After diabetes, thyroid disease
is the most common glandular disorder. At least ten million people are
being treated for thyroid conditions-usually an under active or over
active gland.
Because some early symptoms are easily ignored or mistaken for signs of anxiety disorders or aging, millions of cases of thyroid disease remain undiagnosed. Some patients go from doctor to doctor for years complaining of irritability, heart palpitation, difficulty concentrating, even memory problems, before they finally get help.
The thyroid is a small, butterfly shaped gland located at the base of the neck over the trachea, or wind pipe. Its job is to extract iodine from blood to produce two hormones that regulate the energy use of virtually every cell and organ in the body. When your thyroid becomes under active or over active, here is what to watch for-and do.
Radiation therapy to the head or neck, pituitary tumors or certain drugs, such as lithium for psychiatric ailments and the heart drug can also lead to hypothyroidism.
Whatever the cause, an under active thyroid leaves the body running in slow motion. Changes may include fatigue, feeling cold, diminished concentration and memory, and weight again.
Depression also results from hypothyroidism. Up to 20 % of all chronic-depression cases may be associated with low production of thyroid hormones.
There is no way to cure an under active thyroid, but treatment can be as simple as a pill-a-day lifetime hormone replacement. Determining the right medication and dose, though, may require experimenting. Too much thyroid hormone increases risk of bone loss, osteoporosis and cardiac arrhythmia: too little can lead to mild high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol levels.
Sometimes treatment for an under active thyroid may even create the symptoms of hyperthyroidism-and vice versa. A woman was told she had Hashimoto’s disease, and a synthetic thyroid hormone was prescribed.
Even a small medication mistake may have consequences, especially if you become hypothyroid at 25 or 30 and are not checked at least yearly to make sure the dose is right. The main cause of an overactive gland is another autoimmune disorder.
Symptoms are the flip side of hypothyroidism: rapid heartbeat, nervousness and irritability, feeling hot, muscle weakness, softening of the nails, hair loss, more frequent bowel movements, weight loss despite eating as usual, and for women, shorter menstrual periods with lighter flow.
Treating an overactive thyroid can also be tricky. There are three alternatives: radioactive to disable gland, drugs to turn off excess hormone production, or surgery to remove the thyroid, followed by hormone replacement. Most doctors recommend radioactive iodine. For about 90 % of patients, this treatment also involves the use of thyroid hormones to bring levels back to normal.
Surgery is usually reserved for hyperthyroid patients who have a large, disfiguring goiter that is not likely to shrink with other treatment, and in some cases, for women with the condition who are either pregnant or who plan to become pregnant. Although the operation is generally safe, there is a small risk of injury to the parathyroid glan
Because some early symptoms are easily ignored or mistaken for signs of anxiety disorders or aging, millions of cases of thyroid disease remain undiagnosed. Some patients go from doctor to doctor for years complaining of irritability, heart palpitation, difficulty concentrating, even memory problems, before they finally get help.
The thyroid is a small, butterfly shaped gland located at the base of the neck over the trachea, or wind pipe. Its job is to extract iodine from blood to produce two hormones that regulate the energy use of virtually every cell and organ in the body. When your thyroid becomes under active or over active, here is what to watch for-and do.
Radiation therapy to the head or neck, pituitary tumors or certain drugs, such as lithium for psychiatric ailments and the heart drug can also lead to hypothyroidism.
Whatever the cause, an under active thyroid leaves the body running in slow motion. Changes may include fatigue, feeling cold, diminished concentration and memory, and weight again.
Depression also results from hypothyroidism. Up to 20 % of all chronic-depression cases may be associated with low production of thyroid hormones.
There is no way to cure an under active thyroid, but treatment can be as simple as a pill-a-day lifetime hormone replacement. Determining the right medication and dose, though, may require experimenting. Too much thyroid hormone increases risk of bone loss, osteoporosis and cardiac arrhythmia: too little can lead to mild high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol levels.
Sometimes treatment for an under active thyroid may even create the symptoms of hyperthyroidism-and vice versa. A woman was told she had Hashimoto’s disease, and a synthetic thyroid hormone was prescribed.
Even a small medication mistake may have consequences, especially if you become hypothyroid at 25 or 30 and are not checked at least yearly to make sure the dose is right. The main cause of an overactive gland is another autoimmune disorder.
Symptoms are the flip side of hypothyroidism: rapid heartbeat, nervousness and irritability, feeling hot, muscle weakness, softening of the nails, hair loss, more frequent bowel movements, weight loss despite eating as usual, and for women, shorter menstrual periods with lighter flow.
Treating an overactive thyroid can also be tricky. There are three alternatives: radioactive to disable gland, drugs to turn off excess hormone production, or surgery to remove the thyroid, followed by hormone replacement. Most doctors recommend radioactive iodine. For about 90 % of patients, this treatment also involves the use of thyroid hormones to bring levels back to normal.
Surgery is usually reserved for hyperthyroid patients who have a large, disfiguring goiter that is not likely to shrink with other treatment, and in some cases, for women with the condition who are either pregnant or who plan to become pregnant. Although the operation is generally safe, there is a small risk of injury to the parathyroid glan
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