Hyperthyroidism is a common problem where your thyroid gland is overactive, resulting in a surplus of hormones. Your thyroid gland is located in your neck and is responsible for controlling metabolic and growth hormones within the body. When the thyroid creates too much thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), it can cause a wide range of symptoms that affect the entire body. The primary function hyperthyroidism affects is your metabolism, as too many T3 and T4 hormones speed it up to dangerous levels.
People with hyperthyroidism often experience an increase in appetite, weight loss, hand tremors, a fast heartbeat, and other similar issues. It is important to seek a diagnosis and treatment if you suspect you have hyperthyroidism. This condition may be caused by Graves’ Disease, which can create serious problems if left untreated.
Hyperthyroidism primarily affects your metabolism. As such, it affects appetite, heart rate, menstrual cycles, and other bodily functions controlled by metabolic rate. Here are some of the most common signs and symptoms that you may have hyperthyroidism.
However, many of the signs and symptoms of hyperthyroidism are similar to other health conditions. Therefore, it is important to see a doctor to diagnose what is causing your symptoms.
There are three potential causes of hyperthyroidism. It is important to know what caused your condition, as different causes may require different treatments. However, regardless of what caused your hyperthyroidism, it will often affect the body the same way.
Grave’s disease is a rare and potentially serious autoimmune disorder in which the immune system malfunctions and attacks itself. Resulting in the immune system attacking the thyroid, causing it to release too many hormones. Hyperthyroidism caused by Grave’s disease is most common.
This condition, also known as toxic nodular goitre, is when one of the nodules in the thyroid becomes overactive. This results in the release of excess hormones. Medical experts are not sure what causes overactive thyroid nodules.
Thyroiditis is when the thyroid gland becomes inflamed. As with toxic nodular goitre, medical experts are not sure what causes thyroiditis, only that it leads to hyperthyroidism.
Anyone can get hyperthyroidism. However, women in their 60s who have had past thyroid problems or who have consumed too much iodine are at highest risk.
Because the signs and symptoms of hyperthyroidism look similar to many other medical conditions, you cannot be diagnosed by symptoms alone. While your doctor will perform a medical exam including a health history, you will need to undergo a blood test. The blood test will show how many T3 and T4 hormones you have in your system. If the count is too high, you likely have hyperthyroidism.
In addition to the blood test, you may also need a thyroid ultrasound and a radioiodine scan. The radioiodine scan includes swallowing radioactive iodine to see how much T3 and T4 it collects. These tests can also help determine what is causing your hyperthyroidism.
If tests confirm a diagnosis of hyperthyroidism, it is important to start treatment immediately. Luckily, hyperthyroidism is very treatable and manageable. The first course of treatment is usually medications that suppress the thyroid and keep it from producing too many hormones.
If medications do not work, you can also try radioiodine therapy, which is a treatment that shrinks the thyroid gland. By shrinking the gland, it will not be able to produce as many hormones. If medications and radioiodine therapy are unsuccessful, surgery to remove all or part of your thyroid gland may be necessary. A hormone replacement therapy regimen may be a lifelong commitment after surgery.