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Hypothyroidism is an underactive thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped endocrine gland that is normally located in the lower front of the neck.
Hypothyroidism is an underactive thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped endocrine gland that is normally located in the lower front of the neck. The thyroid’s job is to make thyroid hormones, which are secreted into the blood and then carried to every tissue in the body. Thyroid hormone helps the body use energy, stay warm, and keep the brain, heart, muscles, and other organs working as they should. Hypothyroidism means that the thyroid gland can’t make enough thyroid hormones to keep the body running normally.
SYMPTOMS OF HYPOTHYROIDISM
When thyroid hormone levels are too low, the body’s cells can’t get enough thyroid hormone and the body’s processes start slowing down. As the body slows, you may notice that you feel colder, you tire more easily, your skin is getting drier, you’re becoming forgetful and depressed, and you’ve started getting constipated. Because the symptoms are so variable and nonspecific, the only way to know for sure whether you have hypothyroidism is with a simple blood test for TSH.
CAUSES OF HYPOTHYROIDISM
There can be many reasons why the cells in the thyroid gland can’t make enough thyroid hormone. The most common ones are autoimmune disease, surgical removal of part or all of the thyroid gland, radiation treatment, congenital hypothyroidism, thyroiditis, medicines, too much or too little iodine, and damage to the pituitary gland.
TREATMENTS FOR HYPOTHYROIDISM
Hypothyroidism can’t be cured. But in almost every patient, hypothyroidism can be completely controlled. It is treated by replacing the amount of hormone that your own thyroid can no longer make, to bring your T4 and TSH levels back to normal levels. So even if your thyroid gland can’t work right, T4 replacement can restore your body’s thyroid hormone levels and your body’s function. Synthetic thyroxine pills contain hormones exactly like the T4 that the thyroid gland itself makes.
The table below includes the most commonly used ICD-10 codes for hypothyroidism:
| ICD-10 Chapter | Codes | Code Description |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | E01.8 | Other iodine-deficiency related thyroid disorders and allied conditions |
| 4 | E02 | Subclinical iodine-deficiency hypothyroidism |
| 4 | E03.0 | Congenital hypothyroidism with diffuse goiter |
| 4 | E03.1 | Congenital hypothyroidism without goiter |
| 4 | E03.2 | Hypothyroidism due to medicaments and other exogenous substances |
| 4 | E03.3 | Postinfectious hypothyroidism |
| 4 | E03.4 | Atrophy of thyroid (acquired) |
| 4 | E03.5 | Myxedema coma |
| 4 | E03.8 | Other specified hypothyroidism |
| 4 | E03.9 | Hypothyroidism, unspecified |
| 4 | E89.0 | Postprocedural hypothyroidism |
Author: Tonoya Ahmed
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