THE THYROID GLAND

The thyroid gland is the soft fleshy mound in front of the Adam's apple. Underactivity of this gland is not an uncommon cause of unpleasant changes in appearance and demeanour in middle-aged to elderly women. An underactive thyroid gland produces insufficient amounts of thyroid hormones and this imbalance may occur slowly and insidiously over a period of years. Thyroid hormone controls the metabolic rate of the cells, meaning the rate at which the cells burn up nutrients to produce energy for vital body processes. Thus insufficient thyroid hormone may cause you to gain weight without overeating, and your level of activity may diminish with a slowness in your speech, reflexes and mental activity. Your body temperature and pulse rate may decrease, your voice may deepen and constipation may set in. Without thyroid hormone, your face becomes puffy, your skin thickened and dry and your scalp hair and eyebrows become sparser.
Because these changes usually occur very gradually, they may not be recognised as a medical problem and simply seen as a sign of getting older or the menopause. If you notice any such changes, ask your doctor for a blood test to measure your blood levels of thyroid hormone and the function of your thyroid gland. Thankfully, all the unpleasant and unsightly changes of an underactive thyroid gland can be reversed by taking a daily replacement tablet of thyroid hormone.
Some doctors believe in the concept of resistance to thyroid hormone which means that your body cells become unresponsive to normal amounts of thyroid hormone. Women with thyroid resistance complain of tiredness and excessive weight and yet their blood tests for levels of thyroid hormone are normal and in rare cases may be even greater than normal. In such cases supplemental doses of thyroid hormone have been tried, but this is not without danger as too much thyroid hormone can strain the heart and increase the risk of osteoporosis. Women receiving thyroid hormone tablets
need to be carefully monitored by their doctor to keep their blood levels within the normal range.
In women who are obese because of thyroid resistance, special tests to measure the metabolic rate can be done by a hormone specialist (endocrinologist). If the metabolic rate is low, extra thyroid hormone tablets are given to increase the metabolic rate back into the normal range, when weight loss should occur.
There are two types of thyroid hormone — Thyroxine or T4 and Tertroxin or Тз. In the body T4 is converted to Тз which is the more active and potent form of thyroid hormone.
If you have an underactive thyroid gland and do not feel well or are unable to lose weight by taking Thyroxine (T4) tablets, you could ask your doctor about the possibility of changing to, or supplementing with Tertroxin (Тз) tablets. Logically, Тз tablets are likely to be more effective in women with a poor response to T4 tablets, because Тз has a more rapid and powerful effect on your metabolism. Tertroxin (Тз) tablets are not more expensive than Thyroxine (T4) tablets, but they must be given two or three times daily. The starting dose of Tbrtroxin is around 5 micrograms (meg), three times daily with a gradual increase to around 20 to 60mcg daily. Your doctor can tailor-make the dosage for you to keep you feeling and looking good and to maintain your blood tests within the normal range.
                                                                                                                                *37\5*