Hypothyroidism is a disease caused when the thyroid gland doesn't produce enough thyroid hormones. There are treatments available, however, one is used more commonly than others: thyroid hormone replacement treatment.
What is thyroid hormone replacement treatment?
To understand the purpose of thyroid hormone replacement treatment, you need to comprehend the interaction of T4 and T3, both essential thyroid hormones which are often affected with hypothyroidism or other thyroid diseases.
T3 and T4
The full name of T3 is triiodothyronine, and T4's full name is tetraiodothyronine or thyroxine. T3 and T4 control the metabolism of your body. Then your metabolism slows down if you do not have enough of these. Your metabolic rate dictates how quickly food is processed by you, how fast your heart beats, how fast it is possible to think as well as how much heat your body generates. Essentially, T3 and T4 are in control of how energy is used by your body.
However, T3 and T4 aren't equivalent in power; T3 is the more active hormone of both. Taking T4 hormone is considered the standard treatment for hypothyroidism while T3 is stronger. The cause of this is due to the fact that the majority of the T3 in our bodies used to become T4. They provide an iodine atom up to socialize with these cells when T4 hormones come into contact with other cells in the blood vessels. If T4 loses an iodine atom, it becomes T3.
When this T4 into T3 conversion occurs, T3 then communicates the metabolic "message" into the other cells throughout the body. Of taking only T4 therapy, the advantage is that you're letting your body to perform some of the activities which is taking T4 and changing it. The half life of T4 is also longer than the T3 (7 times versus 24 hours), that means that it is going to remain for a longer period in your body after ingestion.
Thyroid Hormone Replacement Therapy Objective
If you're prescribed a type of thyroid hormone replacement therapy, the objective is to compensate for the lack of hormone secreted from the thyroid gland. You may have a dose of T4 from a taken pill.
But it's important to see that every patient's treatment is different. There is no cookie-cutter dosage or therapy plan in regards to thyroid hormone replacement treatment. The way the hormones are absorbed by the human body, together with the quantity is varied. Your treatment plan will be individualistic. As such, you should expect a certain amount of experimentation when it comes to locating form and the dose of treatment that works best for you.
Though artificial T4 supplements would be the most prescribed type of thyroid hormone replacement therapy, there are a variety of forms, including monster thyroid supplements. Synthetic T3 is sometimes given after thyroid surgery, when awaiting the ablation in case of cancer as part of treatment in certain conditions.
Thyroid hormone replacement treatment is a really individualized therapy procedure, and it's highly effective when prescribed correctly. The goal of thyroid hormone replacement treatment, in most cases, would be to normalize your thyroid gland (TSH) levels. Your healthcare professional and you will go over what treatment choice will alleviate your symptoms that are hypothyroid, letting you live a normal life once more.
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By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Wellness
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