Live Life Team
This occurs when there is excess thyroid hormone in the body. This condition is more common in women than in men. These glands are found in the neck portion and secrete hormones that are released to the bloodstream. They help in controlling the growth of the body and the metabolic actions in the body. These hormones are released in a controlled manner at a stable rate. In hyperthyroidism, the gland produces a lot of thyroxine or triiodothyronine that help in speeding up the energy consumption in the body.
This leads to hyperactivity, increase in appetite and sudden increase or loss of weight.
There are many causes for hyperthyroidism, the most common being the Graves disease, where in the thyroid glands are targeted by the immune system and causes it release excess thyroid hormones.
Once it is proven to be hyperthyroidism, it can be classified into Overt and Sub clinical.
If it is not controlled it can lead to other health problems like dysrhythmia and osteoporosis. If it is not treated in the early stages it can become life threatening.
Symptoms
- Breathing difficulties
- Hyperactivity
- Mood swings, nervousness and irritability
- Insomnia
- Fatigue (extreme tiredness)
- Weak muscles
- The frequency in passing stools (faeces) or urine increases
- Diarrhoea or streatorrhoea (meaning excess fat in your stools)
- Sensitive to heat and sweats profusely
- Appetite increased
- Sudden loss or gain weight
- Irregular periods, light periods, or stopping of period’s altogether
- Impotent
- Shows no interest in sex
Symptoms of a thyroid storm are:
- Heartbeat gets very rapid (over 140 beats a minute),
- Fever (Temperature higher than 38.5 C, or 101 F),
- Dehydration (feeling thirsty) along with vomiting and diarrhoea,
- Jaundice
- Severe agitation and confusion, or
- Hallucinations
Signs of hyperthyroidism
- Swelling in the neck region due to enlarged thyroid gland (goitre),
- Uncoordinated pace between the pulse rate and heartbeat,
- Rapid heart rate,
- Trembling or shaking,
- Warm and moist skin,
- Redness on the palm area,
- Loosening of nails in the nail beds,
- Itchy skin with swellings (urtcaria),
- Patchy loss of hair (diffuse alopecia), or
- Twitchy limbs and face
Causes
Graves’ disease – It can be hereditary and occurs commonly in women of the age group 20-40. It can occur in people who have major smoking habits. This condition appears when the immune system confuses the healthy substances in the body for toxic substance and begins to attack it. This disease affects the eye sight of the victim and may cause discomfort in the vision or cause double vision. This is because the antibodies affect the tissues located around the eye.
Iodine: Consuming excess of iodine also causes this condition. The kind of hyperthyroidism caused due to this is iodine-induced hyperthyroidism.
DIAGONOSIS
Thyroid function test is conducted to assess the blood in two ways: The physician takes the sample of the blood and conducts a test for the thyroid stimulating hormone levels (TSH). This test confirms the condition by that the level of TSH in the blood is lower than that of the normal levels.
TREATMENT
Thionamides are commonly used as a cure for hyperthyroidism.
