Hypothyroidism, a term used to describe underactive thyroid glands, is one of the most common types of thyroid disorders, in which the gland is not providing enough thyroid hormone to adequately drive the metabolism of the body, causing symptoms associated with a slow metabolism. Studies show that more than 50 million Americans have this condition, but many don’t know it.

There are many reasons why the cells in the thyroid gland can’t make enough thyroid hormone, such as autoimmune disease, inflammation of the thyroid gland, medicines and damage to the pituitary gland. While hypothyroidism doesn’t have any specific characteristic and there are no symptoms that people always have and  many symptoms of hypothyroidism can occur in people with other diseases, symptoms of hypothyroidism can include fatigue or lack of energy, weight gain and difficulty losing weight, weakness, dry, coarse hair, dry skin, hair loss, cold intolerance, cold hands and feet, muscle cramps, frequent muscle aches, constipation, depression, irritability, memory loss, abnormal menstrual cycles and decreased libido.

To diagnose hypothyroidism, we should tell our doctor about any changes in our health that suggest our body is slowing down. The doctor can do a physical exam and two blood tests used to diagnose hypothyroidism: a thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) test, which measures the amount of the thyroid hormone the gland is being asked to make, and a T4 test, which measures how much T4 hormone is in the blood.

For more information, call Renewed Vitality MD at 214-389-1234. A free seminar on thyroid health will be held at 7:15 p.m., Apr. 4, at Abrams Royal Pharmacy, 8220 Abrams Rd., in Dallas.