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HYPOTHYROIDISM
Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland) usually develops very gradually. The main symptom is a general slowing down, both mentally and physically. You may experience some memory impairment, fatigue, weight gain, and a slowing of your bowel habits. Some people notice a deepening of their voice. You may find that you always feel cold and notice some dryness of your skin. Sometimes you will develop increasing symptoms of heart disease, such as swelling legs, especially if you suffer from angina pectoris or heart failure.
These symptoms are commonly considered to be the unavoidable consequence of aging, so unless hypothyroidism is considered, your treatment may be unnecessarily delayed. The older, untreated hypothyroid person gradually becomes duller and more sluggish, and may become too mentally impaired to look after himself.
If you have hypothyroidism and at the same time suffer from another illness, the diagnosis could be missed because of the physician’s emphasis on the other condition. For example, I knew of an elderly man who was admitted to the hospital because of a stroke. During the next three months all effort was put into rehabilitating him so that he would be well enough to go home. Just before his discharge, he developed swelling of his legs. He had a hoarse voice, and dry skin, and he was not as alert as other stroke victims.
When his underactive thyroid gland was treated, his mental state improved remarkably. The swelling of his legs disappeared, and he was able to manage fairly independently with the assistance of a walker. During his hospitalization the stroke took such precedence that the symptoms of hypothyroidism were overlooked until they became advanced. In fact, the recovery from his stroke was impaired until his hypothyroidism was treated.
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