The main function of the organs of the endocrine system is the production of hormones, without which no process in the human body can proceed. Deviations can lead to disruption of the cardiovascular, reproductive, nervous and other systems. This will manifest itself in the form of a deterioration in general well-being, reproductive he alth disorders, as well as changes in appearance. The thyroid gland is one of the most important hormone producing organs. The fair sex has characteristic symptoms of the pathology of this gland, which are associated with changes in the hormonal background. In this article, we will talk about what thyroid diseases are in women. However, first you need to analyze the functions of this body.
Thyroid function
The thyroid gland in women and men is called the organ of the endocrine system, which is located inneck area. In its shape, this gland is similar to a shield, which is why it was given such a name. It is in it that reserves of iodine are stored, which are necessary for the production of thyroid hormones. In addition, the thyroid gland produces a hormone that is responsible for regulating calcium-phosphorus metabolism in the body. The main functions of the thyroid gland in women:
- Regulation of the metabolic process.
- Implementation of energy exchange in the female body.
- Maintaining the natural composition of the blood, the level of hemoglobin and red blood cells in it.
- Ensuring the proper functioning of blood vessels, heart, brain, nervous system, kidneys and respiratory organs.
- Growth regulation.
- Proper formation of the muscles and skeleton of the embryo, development of teeth and bones in a growing baby, protection of the body from caries and osteoporosis.
- Taking part in the production of sex hormones.
The thyroid gland in women is also involved in regulating the function of the reproductive organs, ensuring the successful course of pregnancy, fetal development.
Causes of diseases
One of the most common causes of thyroid disease is the lack of iodine in the body, as well as other elements: fluorine and selenium. These substances are necessary for the production of the hormone. Deficiency occurs due to the insufficient content of these elements in water and food. Quite often, problems with the thyroid gland occur in those people who live in regions characterized by insufficient iodine content in the soil andwater.
Also, a very important factor that provokes the development of thyroid disease in women is an environmentally unfavorable situation. Poisons that are found in water, air and soil destroy the DNA of cells, while preventing protein synthesis. As a result, the production of hormones is disrupted.
For what other reason can there be problems with the thyroid gland in women? Stress, overwork and excessive nervous stress will play a negative role. They provoke a malfunction in the immune system, as well as the occurrence of autoimmune ailments of the thyroid gland. Of particular importance is also hereditary predisposition, which can cause the development of such pathologies of the thyroid gland.
Types of diseases
There are many different diseases and pathologies of the thyroid gland. The most common ones are:
- Euthyroidism. With this thyroid disease, the symptoms in women will be as follows: changes in tissues that adversely affect the production of hormones. In this case, the gland will function normally, and the violations that occur in it will not cause any deviations in the work of other systems and organs.
- Hypothyroidism. In this case, there is a deficiency of thyroid hormones, which causes metabolic disturbances and energy production.
- Hyperthyroidism. This disease is an excess production of hormones, leading the body to poisoning.
- Autoimmune diseases. These ailments occur with hyperthyroidism due to the fact that immune cellsbegin to over-produce antibodies that destroy thyroid cells.
- Malignant neoplasms.
Symptoms and signs of pathologies
At the initial stage, it will be very difficult to recognize thyroid disease in women. Symptoms most often consist of a simple malaise, they are typical of many ailments that are associated with hormonal failure in the female body.
The first signs of any pathology of the thyroid gland should include a change in weight, which can occur both up and down. In addition, if there are problems with the thyroid gland in women, the symptom will be constant fatigue, drowsiness, depression. In parallel with all this, there is indigestion, sweating, as well as muscle pain.
What other symptoms can there be with thyroid problems in women? Quite often, due to changes in the hormonal background, various menstrual disorders occur, and sexual activity becomes weak. There is a block of consciousness, absent-mindedness, memory worsens, a woman becomes irritable, aggressive. Considering the signs and symptoms of thyroid in women, you should also pay attention to the fact that dry skin, hair loss and brittle hair may appear.
If these signs of illness appear, then the woman should seek help from an endocrinologist. If specialists notice such changes in time, then it will be possible to successfully cure one or anotherdisease. Otherwise, the most serious symptoms will occur, for example, enlargement of the gland, bulging eyes, thickening of the neck, difficulty swallowing. In addition, if the symptoms of thyroid disease are ignored, a woman may experience heart rhythm disturbances, shortness of breath and dizziness. Sometimes body temperature rises to 37.5 degrees.
Hypothyroidism
So, we have examined the common symptoms and signs of thyroid disease in women. However, they may differ, depending on the specific ailment. A characteristic sign of hypothyroidism is the fear of cold, obesity, drowsiness, hair loss on the eyebrows and head, weakness. In parallel with this, the heart rate slows down, blood pressure decreases. Heart failure, various types of arrhythmias may develop, which can lead to fainting. As a rule, women in this case begin to develop an early menopause.
Hyperthyroidism
This condition will be characterized by rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, sleep disturbances and shortness of breath. The woman begins to lose weight, becomes too irritable and nervous. There is frequent urination, attacks of heat appear, which are changed by chills. There is often hand tremor. The patient's vision deteriorates sharply, and snoring appears. The fair sex begins to suffer from a sense of anxiety, a coma may occur.
Autoimmune thyroiditis
This disease can occur in chronic and acute form. Forthe acute form is characterized by symptoms that resemble a simple cold. The patient has a fever, sore throat during swallowing, chills, and hoarseness. How to treat the thyroid gland in women in this case? As a rule, specialists prescribe antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs. Rarely prescribed hormonal drugs. The illness may last for several weeks.
As for the chronic form of the disease, it most often occurs in young patients. Failure in the immune system provokes the destruction of the thyroid gland. Symptoms of the disease are apathy, fatigue, a constant feeling of lack of sleep. There is peeling of the skin, swelling of the eyelids and ankles, hair loss, lowering blood pressure, constipation and fear of cold. As a rule, such women sharply gain weight and cannot lose those extra pounds with all sorts of efforts. In parallel with all this, there are menstrual irregularities in the body.
Diffuse toxic goiter
This pathology is characterized by an autoimmune origin. Thyroid tissue grows, a goiter is formed. Often this disease is inherited. The main symptoms are: the formation of a dense knot, swelling of the face, thickening of the neck, protrusion of the eyeballs. The eyes are wide open, but the patient rarely blinks. Damage to the optic nerve can even cause blindness.
The patient begins to lose weight dramatically, there is a trembling of the fingers, an increase in heart rate,nausea, vomiting, intestinal disorders, darkening of the skin and increased skin moisture. Fatty liver, diabetes mellitus, and infertility act as a complication.
Malignant tumor
Knots in the thyroid gland are formed due to hyperplasia, as well as excessive cell division. Such nodes can be benign, but sometimes degenerate into cancer. The main symptoms in the occurrence of such malignant tumors are pain in the neck, ears, in the form of difficulty breathing and swallowing, coughing, hoarseness, and a rapid increase in compaction on the neck.
Symptoms of ailments in patients of different ages
Hormonal disorders, as a rule, have a negative impact on the life process of the entire female body. The nature of the signs and the severity of the consequences in the case of thyroid pathology in a woman will largely depend on her age. By the way, you can see a photo of the thyroid gland in women in our article.
Adolescents
Thyroid diseases in children can be congenital, but sometimes occur later, during puberty. The impetus for this is an infectious disease, malnutrition, psychological stress.
Lack of hormones and disruption of the thyroid gland can cause deviations in growth, mental and physical development. There is a possibility of reduced intelligence.
Symptoms to look out for are as follows: lack of menstruation, poor development of the mammary glands. At the same time, the girlthere may be stunting, lack of learning ability, fussiness or slowness, aggressiveness and absent-mindedness.
Reproductive age
Women between the ages of 20 and 50 are most likely to suffer from autoimmune diseases and hyperthyroidism. Hormonal failure provokes the appearance of symptoms such as excessive profusion of menstruation or their delay. As a rule, patients with chronic thyroid diseases also suffer from infertility.
During pregnancy, the activity of the thyroid gland can greatly increase, which provokes the occurrence of thyrotoxicosis. The woman begins to feel weak, her heartbeat quickens, her temperature rises. In parallel, hands begin to tremble, irritability and insomnia appear.
In some cases, it may be the other way around: a decrease in hormone production, the occurrence of hypothyroidism. The occurrence of such a pathology can indicate symptoms during pregnancy such as joint pain, decreased pulse, muscle cramps, rapid weight gain, dry skin, hair loss. There is also irritability and depression.
In addition, there may be complications during childbirth, as well as a high probability of having a baby with a defect such as mental retardation, physical underdevelopment or deafness.
With menopause
During this period, there is a sharp decrease in the production of sex hormones in women, as well as changes in hormonal levels. This situation provokes thyroid disease, which only exacerbatessymptoms of climacteric syndrome. These include anxiety, exacerbation of pain in the joints, grouchiness, hand trembling, convulsions, brittle nails, baldness, the development of osteoporosis.
Diagnostics
Some signs and symptoms of a particular thyroid disease can be detected by a patient on her own. To clarify the assumption at home, you can use the method of measuring basal temperature. This method is very effective in case of hypothyroidism. The temperature is measured in the morning, while you can not get out of bed. If for several days the temperature is below 36.3 degrees, then, subject to the presence of other signs, you should contact an endocrinologist, do an ultrasound of the thyroid gland, pass the necessary tests to detect thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4).
For example, with Hashimoto's disease, external manifestations may not be particularly pronounced, but the presence of this pathology will be indicated by the fact if the TSH is significantly higher than normal, and the level of T4 and T3 is within the acceptable range. After an external examination, specialists usually prescribe an analysis to detect iodine and antibodies in the patient's blood, biochemical tests of urine and blood to determine the state of metabolism. In parallel with this, an X-ray, MRI and CT scan may be prescribed. A biopsy of the resulting suspicious nodes is also carried out.
How to treat thyroid diseases in women?
Signs of presenceone or another pathology of the thyroid gland is a signal that you should contact a medical institution. The method of therapy will depend on the type and severity of the symptoms that the woman has. Most often, drug therapy is used to treat thyroid gland in women. An operation to remove the resulting nodes may also be assigned.
And how to treat hypothyroidism if the first symptoms appear? Treatment of the thyroid gland in women in this case will consist in the use of hormonal therapy, that is, the replenishment of iodothirions with the help of special preparations. It is necessary to take them throughout life, because it is impossible to restore the production of these hormones in this pathology.
As for hyperthyroidism, statistical drugs are used in therapy that can suppress the production of thyroxine, as well as other hormones. As a rule, it takes about 2 years to eliminate the signs of this disease. The course of therapy is monitored by blood tests.
In the case of the treatment of such diseases, heart preparations, vitamin complexes, and agents that restore the state of the nervous system are additionally used. If a goiter is formed, then treatment is carried out with the help of radioactive iodine, which can destroy the seal cells.
If the thyroid gland has grown significantly, and the knot prevents the woman from breathing and swallowing, and also in the case of malignant tumors, surgery is performed in which the affected area or the entire organ is removed.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is worth noting that diseases and pathologies of the thyroid gland can be very dangerous for a woman if she does not seek help at the clinic in time. To do this, you should be attentive to your he alth, do not ignore the appearance of any symptoms, lead a he althy lifestyle, eat right. Of course, some ailments can be inherited, so if someone in your family suffered from a thyroid disease, periodic examinations are recommended for prevention.
