Autoimmune thyroid disease may be linked to depression

Thyroid gland is the gland in the human body that is closely related with body’s metabolism. Thyroid, especially autoimmune thyroid disease may be linked to depression. This is the statement that we can find in the results of a small study published in the 15 March issue of BMS Psychiatry in the year of 1994.

There is a lot of evidence that suggests the presence of any underlying autoimmune disorder in unipolar depression, with probable involvement of the thyroid gland. Unipolar depression can be characterized by a low-thyroid function syndrome.

Although thyroid dysfunction is not generally seen in depression, there is evidence that suggests the presence of an underlying autoimmune process affecting the thyroid gland in persons with depression. There are many findings that suggest that depression often co-exists with autoimmune subclinical thyroiditis and that, in order, means that depression can cause alterations in the immune system, or that in fact it is an autoimmune disorder itself.

Generally, after diabetes, thyroid disease is one of the most common glandular disorders occur in the patient. Since some early symptoms are generally ignored or misunderstood for signs of anxiety disorder or aging, there are millions of cases of thyroid disease that are skipped undiagnosed. Many patients just change their physicians complaining about irritability, heart palpitation, difficulty in concentrating any subject including routine work, memory problem etc. They are labeled as depression but then dramatically come up with some altered thyroid function.

The studies say that women are four times as likely as men to suffer from thyroid problems. This could be due to they are more prone to the malfunction that underlies in majority of the cases. Basically, their immune systems, fail to identify the thyroid gland as a part of the body and then send antibodies to attack on it.

The thyroid gland is an important gland of the body that is butterfly shaped gland that is situated somewhere at the base of the neck over the trachea, a windpipe. Thyroid glands’ function is to extract iodine from the blood to produce two hormones namely; thyroxine and triiodothyronine. These hormones regulate the energy use of every cell and organ within the body. When the thyroid becomes underactive or overactive, it can also alter brain’s chemistry. The mental stability may get shook up and there might be anxiety and depression.

Another study reveals that depression can also be due to hypothyroidism. Up to 20% of all chronic-depression cases can be associated with reduced level of thyroid hormones. At University of North Carolina, the study was carried out that among women with mildly reduced thyroid function, the rate of those who have had depression at least once in their lives was almost thrice as greater as among those with normal thyroid functioning gland. Unfortunately, patients who are labeled as depression and treated accordingly, do not first get their thyroid tests done.

Another group of experts believe that due to thyroid function, the body becomes languish and the sluggishness brings lethargy. All these symptoms may lead to stress and ultimately to the depression. It is quite obvious that when a person has no interest and becomes mentally and physically inactive, the brain gets unwanted thoughts and then finally gets depressed.

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