What Causes Hypothyroidism In Teens?

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Hypothyroidism is a condition that normally affects a teenager. The defective thyroid glands in the body can lead to this problem. Thyroid is an endocrine gland that is located in the neck region.

The function of the thyroid gland is to produce thyroid hormones to carry out various metabolic activities in the body, such as controlling the heart rate, blood pressure and calorie-burning rate.

Any problem in the thyroid hormone production can lead to a dangerous health issue. There are two different types of thyroid problems known as hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.

Hypothyroidism can adversely affect the growth of a person suffering from this. As the name suggests, hypothyroidism denotes a low activity of the thyroid gland, resulting in an improper mental development and retardation of growth.

Teenagers can suffer from thyroid cancer and goiter in severe cases. There are various causes for hypothyroidism. In this article, we at Boldsky will be listing out some of the causes for hypothyroidism. Read on to know more about it.

Hashimoto's Thyroiditis: The prime reason behind under-active thyroid gland is an autoimmune disease known as Hashimoto's thyroiditis. In this condition, the body creates antibodies to attack the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland may not be able to produce the required hormone for the body to function well.

Thyroid Surgery: A thyroid surgery can be one of the main reasons for hypothyroidism in teens. A thyroid surgery removes the part of the entire thyroid gland. This results in low or no thyroid production, resulting in abnormal growth.

Hyperthyroid Treatment: People with overactive thyroid gland receive a treatment in the form of a medication known as radioactive iodine. There are instances when this disorder has caused hypothyroidism too.

Radiation: Radiation is another reason for hypothyroidism in teens. Radiation therapy is required to treat the cancer growth in the neck region. This treatment may damage the thyroid gland as well and cause hypothyroidism.

Medications: Certain medications prescribed for heart conditions, cancer and psychiatric problems can make the thyroid gland produce less number of hormones. This also paves a way for hypothyroidism in teens.