Can hypothyroidism cause cretinism?
The medical definition of cretinism is untreated congenital hypothyroidism, with or without a goiter. Iodine deficiency is still a major cause of endemic cretinism, but in Canada this is no longer true.
What happens when you produce too much thyroid hormone?
Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) occurs when your thyroid gland produces too much of the hormone thyroxine. Hyperthyroidism can accelerate your body’s metabolism, causing unintentional weight loss and a rapid or irregular heartbeat. Several treatments are available for hyperthyroidism.
What causes cretinism?
Cretinism: Congenital hypothyroidism (underactivity of the thyroid gland at birth), which results in growth retardation, developmental delay, and other abnormal features. Cretinism can be due to deficiency of iodine in the mother’s diet during pregnancy.
What are the signs and symptoms of cretinism?
Signs of cretinism or congenital hypothyroidism in a newborn include:
- lack of weight gain.
- stunted growth.
- fatigue, lethargy.
- poor feeding.
- thickened facial features.
- abnormal bone growth.
- mental retardation.
- very little crying.
What is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in developing countries?
Iodine deficiency as a cause of hypothyroidism is more common in less-developed countries. Routine supplementation of salt, flour, and other food staples with iodine has decreased the rates of iodine deficiency.
Can cretinism be reversed?
This condition is irreversible, even after treatment with thyroid hormones or iodine soon after birth, but can be corrected if treatment with iodine starts prior to or early in gestation.
How is cretinism detected?
Routine screening of the newborn using a blood-spot, as in the Guthrie test, to detect a high TSH level as an indicator of primary hypothyroidism is efficient and cost-effective, usually done at 5-7 days; cretinism is prevented if T4 is started within the first few months of life.
What are the characteristics of cretinism?
The three characteristic features of neurological endemic cretinism in its fully developed form are extremely severe mental deficiency together with squint, deaf mutism, and motor spasticity. They usually have a goiter.
What are the symptoms of Myxoedema?
Myxedema Coma Symptoms
- Weakness or lethargy.
- Confusion or non-responsiveness.
- Feeling cold.
- Low body temperature.
- Swelling of the body, especially the face, tongue, and lower legs.
- Difficulty breathing.
What is the main characteristic of myxedema?
Myxedema is a condition marked by thickening and swelling of the skin caused by insufficient production of thyroid hormones by the thyroid gland. The function of thyroid hormones is to regulate your metabolism.
Can thyroid problems cause high body temperature?
But what if the temperature problem is inside your body? The thyroid, an endocrine gland just above the collarbone, produces hormones to regulate functions such as heartbeat and metabolism. The gland also controls your body temperature. When the body makes too much thyroid hormone, body temperature rises.