Question

in written form: Can a person die for having too little thyroid hormone? Please explain.

Answer 1

The thyroid gland is an is an endocrine gland that is located in the front of the neck that produces two main hormones Triiodothyronine (T3) and Thyroxine (T4). These hormones play an important role in metabolism of our body. When too much of thyroxine hormone is produced it leads to a condition called hyperthyroidism. If not enough hormones are produced by the thyroid gland it leads to a condition called hypothyroidism. Hypothyroididm may be caused by several reasons such as iodine deficiency, certain medications, thyroid removal, an autoimmunity disease called hashimoto’s disease etc.

The major symptoms of hypothyroidism are fatigue, sensitivity to cold, digestive issues, menstrual irregularities etc. This can be treated with thyroid hormone medication. If it is left untreated the levels of thyroid hormone may go extremely low and may cause a condition called myxedema. It is an advanced form of hypothyroidism. This slows down the body metabolism and can lead to swelling or thickening of skin, decreased body temperature, confusion, decreased breathing, seizures etc. The respiratory failure can cause low oxygen levels and high carbon dioxide levels in blood, infections, bleeding and seizures that may also lead to heart failure, kidney problem and coma. If left undiagnosed or treated as a medical emergency it may even lead to death. The treatment starts with monitoring the thyroid hormone levels , heart and breathing. The T4 hormone medications and other treatments for the symptoms are given. The thyroid levels are to monitored and once its restored to a normal level the other symptoms may become more manageable and can be treated.