neck near the Adam’s apple and is responsible for releasing the thyroid hormones. These thyroid hormones are responsible for controlling the metabolic action of our body. If these hormones do not function properly then, the conditions like hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, graves disease etc arise. All these disorders are caused due to improper secretion of the hormones i.e., if they are secreted in a large amount then hyperthyroidism occurs and if in a lesser amount then hypothyroidism occurs.

As specified above the fact that hypothyroidism occurs mainly due to the insufficient amount of the thyroid hormone produced by the thyroid gland. The question which arises in our mind is as to what causes this insufficient hormone production? The various cases for hypothyroidism are:

• Iodine deficiency: it is the most common cause the world over.
• Hashimoto’s thyroiditis: it is an autoimmune disorder affecting the thyroid gland.
• Deficiency of hormones from either hypothalamus or the pituitary gland.
• It can also be genetic in some cases.
• The temporary hypothyroidism may also occur because of the Wolff-Chaikoff effect (it does not allow the formation of the thyroid hormones due to excessive intake of the iodine).

The hypothyroidism may be classified according to the organ of its origin and may be of the following types:

Primary hypothyroidism

Organ affected: thyroid gland (located near the Adam’s apple). It is mostly observed when, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis occurs or when the radioiodine therapy is taken for hyperthyroidism.

Secondary hypothyroidism

Organ affected: pituitary gland (located at the base of the brain). It is mostly observed when; the pituitary is not able to produce the required amount of the TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) as a result the production of the thyroid hormones i.e., T3 and T4 is affected. Also, in case some damage to the pituitary is caused may be in the form of tumor or radiation etc.

Tertiary hypothyroidism

Organ affected: hypothalamus (portion of the brain). It is mostly observed when; hypothalamus is not able to the sufficient amount of the TRH (thyroid releasing hormone) as a result of it, the TSH is not produced by the pituitary as they both are inter related.

The common symptoms of the hypothyroidism include,

• fatigue
• weight gain
• coarse hair and excessive hair loss
• Memory loss etc.

The hypothyroidism can be easily diagnosed by the following techniques:

• By going through a simple blood test: this test tells about the amount of hormones present in the blood stream
• By getting the thyroid gland tested for any inflammation or other disorders.

The hypothyroidism can also be treated and for different patients, the type of treatment available is different. The treatment for hypothyroidism includes:

• By supplying the body with the thyroid artificially in the form of tablets. They include the T3 (triiodothyronin) or the T4 (thyroxine).
• By taking extracts obtained from animals. They are a type of the combination therapy.