Hypothyroidism
Concept and Etiology: How does the disease affect the
endocrine and neural body systems in particular? How does it
deviate from the definition of health discussed in Module One?
With hypothyroidism, the thyroid gland does not product adequate
thyroid hormones. This is a common disorder, usually managed with
medications such as levothyroxine.
Classification: How is the disease classified?
Hypothyroidism has four classifications. Primary due to thyroid
hormone deficiency, secondary due to TSH deficiency, tertiary due to
thyrotropin-releasing deficiency, and peripheral due to extra-
thyroidal conditions (Chaker et al., 2017).
Clinical Manifestations (Symptoms and Signs): What are the
symptoms and signs of the disease or disorder? Be sure you
understand the difference between symptoms (subjective) and
signs (objective).
Hypothyroidism is manifested with fatigue, sluggishness, increased
sensitivity to cold, constipation, pale and dry skin, edema in the face,
hands, and feet, hoarseness, hypercholesterolemia, unexplained
weight gain, myalgia, arthralgia, muscle weakness, heavier than
normal menstrual periods, infertility, brittle fingernails, hair loss or
thinning, bradycardia, hypotension, depression, and goiter (Story,
2018).
Diagnostic Tests: What are some additional diagnostic tests
that can be done to illuminate the diagnosis? For example,
when you injure your ankle, they take an X-ray to determine if
it is broken or sprained.
Diagnostic testing for hypothyroidism includes patient history,
physical examination, bloodwork that includes serum thyroid
hormone levels, serum TSH, liver function tests, complete blood
count (CBC), cholesterol panel, and electrocardiogram (EKG).
Chaker, L., Bianco, A. C., Jonklaas, J., & Peeters, R. P. (2017).
Hypothyroidism. The Lancet, 390(10101), 1550–1562.
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(17)30703-1
Story, L. (2018). Pathophysiology: a practical approach (3rd ed.). Jones
& Bartlett Learning.
