What is subclinical hypothyroidism and how is the disease treated?

1 Causes of pathology

The very name "subclinical" means "asymptomatic", that is, a disease that does not have obvious signs and is practically not manifested. The pathological process itself may be already sufficiently developed, the clinical picture is unclear.

The opposite of subclinical hypothyroidism, for example, can be called manifest hypothyroidism. It starts quite violently, dramatically. Diagnosis of it is possible not only in the conditions of laboratory studies, but also in the visual examination of the patient. It is clear that the symptoms and treatment in this case will also differ significantly from subclinical hypothyroidism.

It should be said that the primary asymptomatic hypothyroidism may be a companion of a disease such as autoimmune thyroiditis.

Speaking about the factors that cause the development of such a pathology, it should be noted that quite often the following reasons occur:

• a significant deficiency of iodine consumed in food and water;
• surgical intervention, which resulted in complete or partial removal of the thyroid gland;
• abnormal, abnormal development of the endocrine organ during the fetal period of fetal formation;
• therapeutic measures, including treatment with radioactive iodine, with pathologies of the thyroid gland;
• treatment with thyreostatics, that is, drug therapy, which suppresses the activity of the thyroid gland;
• irradiation of the main endocrine organ of the human body and its neighbors;
• thyroiditis of various etiologies, i.e., inflammatory diseases of the gland, leading to the replacement of the organ with a connective tissue.

As for the lack of iodine, this kind of disease is typical for endemic areas. These areas are considered to be those in which the content of iodine in water and food is minimal in comparison with other areas of our country.

Autoimmune thyroiditis may in part be called a co-morbid condition. Autoimmune thyroiditis is that antibodies formed in the human body are special constituents of the protective system. Sometimes they, like confusing the cells of the thyroid gland with pathogens, attack them and destroy them. Autoimmune thyroiditis in medical practice is recognized as a disease with hereditary nature or arising from complex infectious diseases of viral or bacterial etiology.

2 Clinical picture of the disease

In theory, subclinical hypothyroidism is characterized by the absence of any signs of a disease that causes dysfunction of the thyroid gland. But to date, the practice has several other data in this area. It turns out that it is possible to detect pathological changes by studying and studying metabolic processes in the patient's body. Indicators of abnormality can be found in various types of metabolism. This applies to the basic exchange.

An impaired metabolism can trigger internal organs dysfunction. So, quite often in subclinical hypothyroidism, there are mood worsening, down to depressive states, an inexplicable sense of anxiety, deterioration of memory and attention. Decrease in severity or disappearance of these signs can be noted when hormone replacement therapy is used in the treatment of the thyroid gland.

It is important to note that, since there are no obvious symptoms of thyroid dysfunction, deterioration in the well-being of patients is often associated with banal fatigue and overwork.

Disturbances in fat metabolism caused by the development of subclinical hypothyroidism can affect the patient's weight gain or lead to the development of atherosclerosis and, as a consequence, coronary heart disease.

Angina pectoris may develop further, and in the future there is a threat of myocardial infarction. That is why it is absolutely necessary to treat subclinical hypothyroidism, and the sooner its presence is revealed, the higher the patient's chances for a speedy recovery.

Often, a diagnosis can be made only on the basis of a blood test for hormones. This happens, I must say, with a significant delay. But in some cases, there may be some symptoms in the external expression. Especially subclinical hypothyroidism, found in women, has characteristic symptoms. In addition to the symptoms described above, there are a number of other things that complement the clinical picture:

• irregular menstruation in women or their complete cessation;
• disorders in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and digestive system in general;
• presence of edematic syndrome;
• obstructed nasal breathing;
• hoarseness and hoarseness.

But do not take single symptoms for possible development of the pathological state of the body, because the presence of the disease can be judged only by the totality of all these symptoms. In addition, one should not neglect the fact that the development of the disease in one person may differ from the development of the same disease in another, due to the individual characteristics of both the patient and the course of the disease.

3 Medical activities

Many medical representatives are inclined to believe that subclinical hypothyroidism is not an independent disease and, accordingly, does not need special treatment. But at the same time, global medical research on this topic does not exist until now, which is why it is customary to treat subclinical hypothyroidism with the use of thyroid hormone replacement therapy.

In the current studies in this area, the main topics that were affected by the scientists were possible complications, side effects after the disease and the effectiveness of treatment.

Most medical scientists believe that the potential emergence of subclinical hypothyroidism can trigger the development of many undesirable consequences. Given, in addition, the emergence of symptoms of the disease, you can not doubt the need for therapeutic measures.

Hormone replacement treatment is reduced to taking L-thyroxine. It is mandatory for pregnant women who have been diagnosed with pathology. In other cases, its use is assigned in accordance with individual indicators.

With the use of this drug should be delayed in the event that the patient underwent surgery on the thyroid gland. In this case, it is recommended to observe the condition of a person and take the repeated tests after a while. Usually this period is a couple of months. With a constant increase in the level of TSH, appropriate treatment is prescribed.

Therapy with L-thyroxine usually leads to an improvement in the patient's condition. In some cases, the appearance of side effects, resulting in body weight gain, increased anxiety, sleep disorders, tachycardia and arrhythmia.

Given all of the above, namely by comparing possible complications in the absence of treatment and the side effects of medical procedures, the doctor must determine the need for therapy.