Describe the physiology and pathophysiology of the disease, clinical manifestations, and evaluation

Describe the physiology and pathophysiology of the disease, clinical manifestations, and evaluation

Describe the physiology and pathophysiology of the disease, clinical manifestations, and evaluation

Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is one of the thyroid conditions where the thyroid fails to make and release sufficient thyroid hormone into an individual’s bloodstream leading to a compromised metabolism. With an alternative name of underactive thyroid, the condition results in various negative impacts on the patients, such as the ability to tolerate lower temperatures, weight, and the case of feeling tired (Chiovato et al., 2019). The implication is that the pathophysiology, physiology, and clinical manifestation of the condition should be well explored to improve the chances of prevention, accurate diagnosis, and effective treatment and management. Therefore the purpose of the assignment is to explore hypothyroidism as a condition. As such, various disease aspects will be explored, including physiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and evaluation.

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Physiology and Pathophysiology of Hypothyroidism

The thyroid hormone controls growth, metabolism, and other bodily functions. The thyroid gland is part of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis and produces triiodothyronine and tetraiodothyronine (Armstrong et al., 2019). When the thyroid gland is underactive, then hypothyroidism results which then causes an individual to present with weight gain, fatigue, constipation, and cold intolerance, among others. The thyroid hormone is usually produced in response to thyroid gland stimulation by the thyroid-stimulating hormone. The thyroid-stimulating hormone is produced by the thyrotropin-releasing hormone from the hypothalamus.

As earlier indicated, thyroid hormone is key in several body tissues. The hormone is only produced by the thyroid gland, and such a process needs amino acid tyrosine and iodine. The iodine in the body gets incorporated into the thyroglobulin molecules after uptake by the gland (Rafieian-Kopaei, 2018). The implication is that if there is insufficient iodine, then there is an insufficient thyroid-stimulating hormone. The end result is an underactive thyroid gland which then causes hypothyroidism.

There is primary, secondary, and tertiary hypothyroidism. In the case of primary hypothyroidism, there is a diminished formation of the thyroid hormones by the thyroid gland. Such a phenomenon results in enhanced thyroid-stimulating hormone as a compensatory measure. In addition, secondary hypothyroidism results due to pituitary defects which then leads to dwindling levels of T3 or T4 or lower release of thyroid-stimulating hormone (Rafieian-Kopaei, 2018). The tertiary type results due to hypothalamic disorders. The eventual result is lower thyroid-stimulating hormone levels and lower levels of T3/T4.

Clinical Manifestation of Hypothyroidism

Clinical manifestation of diseases or illnesses is important for accurate diagnosis, treatment, and management of the diseases. Therefore, it is important for a healthcare professional to have a sufficient understanding of the clinical manifestation of hypothyroidism. The clinical manifestations of the condition range from subtle symptoms to life-threatening symptoms (Shah et al., 2021). As such, among the most common clinical manifestations are dry skin, changes in an individual’s voice, constipation, weight gain, cold intolerance, lethargy, and fatigue. However, it is key to note that the clinical manifestations may be impacted by an individual’s sex and age.

Even though there are common clinical manifestations, such manifestations may heavily depend on how large the thyroid hormone is deficient and the rate of development irrespective of whether the hypothyroidism is primary, secondary, or tertiary (Shah et al., 2021). In addition, the manifestation may also be impacted by aspects such as other illnesses. In case the problem results from hypothalamic disorders, the clinical manifestation may take the form of endocrine deficiencies like hypogonadism. In the case that the condition results from Grave’s hyperthyroidism treatment, then symptoms such as vitiligo and ophthalmopathy may result in an individual’s life.

Evaluation of hypothyroidism

The successful treatment and management of hypothyroidism heavily depend on evaluation such as imaging and labs. The implication is that the clinicians should have sufficient knowledge regarding the evaluation of hypothyroidism. Evaluation of the condition to correctly diagnose it is accomplished through blood tests (Persani et al., 2019). The blood tests are carried out to measure an individual’s TSH. In some cases, the thyroid hormone thyroxine levels are also tested as part of the evaluation. When the blood tests reveal either an enhanced level of TSH or diminished thyroxine levels would show that the thyroid is underactive indicating hypothyroidism. The TSH levels are raised in such cases since the pituitary releases increased quantities of TSH as a way of stimulating the thyroid gland to release more thyroid hormone. It is also recommended that the labs associated with this condition should also entail autoimmune thyroid disease evaluation.

Conclusion

Hypothyroidism is a condition that comes due to diminished thyroid hormone levels in an individual’s body and presents with numerous clinical manifestations. If left unattended to or untreated, hypothyroidism enhances the chances of mortality and morbidity, implying that the condition should be timeously diagnosed and an appropriate treatment plan commenced. Even though the condition is majorly caused by the inability of the thyroid gland to make enough thyroid hormone, in some cases, even though not as much, the condition may result from thyroid dysfunction. It is important for clinicians to understand the nature of the diseases from pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, evaluation or diagnosis, and treatment. Therefore, this write-up has explored the physiology and pathophysiology of the condition, the clinical manifestations, and evaluation, including labs

References

Armstrong, M., Asuka, E., & Fingeret, A. (2019). Physiology, thyroid function. https://europepmc.org/article/NBK/nbk537039

Chiovato, L., Magri, F., & Carlé, A. (2019). Hypothyroidism in context: where we’ve been and where we’re going. Advances in Therapy, 36(2), 47-58. 10.1007/s12325-019-01080-8.

Persani, L., Cangiano, B., & Bonomi, M. (2019). The diagnosis and management of central hypothyroidism in 2018. Endocrine Connections, 8(2), R44-R54. https://doi.org/10.1530/EC-18-0515

Rafieian-Kopaei, M. (2018). Thyroid diseases: Pathophysiology and new hopes in treatment with medicinal plants and natural antioxidants. International Journal of Green Pharmacy (IJGP), 12(03). DOI:10.22377/ijgp.v12i03.2007

Shah, N., Ursani, T. J., Shah, N. A., & Raza, H. M. Z. (2021). 11. Prevalence and Manifestations of Hypothyroidism among Population of Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan. Pure and Applied Biology (PAB), 10(3), 668-675. http://dx.doi.org/10.19045/bspab.2021.100069

Describe the physiology and pathophysiology of the disease, clinical manifestations, and evaluation (e.g., labs, imaging).