Postpartum thyroiditis: symptoms, causes and characteristics of treatment

The birth of a child is a happy event in the life of every woman. But it is during this period that various serious diseases can appear. Postpartum thyroiditis is a frequent occurrence.

Inflammation of the thyroid gland

Thyroiditis after delivery is a rare type of thyroiditis. There is a loss of normal functions of the thyroid gland in this disease. The most widespread disease is in women who have recently given birth to a child. It appears with a frequency of 5-9% of cases for all pregnancies. Occurs during the first year after childbirth as a disruption of the thyroid gland.

Description of the disease

What is postpartum autoimmune thyroiditis? Thyroid hormones accumulate in the thyroid gland. They are necessary to maintain the body for 2-3 months. The place where they meet is called a colloid. It is localized in the follicular area. Immunity of a woman during pregnancy weakens, which provokes the development of thyroiditis. There is a destruction of follicular components on this background, which promotes the transition of thyroid into blood vessels. This causes thyrotoxicosis and its unpleasant symptoms.

Women with pathological or chronic diseases( type 1 diabetes mellitus, for example) are most prone to postpartum thyroiditis. This is proved by scientific research. If a woman has antibodies to thyroid peroxidase, then she is also at risk.

The main causes of

The function of the immune system is significantly reduced because of pregnancy, resulting in postpartum thyroiditis. Immunity becomes autoaggressive in relation to the thyroid gland. The consequence of postpartum thyroiditis is a mild form of hyperthyroidism. The duration of it can be different, depending on the individual characteristics of the woman. It can last an average of 2-3 months, and sometimes lasts up to a year or does not go without specialized treatment.

The sooner the disease is diagnosed, the better. This will reduce the likelihood of various complications. It happens that the cause of thyroiditis is that the immunity at the end of pregnancy rises sharply. This provokes stress for immune cells, which does not always safely affect the body. This situation can cause imbalance of all organs.

Repeated delivery increases the risk of developing the disease as opposed to the first. On the condition in which the thyroid gland is before pregnancy, the degree of thyroiditis after it depends. Therefore, it is better to take care of your health before motherhood. Scheduled examination with a doctor is recommended. If there are various ailments, they should be eliminated. And also it should be clarified when it is better to conceive a child.

A very serious approach requires postpartum thyroiditis. Symptoms and treatment are often interrelated. About this - further.

The main signs of thyroiditis

Some known symptoms will help to recognize a postpartum illness. Consider them in more detail:

• nervous, fussy, too vigorous behavior of a young mother;
• frequent change of mood - only a woman laughed, after a while she is already crying, and vice versa;
• sharp fluctuations in body temperature;
• with increasing appetite decreases weight, which is strange;
• heartbeat starts to run faster and irregularly;
• on the body can run a shiver for no apparent reason.

A frequent phenomenon after birth in a woman is depression. Therefore, it is necessary not to confuse thyroiditis with it. These signs characterize hyperthyroidism, which can lead to hypothyroidism, and this disease is much more serious than the first. Hormones begin to be produced in smaller amounts, after which the disease may manifest with some additional symptoms:

• weakness, fatigue at any number of loads, not even very significant;
• drowsiness, apathy, depression;
• absentmindedness, forgetfulness;
• swelling all over the body, sweating, fever;
• a gradual set of excess weight due to a decrease in the intensity of metabolic processes and yet a weak appetite.

If the symptoms are not paid due attention, which is quite often the case, as there is confusion with postpartum depression, then there is a chronic postpartum thyroiditis. Symptoms should therefore be able to recognize.

What is the risk factor?

With age, a gradual increase in the amount of thyroid antibodies in a woman's blood occurs. A young girl runs the risk of developing thyroiditis less than an elderly woman, and this difference is 18-20%.

The risk group also consists of women who have significantly weakened immunity, as well as those who have chronic illnesses. If pregnancy is planned, then consultation with a specialist is needed. In advance, measures should be taken to increase the body's immune defenses. It is not too late to do this during pregnancy, but only by special preparations that are safe for the child.

Also it is worth to take a closer look at the manifestations of the disease, not to write off everything for postpartum depression. It is better once again to undergo the examination in order to start therapy as soon as possible. Symptoms can be very similar - fatigue, drowsiness, depression, apathy. But it should also be guarded that after a few months these manifestations do not stop. If this happens, you should immediately consult a doctor for advice.

The disease may not give any obvious signs. That is why there is a misunderstanding of the seriousness of the situation. But in some cases even specialists may find it difficult to determine that this is a violation of the thyroid gland. For treatment special thyroid hormones are required.

Postpartum thyroiditis: treatment of

As a treatment for postpartum thyroiditis, two methods are used:

• therapy with medicines;
• treatment by computer reflexotherapy.

Tyreostatics destroy excessive amounts of hormones secreted by the thyroid gland. Therefore, doctors recommend taking them for this disease. They are not contraindicated during lactation, so breast-feeding can not be stopped on the background of treatment. But with the help of this therapy, postpartum thyroiditis can be replaced by hypothyroidism.

If hormones are not enough in the blood, then hormonal therapy will be required. In this case, thyreostatic drugs are also prescribed. But, unfortunately, there is no guarantee that the missing hormones themselves will develop in the body. This will only improve the tests, and complete recovery of the endocrine system does not happen.

The general condition can also improve, but the main symptoms of the disease will remain, and the restoration of thyroid function will not occur.

To stabilize the production of hormones during the prevention of postpartum thyroiditis, computer reflexology can be used.

In this case, the effect of a stable current on the active points of the body. They are biologically active and interconnected with the brain center through the nervous system. In addition, additional drugs will not be needed.

This method of computer reflexotherapy helps to completely restore the function of the thyroid gland, as well as the normal production of hormones in the body. The state of health will be perfect, all systems will work in a coherent and orderly manner.

Reviews of doctors confirm the effectiveness of reflexotherapy in comparison with drug treatment. And they have recently been trying to prescribe this particular therapy for the diagnosis of "postpartum thyroiditis."How to distinguish this disease from a DTZ( diffuse toxic goiter), specialists are well aware, and it is necessary to differentiate these ailments in time so that the treatment is correct and timely.

How long does the treatment last?

The effectiveness of preventive methods and the degree of disease affect the duration of therapy until complete recovery. Approximately it lasts 2-3 months. Treatment will not be mandatory if there is no desire for a woman to have children in the future. Then it will be enough to visit the doctor on a scheduled basis for an inspection every two months.

When planning future pregnancy, "Thyroxine" is prescribed. To prevent hypothyroidism from becoming chronic, it is necessary to regularly donate blood to hormones.

Postpartum thyroiditis: diagnosis

Hyperthyroidism is difficult to detect, but it is the first stage of thyroiditis. Symptoms as such are not present. But at the first suspicions it is necessary to address to the expert for consultation. He will prescribe an analysis for thyroid hormones.

What's the prognosis?

Postpartum thyroiditis completely disappears within a year with the right treatment. This distinguishes it from other thyroiditis, which is often not completely cured, but becomes chronic.

To therapy should be approached extremely responsibly, because very many women run the risk of getting sick for life. This is a dangerous postpartum thyroiditis.

BelMAPO( Belarusian Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education), for example, teaches doctors to put the right diagnosis and prescribe treatment. Therefore, the qualification of a specialist often depends a lot, and this should pay attention when choosing a doctor.

Which doctors to contact?

A gynecologist or endocrinologist can help you deal with the disease. They will conduct qualitative diagnostics, prescribe tests and treatment if necessary. Determine the degree of postpartum illness is also possible. Therapy is selected individually, depending on the characteristics of the female body.

Conclusion

Postpartum thyroiditis is a serious disease, so it should be taken seriously. Especially if there are signs, but it is still unclear what they are talking about. Therapy should be comprehensive and immediate, it guarantees effectiveness.